Central Valley’s Mabie a lock as Western Athletic Conference MVP

Western Athletic Conference coaches couldn’t pass on the Queen of Pass.

Central Valley point guard Mikayla Mabie was named the WAC MVP after guiding the Hawks to a share of their third title in 11 seasons.

Mabie, a third-year varsity senior, was in complete control throughout the season. She finished second in the nation in assists per game at 10.1, but more impressive was a turnover-to-assist ratio of better than 5-to-1.

“There are girls from all over the place and then you see small-town Ceres. It’s shocking,” Mabie said of MaxPreps’ national leaderboard.

Not so shocking for those that have watched her play. Mabie began her career at Turlock High as a freshman on the varsity team. There, she learned to become a facilitator by default.

As the pup, she often deferred to her older teammates. Soon, she embraced her role as point guard and a pass-first mentality.

“I had to step up quickly, and I never wanted to be selfish,” Mabie said of her trial-by-fire as a freshman starting in a Division I league. “I always wanted to include my teammates and that has stayed with me.

“I realized I liked passing way more than shooting. When someone catches a pass and knocks it down, I get way happier than I do if I score.”

Mabie also averaged a team-high 12.2 points, but sacrificed a loftier scoring average to get her teammates involved. She posted five double-doubles during conference play.

“She’s the best we’ve ever had,” Central Valley athletic director Greg Magni said matter-of-factly.

Magni said Chico State and Stanislaus State have expressed interest in Mabie, a well-rounded student-athlete currently running track for the Hawks.

Central Valley (18-8, 11-1) shared the conference title with Livingston (19-9, 11-1), which had two players — Sharn Sahota and Tina Lao — named to the first team.

Wolves coach Nina Garcia was named Coach of the Year.

Adrianna Haynes of Central Valley, Nicole Bates of Ceres and Jadan Rodriguez of Patterson rounded out the all-WAC first team.

Befitting her selfless demeanor, Mabie assumed the MVP award might go to Livingston’s Sharn Sahota or another.

“It was one of the coolest experiences,” Mabie said, “hearing my name (as MVP). I wasn’t expecting it.”

This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Central Valley’s Mabie a lock as Western Athletic Conference MVP."