A little more than two minutes of the Class 3A state championship game highlights everything that set Dionna White apart from a talented group of peers this winter.
With the Millers trailing Urbana by nine points and 3:56 left in the first half, the 5-foot-8 swing guard took control, compiling three assists and three rebounds and converting two steals into baskets. By the 1:22 mark, the Millers had the lead.
As the tight game wore on, White continued to provide whatever her team needed en route to a 74-70 victory and its second straight state championship. She finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and eight steals — and made the defensive play that prevented a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds.
"She's one of the all-time greats in Baltimore County and certainly in the metro area," Catonsville coach Mike Mohler said. "She's not flashy. She just gets it done. I think her greatest trait is her consistency … and she has a killer instinct."
White, who will play at Georgetown, is the first player since her cousin, Chandrea Jones, at the Institute of Notre Dame in 2005 to be named to the All-Metro first team for four years. She finishes her career as the all-time leading scorer in Milford Mill history with 1,993 points. With her in the lineup, the Millers went 99-5 and won four Baltimore County championships and two state titles.
This season, White averaged 21.5 points, 4.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 steals per game, leading the Millers in all those categories except assists. She shot 67.2 percent from 2-point range and 47.3 percent from 3-point range and had a 3-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
"She showed up for every game," Milford Mill coach DeToiya McAliley said. "Her presence, defense, rebounding and decision making is the primary reason we were successful in the close games."
In the last three games of the playoffs, including wins over No. 5 Aberdeen and No. 6 Poly, she averaged 29 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.7 steals. She scored 38 against Aberdeen.
"I'm a huge fan," said Roland Park coach Scott Buckley, whose Reds were the only team to beat Milford Mill this season, ending a 31-game winning streak.
"She works really hard," he said. "She's into every possession. She's just so smooth it seems like she isn't working hard, but she defends, she rebounds, she's got a really good vertical (leap) and she's not afraid to take the big shot. She does it all."