Canyon View girls basketball open to battling Arizona's best

By Richard Smith
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The two-time 5A girls basketball champions begin the playoffs tonight with no plans to defending their title.

Led by seniors Aaliyah Rogers, Bernadette Carranza and Jaila Flowers, Canyon View wants to qualify for the final eight of the Open Division. Actually, the Jaguars want to win the Open Division.

Canyon View is 15-0 in 2026, which boosted the Waddell squad to the #11 seed in the Open. If the Jaguars win Tuesday and Thursday night, they will be elevated out of 5A and into the quarterfinals of the top division.

"We set a program goal early to make a run at the open title. We will attack each game and opponent one at a time ... business as usual, until the job is done, with no regrets.," Coach Desirae Carranza said.

It will not be easy. #22 Phoenix Xavier College Prep (15-11) is not the same team that won the 2024 Open title or made the 2025 quarterfinals, with 6-5 center Noelle Bofia graduating early and not playing.

The next three weeks give the Class of 2026 one last chance to write their legend.

“With us being seniors they’ve been talking about us leaving a legacy. I think we’ve created a pretty big legacy just from the start,” Flowers said.

But the Gators are battle tested against 6A's best.

Win that, and the Jaguars will most likely travel to #6 Chandler Hamilton (18-8), the defending 6A champion.

“I think that’s our main goal this year. The past two or three years, we’ve been good with 5A. I think this year, we’re actually trying to make it far in the Open or win the Open. Seeing all the teams and seeing it laid out gave us more confidence,” Flowers said.

Carranza, Flowers and Rogers have played together for six years

Desirae Carranza has a front row seat. She said it has been amazing being a part of these young womens' lives and the journey they have had on and off the basketball court.

"They have seen each other through challenging times, tough losses, and painful injuries.  I watched them find strength in one another in close games and as they maneuver the ups and downs of being teenagers,"  Desirae Carranza said. "They have built an unbreakable bond rooted in trust, loyalty, and genuine friendship.  As student athletes they have become ambassadors and leaders on campus. They are champions and they have left a lasting legacy at Canyon View High School.  I have been blessed to watch them grow, I could not be more any more proud of them."

If they get to the quarterfinals, it will be the first time this Jaguars senior class has not ended its season playing for the 5A state title.

Carranza, Flowers and Rogers all started as freshmen as Canyon View made its first basketball state final, losing the 5A title game 52-47 to Sunrise Mountain.

Bernadette Carranza said that team's eight freshmen learned a lot from lone senior Avery Spickler.

“She kind of built that program from when she was younger,” Bernadette Carranza said.

Late in the 2023-24 season, Bernadette Carranza tore her ACL.

Canyon View fought through it and knocked off rival Millennium in the semifinals, then won the 5A title rematch with Sunrise Mountain 49-41 in overtime.

Bernadette Carranza said. missing those games was frustrating, but sitting and watching helped her feel for the game.

“I’ve become a better point guard, distributing the ball across the team and being a better leader on the court and getting our team where it needed to be,” Bernadette Carranza said.

Girls basketball is part of a title wave at this young school. Wrestling also won Division II state titles in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Girls track added a title in 2024 and 2025.

Then, girls basketball repeated in 2024-25, coming back to beat Kellis 44-40 in the final.

“Winning back to back we kind of set the stage for all the other sports at this school,” Bernadette Carranza said. “Winning those championships brought more spirit to our campus.”

Canyon View girls basketball seniors Aaliyah Rogers, left, Bernadette Carranza, center, and Jaila Flowers stand in front of the Waddell school's trophy case Feb. 16. They led the Jaguars to 5A titles the last two years. (Richard Smith/West Valley Preps)

Flowers leads the team with 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this year.

With 6-3 freshman Annalycia Sandoval in the fold, Flowers does not have to play center all the time.

“I became more level headed. I used to be a hothead,” Flowers said.

Desirae Carranza called Flowers the storm of the team.

"She is the leader and brings the killer instinct, and the confidence. She has a high IQ and brings our toughness, rebounding, defensive presence and will score at all positions.," Desirae Carranza said.

Rogers said the three senior leaders know each other so well offensively, they don't have to talk much. Plus fellow senior guards Azalee Tellez and Keira Lewis, just now back in the mix after an injury, fit in easily.

Rogers averages 9.7 points and a team high 3.2 steals this season.

“I feel like I became much better defensively throughout the years and more vocal on the court with the younger girls,” Rogers said.

Rogers is a high energy and quick thinking player that really impacts our game, Desirae Carranza said.

"She is our surgeon, she can isolate the offense, slice and dice opponents, with her speed and she will attack the rim," Desirae Carranza said.

Bernadette Carranza and her younger sister, Lourdes, are tied for the team lead with 2.9 assists per game. Lourdes is a sophomore.

Bernadette also adds 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and three steals to the mix.

Desirae Carranza said her daughter is a quiet leader who brings calm to the storm, always a steady floor general.

"She is our primary ball handler who can shoot the 3 and the mid range.," Desirae Carranza said.

They Jaguars enter the playoffs with everything starting to click Bernadette Carranza said.

“Our main goal this year was to touch perfect. You’re not always going to be perfect but if we at least touch something perfect we will be good,” Rogers said.

Carranza and Rogers both plan to pick up their recruiting process after the season ends.  Carranza wants to study for a  medical career and Rogers plans to major in physical therapy.

Flowers recently signed with Cal State-Dominguez Hills. She said she wants to study nursing.

“The coaches were continuously in contact with me from the start. Two months later, I went out there to watch a game,” Flowers said. “Their team structure and how they play is a lot like Canyon View. They’ve been to the championships the last three years and I want to be part of a championship program.”

Richard Smith
Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps

rsmith@iniusa.org

Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.

An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.

For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.

As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.