Mia Riley felt like there was plenty to prove.

After COVID-19 limited her opportunities last summer to catch the eyes of college coaches on the AAU circuit, Riley was focused on making the most of her opportunities on the court for the Fowler girls basketball team.

The junior did just that.

Riley showcased her versatile skills to college coaches while helping Fowler break through for its first state championship since 1991. And, she leads The Associated Press Division 4 All-State team as the Player of the Year.

Riley averaged 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.7 assists while leading the way for Fowler, which won all its postseason games by double figures en route to its second state championship in program history.

“This year I really needed to prove that I was worth watching,” said Riley, who was also a first-team All-State player last year. “(I knew) if I could catch (a college coaches’) eye, I needed to just hold it. (I wanted to prove) I was worth being the girl to watch and I could be an asset to their team, and I could be an asset to their entire program.”

Riley’s sister, Emma, a sophomore at Fowler, is also an All-State player. The rest of the Division 4 team includes: Ewen-Trout Creek senior Elise Besonen, Carney-Nadeau junior Tessa Wagner, Genesee Christian junior Ava Boike, senior Brooklyn Robak of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, junior Anna Fernandez of Plymouth Christian, Lansing Christian junior Mia Judd, Saginaw Nouvel junior Madison Looby and Leland senior Olivia Lowe.