Standout McDonogh guard Fleary follows phenomenal freshman year with sensational sophomore season

by Nelson Coffin
nelson@iamsports.com

Autumn Fleary is at it again.

A year after leading McDonogh to a taut 50-47 triumph over St. Frances Academy in the A Conference title game by capping off a 17-point, six-rebound effort with a game-winning three-point play in crunch time, the silky smooth sophomore guard is on her way to another banner season.

A recent 52-47 victory over second-place St. Vincent Pallotti (24 points, 10 rebounds) and a 69-57 verdict over New Jersey’s Paul VI (30 points, Blue Star Invitational MVP) in Philadelphia are more evidence that her star continues to rise.

In the Eagles’ only league game last week, Fleary’s stuffed stat line showed that she produced 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in an 81-62 triumph over St. Mary’s to remain unbeaten in conference play.

McDonogh coach Brad Rees knows when he has a gem that doesn’t need much more burnishing. He’s all-in on Fleary.

“Autumn has lifted her game to a new level this season,” he said. “After nursing an injury this fall, she opened up averaging 24.5 (points per game) for the first four games, including 29 points in a losing cause against nationally ranked Sidwell Friends.”

Her scoring spike — the Baltimore Sun Player of the Year averaged 14.7 points, three steals and as many assists last season — has come at a perfect time for a team that graduated four seniors from last year’s championship squad.

She has been scoring at a furious clip this winter for the 13-4 Eagles, averaging 19.6 points per outing while upping her shooting percentage from 47.7 to 53.3 and nailing three-pointers at a healthy 38.2 rate compared to last season’s 29.5.

Hardly lacking confidence, the 5-foot-7 Fleary is at her best with the game on the line.

“Autumn is one of those rare players who plays her best when the competition and stakes are the highest.” Rees added.  “When it matters, she wants the ball. Her teammates and coaches see this and trust her to have the ball in these situations.”

It might be a little too early to compare Fleary with former IAAM guards of a certain stature, including Nia Clouden (St. Frances, No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA draft), Brittany Mallory (McDonogh, captain on Notre Dame’s 2011 and 2012 NCAA national finalists) or Morah Strickland (Towson Catholic, 2007 Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year), but it might not be a stretch, either.

“As a coach, it is invaluable to have someone like Autumn on the court with the ability to control the ball and make decisions that make all of those around her that much better,” Rees concluded. “She is a true playmaker on both the defensive and offensive ends of the court.”

Although sometimes more veteran players might bristle when a younger player takes charge, that’s not the case with the Eagle upperclassmen.

“Playing with a great player like Autumn just makes everyone better,” said Maryland commit and senior co-captain Ave McKennie. “It doesn’t matter how good you are, she will make you better.

“Autumn stepped in as a freshman and it was pretty clear that she was really good early on. She just blended in with the team from day one. She is unselfish and works hard to be the player she is and has certainly earned the trust and respect from all of her teammates.”

Fellow classmate and captain Kennedy Umeh, headed to Stanford in the fall, said that Fleary is a pleasure to play with on the court.

“She makes great decisions, is unselfish and despite all of her individual accomplishments, always puts the team first.” Umeh continued. “Autumn makes us better every day…not just in games, but in practices as well where she works so hard to become a better player and make us a better team.”

Fleary said that she had the confidence to make a major impact so early in her career by “visualization and preparation, (by) envisioning critical moments like last-second shots or defensive plays during practice.”

Playing with older teammates in AAU also helps, she noted.

“As my father emphasized the benefits of facing tougher opponents, I practice with intensity, simulating scenarios against top players or teams to ensure I’m ready for any challenge. The concept of ‘game speed’ has been ingrained in my approach.”