WEST DEPTFORD. N.J.—The USJN Qualifier East, hosted at the easily accessible Riverwinds Community Center (with a clutch convenience store just a half a mile down the road), proved to be an excellent kick-off event for the 2016 club season.  Featuring regional Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York teams, athletes were able compete in a live setting without the pressure of Division I coaches in attendance.  Passing, defense and team play were clearly emphasized by many of the club coaches, and parents provided (at times!) some positive encouragement during the games.

Here are some quick snapshots of players caught our eye during the two-day event:

Abby Anderson – 2017 – 6-0 – Forward – (Scranton, PA – Keystone Karma 17 Phil) – Big wing that can slide to the 4.  Strong body.  Straight line driver who can finish with contact.  Likes physicality and crashes the boards.  Needs to continue to improve both speed and conditioning

Rachel Balzer – 2019 – 5-10 – Guard – (Doylestown, PA – Philadelphia Belles 14 Burbidge) – Fluid wing withbslashing ability and improved jump shot.  Smart and reads defenses.  System player at the moment, but can evolve with improved scoring consistency.

Graceann Bennett – 2019 – 6-2 – Forward – (Lake George, NY – Blue Star Upstate NY 14) – Refined post player with an excellent up and under move in the low post as well as mid-range jumpshooting ability.  Physical on the defensive glass – boxes out low and strong.  Rebounds and pushes in transition.  Will continue to evolve as her shooting range increases.

Latonya Berry – 2020 – 6-3 – Center – (Stratford, NJ – Philadelphia Belles 13 Halligan) – A big kid just learning the game, she showed good fundamentals on the defensive end by finishing every play with a box out.  Still getting used to moving at her size, but success will come as she continues to mature.

Alyssa Bertrand – 2018 – 5-5 – Point Guard / Guard – (Bristow, VA – Feet 16 Robinson/Snow) – Competitive combo guard that can get to the rim and knock down outside shot.  Strong body who pushes sit in transition.  Needs to continue to refine her weak hand.

Giana Boulden – 2020 – 5-9 – Guard – (Trenton, NJ – Philadelphia Belles 13 Steidle) – Long, lanky slasher that showed a promising upside and good athleticism.

Julia Breit – 2017 – 5-7 – Guard – (Manheim, PA – Mid Penn Motion 16 Longenecker) – Showed a solid midrange jumper.  Pushed it in transition with effectiveness.  Continued emphasis on speed will improve skill sets.

Alexa Brodie – 2019 – 5-5 – Point Guard – (Chalfont, PA – Philadelphia Belles 14 Burbidge) – The top PG at the event and will be one of the better ones in her class.  Exceptional ballhandler with tight handles and passing ability.  Lefthanded, which gives her an immediate advantage.  Loves setting up her teammates and is an excellent interior passer.  Attacks the rim and finishes with creativity and handles contact.  Will need to improve physicality on defense.

Mikaela Brunais – 2020 – 5-5 – Point Guard / Guard – (Fairfax, VA – Feet 16 Robinson/Snow) – High IQ guard who plays with energy and swagger.  Passes are on-time and on-target.  Good three point range and will improve consistency as she matures.

 Maddie Burke – 2020 – 5-11 – Guard / Forward – (Doylestown, PA – Philadelphia Belles 14 Burbidge) – Easily the most exciting player at this event.  She has advanced skills sets that will make Top Ten college programs drool.  Excellent length and can play 1 through 4.  Excellent athlete who can elevate and hang for rebounds.  Deep three point range with clean stroke.  Can set up herself or teammates off the dribble.  Plays hard and has unlimited potential.

Dolly Cairns – 2020 – 5-3 – Point Guard – (Saratoga Springs, NY – Blue Star Upstate 14) – Little point guard with big talent.  Showed natural feel for game with high IQ and passing ability.  Deep three point range with surprising strength.  Good handles and sees up the floor in transition. (uses Tony Parker crossover move to perfection) Finishes with both hands.  Looking forward to seeing her evolve.

Anna Camden – 2019 – 6-2 – Forward – (Downingtown, PA – Philadelphia Belles 15 EYBL) – Long glue player that demonstrated a consistent midrange jumper.   Still learning how to defend against smaller, quicker players, but will continue to improve with experience against higher-level competition.

