HAMPTON, VA – Baby steps, one step at a time. Hours turn to days, days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months. We are working our way back into girls’ basketball. It takes patience, it takes diligence, and it takes faith. But it’s on its way.
So as some of the top club organizations in the country (and beyond) returned to the iconic Boo Williams Sportsplex this past weekend for the first time in two years, a collective sigh of relief could be detected. We were another small step closer. The basketball world is indeed still spinning.
An annual April staple, the Boo Williams Invitational has long been known as a mainstay during the usual NCAA DI April Evaluation Period. While everyone sits around tapping their feet, crossing off the days on their calendars until the suspension of NCAA DI on/off-campus recruiting activities is lifted, for many this was the return of an old friend and an age-old routine. For that, we can all be grateful!
There was plenty of basketball action to be grateful for as well! The scattered spring and summer of 2020 is indeed a thing of the past, and even without the heavy college coach presence in person, the marquee match ups between some of the most elite programs in the country were certainly back, much to the delight of evaluators, media, families, and women’s basketball fans. You could feel the energy pick up.
Blue Star Media was all hands on deck all weekend, and our team saw hundreds of players throughout the weekend. As always, we did our best to see as many teams and players as possible, and we saw way more than we could put in multiple articles. This is just one course of a multi-course meal, however delectable it may be. We thought it would be fun to break this recap down into some categories as a way to profile just some of these young ladies who showed up and showed out. Let’s get to it!
Point Guards Lead the Way
Much like the quarterback position in football, many would say a team goes as its player who perhaps has the ball in their hands making the decisions and plays the most. There was no shortage of point guards to behold at Boo this past weekend.
Paris Clark, ladies and gentlemen. The 2022 star Exodus point guard can put a team on her back and rattle off several buckets in a row off the bounce to close shop in close games. Her poised and competitive nature is hard to top. A little further down the age range, Exodus also features another X-factor PG in 2024 Lauryn Swann. She makes the world go around for her team, and now that the frame has started to fill out, she’s only leveling up. Also, more and more often she is making you pay for going under on ball screens.
Keeping it in the Northeast, you’d be hard-pressed to find a point who outplayed 2023 Hannah Hidalgo of Philly Rise Team Stewie this past weekend. What Hidalgo does leads to points, one way or another. Take notes on how she uses her body to shield and finish at the basket, and the thievery she displayed on D was huge for her team in some big spots. New Heights star Angelica Velez is another 2023 from the Tri-State who brings it every time out. Her energy is contagious, and she can do it all at the point.
Katie Fiso (2024) is a star for Tree of Hope. She has absolutely no problem playing up a couple years on the 17 EYBL stage, and doesn’t back down. Fiso plays in attack mode, and points and assists are a byproduct of that. Keeping it on the West Coast, let’s pause to appreciate the last go around for 2022 UCLA commit Londynn Jones of the Cal Sparks. The lefty lightning rod has left a great legacy in her young years, and overall she rarely misses too many three point shots. Her game will translate well to the PAC-12. Last but not least, 2022 Talana Lepolo played a big role in helping lead the Cal Stars to a 17U championship at Boo this past weekend. Lepolo is legit in so many ways, and she’s a little different and unique. From knocking down the three to some good footwork and fakes in the lane, she can get the job done. The special and timely delivery of some threaded bounce passes also really impressed, as she knows how to play with big time bigs.
JuJu Watkins has been a place that the conversation starts atop the class of 2023 for over 5 years now, and she never fails to live up to her calling. At 6’0 tall, the Cal Swish maestro conducts the orchestra with plenty of solo performances. Watkins is powerful with the ball, and even made a spectacular one-handed pass as she was knocked to the ground by a defender. She’s a, “How did she do that?” type of magician out there, a walking 30 piece scorer, and a player who just lives in attack mode.
Leah Harmon had a nice weekend at the point for Boo Williams. Her game has matured as she concludes freshman year, and she is a trusted presence out top as a 2024. She is balanced offensively, with the ability to shoot the three or get to the rim when the opportunity arises. Speaking of getting to the rim, Kennedy Fauntleroy did just that in some huge moments for the Boo squad. Scoring runs on her own are a thing, and I think it’s safe to call this a little bit of that Mamba mentality when she is in the zone.
Lexus Bargesser exploded on to the scene with one of the best summers in the country in 2020. Now suiting up for Michigan Crossover, the 5’10 springy PG will be tested every time out on the circuit, and have a chance to show that she can go with any challenger that she may cross. And when talking Midwest point guards, one could not fail to mention the one and only KK Arnold of Midwest Elite. Consistent excellence, that’s the tweet.