Danielle Cosgrove – 2018 – 6-3 – Forward – (Holbrook, NY – Philadelphia Belles 15 EYBL) – Versatile and poised offensive producer.  Can score with her back to the basket or on face-up jumper. Also has three point range.  Clean release on shot.  Average quicks but above average footwork in low block.  Needs to rebound out of area.

Kristen Denoncour – 2017 – 6-0 – Forward – (Broomall, PA – Lower Delco 17) – Solid body wing or 4 who attacks off the bounce.  Straight line drive and can finish through contact.  Showed off a midrange jumper.  A bit of a tweener who would be well-served by stretching range to arc.

Taylor Hamm – 2018 – 6-0 – Forward – (Collegeville, PA – Comets 16 Dreger) – Hardworking post that can really pass out of the high and low post.  Strong body and seeks out contact.  Moves well without the ball for easy scores.  Needs to continue to improve fluidity of low post footwork.

Danielle Harrington – 2017 – 5-10 – Guard – (Gainesville, VA – Feet 17 Snow/Berry) – Athletic slasher with good upside who had a tendency to drift at times.  Finishes with contact and has good length.

Autumn Hopson – 2017 – 5-8 – Guard – (Gainesville, VA – Feet 17 Snow/Berry) – Raised her level of play against better competition. Showed multi-level scoring ability. Consistent from deep and quick off bounce.  Uses rim for protection for reverse finish.  Sleeper for Division – I programs.

Jabria Ingram – 2018 – 5-7 – Guard – (Upper Darby, PA – Philadelphia Belles 15 EYBL) – Aggressive power guard who finishes through contact at rim.  Good athlete with strong frame.  Will need to improve perimeter scoring against bigger players who can match athleticism.

Kiki Jefferson – 2019 — (PA – Philadelphia Belles 15 EYBL, 5’11 G/F) – Tantalizing prospect due to length and raw athleticism.  A “tweener” right now. Defends 4’s but is better suited offensively to the 3.  Excellent upside and has quick learning curve.

Leah Johnson – 2019 – 5-5 – Point Guard – (Columbus, NJ – Philadelphia Belles 14 Burbidge) – Quick lead guard that can play up-tempo and in control.  Defensive impact is immediate: jumps passing lanes for steals to score.  Finishes with both hands.  May struggle to create against larger defenders.

Maggie Kirby – 2018 – 5-9 – Guard – (Selkirk, NY – Blue Star Upstate NY 16) – Good size wing with solid frame who competes on every play.  Attacks off the bounce and showed creative Euro finish.  Good IQ.  Needs to improve off-hand and three point consistency.

Viki Kneis – 2017 – 5-10 – Forward – (West Chester, PA – Comets 16 Dreger) – Hustler who hit the offensive boards hard.  Strong frame and made freethrows.  Though undersized at the 4, played hard and competed.

Josiah Lacey – 2020 – 6-0 – Guard – (Douglasvile, NJ – Philadelphia Belles 13 Steidle) – Another extremely talented player in the 2020 class.  She’s a raw athlete who possesses tremendous defensive instincts and is a great runner.  Outstanding in transition with a long first step in half court slash.   Advances will come fast due to natural elite athleticism.

Julianna Laguna – 2022 – 5-5 – Guard – (Staten Island, NY – Philadelphia Belles 12 Fuery) – Showed advanced skill sets despite being just a sixth-grader.  Can drive and finish with both hands.  Also demonstrated a good feel for the game and loves to play.

Lauren Park Lane – 2019 – 5-5 – Point Guard – (Wilmington, DE – Philadelphia Belles 14 Woodall) – Extremely quick and high-spirited PG that plays with flair.  Directs her team and is explosive in transition.  Loves to pass and handles the ball with her head up at all times.  Has three point range and will need to continue to use her speed to harass opponents.

Grace Lange – 2017 – 6-0 – Guard / Forward – (Newark, DE – Delaware Angels 16 Lange) – Lanky slasher who was able to extend to the rim in transition.  Good size on perimeter.  Ballhandling needs work and she did not display outside shooting.

Alisha Lewis – 2019 – 5-6 – Point Guard – (Wallingford, PA – Philadelphia Belles 15 EYBL) – Quick PG with excellent court awareness and tempo control.  Catch and shoot three point.  Good passer in transition and initiates the break.  Will need to improve physicality, especially on defense.

Ceira Lloyd – 2017 – 5-6 – Point Guard / Guard – (Scranton, PA – Keystone Karma 17 Phil) – Quick guard with burst speed in transition.  Accelerated with the ball and elevated to finish.  Outside shot needs improved form.

Marissa McDonald – 2019 – 5-11 – Forward – (West Chester, PA – Philadelphia Belles 14 Woodall) – Eager player who will continue to figure out skill sets.  Plays hard and competes on boards.  Good IQ.  Will improve with continued exposure to high-level play.

Rachel Millan – 2017 – 5-8 – Guard – (Huntingdon Valley, PA – Philadelphia Belles 17 Peterson) – Solid wing with catch-and-shoot three point ability.  Showed a high, clean release on shot.  Excellent system player – rarely puts it on the floor and is comfortable in a ball-movement style offense.

Shannon Mulroy – 2019 – 5-7 – Guard – (Mount Laurel, PA – Philadelphia Bellyes 14 Woodall) – Deadeye shooter with deep range.  Threat to knock it down on catch up to 25 feet.  Limited ballhandling means she needs to become effective utilizing off-ball screens.

Julianna Okoniewski – 2018 – 6-1 – Forward – (Troy, NY – Blue Star Upstate NY) – Face up 4 with good size and jumpshooting ability.  Agile in transition.  Drifts and shies away from contact at times.

Hanna Oliver  — 2017 – 5-5 – Guard – (Bristow, VA – Feet 17 Snow/Berry) – One of several players to consistently produce from three point range.  Good release but needs to get it off quick due to size.

Sara Peretti – 2019 – 6-0 – Forward – (Hammonton, NJ – Philadelphia Belles 14 Burbidge) – Blue-collar post that does a good job of sealing her defender to finish.  Uses drop step effectively and makes freethrows.  Will need to use deception to be effective against bigger players.

Alyse Rawls – 2017 – 6-1 – Center – (Harrisburg, PA – Mid Penn Motion 16 Longenecker) – Long post with promising upside.  Hit elbow jumper and was active in paint.  Needs to finish and rebound with more consistency.

Cavina Rickards  — 2019 – 5-7 – Guard – (Rosedale, NY – NY Belles 14 Brown) – Aggressive scoring wing with excellent athleticism and bounce.  Was in attack mode on both days.  Aggressive driving right to the rim and finishing with contact.  Needs off-hand and perimeter shooting improvement but still was impressive throughout.

Morgan Robinson – 2019 – 5-6 – Guard – (Swedesboro, NJ – Philadelphia Belles 14 Woodall) – Athletic off guard who can really explode in transition.  Goes hard to rim with first step.  Needs to continue to improve perimeter shooting.

Roesha Samuels – 2019 – 5-5 – Point Guard – (Bayside, NY – NY Belles 14 Brown) – Quick, attacking PG with impressive handles.  Needs to improve off hand and ability to protect the ball under pressure.

Alyssa Sweeney – 2018 – 5-5 – Point Guard / Guard – (Bristow, VA – Feet 16 Robinston/Snow) – Other half of backcourt tandem with Alyssa Bertrand.  Showed good quicks and vision.  Interior passing was on-time and on target.  Will need perimeter scoring to compliment penetration skills.

Celeste Taylor – 2019 – 5-10 – Guard / Forward – (Valley Stream, NY – Philadelphia Belles 15 EYBL) – Ultra athletic guard with serious elevation ability.  Explosive and can finish over stationary defenders.  Transition scorer.  True pull-up with hang time.  Will continue to evolve with improved outside shooting.

Jacqueline Vargas – 2020 – 6-1 – Forward – (Maple Glen, PA – Philadelphia Belles  13 Steidle) – Tall, lanky post who possesses good defensive instincts and will continue to improve on the offensive end.  Natural shot blocker.

Madison Welliver – 2017 – 6-1 – Forward – (Warfordsburg, PA – Mid Penn Motion 16 Longenecker) – Physical 4 that showed composure and poise with the ball on face up attacks.  Likes to bang in the paint.  Finishes with contact.  Will improve with continued emphasis on speed and conditioning.