Gettin’ Biggie With It
Post players will forever be in demand in this game, no matter how much it evolves and changes. Coaches crave size, even in a guard’s game, and if you look at the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament this year, versatile and skilled frontcourt players made a huge impact. Many of those players we’ve written about here over the years, so let’s get to the next big thing.
The tournament MVP Award went to Cal Stars powerhouse post Breya Cunningham. Cunningham had to be approaching 30 points in the 17 EYBL Platinum Championship win, and that wasn’t her first such performance of this magnitude. Still only a 2023, Cunningham has some of the best hands in the country regardless, and when you see her making dynamic plays on offense and defense, it’s no surprise she wore out the competition all weekend.
One of the better marquee individual match-ups for Cunningham was with 2022 UConn commit Isuneh Brady and the Cal Sparks. At 6’3, Brady is flat out imposing in the post, with quite an offensive skill set. It’s grown woman business with her in the paint, and even against elite competition, she just would not be denied. It’s scary when you see a kid at this size hitting pull up jumpers in the mid range too. Yes, you can expect to see her on your TV screens in March soon.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most iconic basketball players of an entire generation, so it is no surprise that his daughter, 2024 forward Me’arah O’Neal is already making waves with Cal Swish 16 EYBL. You can’t miss this size as you survey across a gym, and her hops at 6’3 are remarkable. While she enjoys showing off her 3 point shot and expanding perimeter prowess, she flashed some impressive finesse and power on the block a little too, which is her natural habitat.
Keeping it on the West Coast, it’s the last summer on the circuit for 6’7 Kennedy Basham, who we fully expect to continue to be an impact player for Cal Storm Team Taurasi. Basham is more than capable of protecting the paint, and when she shoots the trey like a two guard, the crowd is always going to raise its eyebrows. Lauren Betts also stands at 6’7, and was impressive as always for Colorado Premier in one last go around at Boo Williams. Betts will take her talents to defending National Champion Stanford, and we are sure the Cardinal fans cannot wait to see her.
Hailing from the Empire State, we would liken 6’6 post Aalyah Del Rosario to the Empire State Building, dominating the skyline even amongst plenty of other skyscrapers. Can you imagine being a guard and seeing that in front of you, or, even worse, hedging that screen you’re coming off? Geeze! Aurora Sanchez Almon joins her on a rather loaded New Heights 17U team, and her potential knows few bounds. Already an athletic force to be reckoned with, she is really embracing the mid range area and making teams pay for giving her space when she faces.
Rylee Grays does not look out of place for CyFair Elite on its 17U squad. The 6’3 2023 stud impacts games in many ways, and is making some noticeable progress in her offensive game. This will be an important summer of growth for her. And, while on the topic of CyFair, it would be unfair not to talk about justice… 2024 6’2 post Justice Carlton. Carlton exploded onto the scene in 2020, turning in a dominant performance in Tampa at the Blue Star 30 camp. You won’t find many kids her size out in the passing lanes getting steals and taking them the other way for pull up jump shots. The way she uses her body is elite, and she gets the job done from points to rebounds, to steals and blocks.
Beatrice Culliton has a great list of schools that will be awaiting her college decision in the coming months. The 6’3 rising senior for Missouri Phenom gets up quickly to make lay-ups, and is a tough assignment in the pick and roll game. The Phenom has some depth to speak of too, particularly in the form of 2023 stretch four Grace Slaughter. Slaughter splashes the three ball, works for rebounds, and finishes lob passes in mid air. Consider her a scoring option all over the floor from possession to possession.
The Miami Suns feature some strong interior play, led in force by 2022 nationally-ranked Amiya Evans. Evans has a great set of hands and keeps it high as she muscles up to finish. Offensive rebounding is a specialty of hers, and she has an arsenal at her disposal with her back to the basket. Also from the South, the Alabama Southern Starz have always been a program known for developing post players. Two such players we have seen growth in over the years are 2023 6’4 post Timya Thurman and ’23 classmate 6’3 post Naomi Jones. Both are athletes who are blessed with size and physical gifts, all the while expanding their basketball skills and overall knowledge of the game. They will both be on plenty of radars this summer, so the future is bright.
Boston College commit Ally Carman gets it done for Philly Rise inside. A big body at 6’5, she played well overall on the big stage this weekend, and was not overwhelmed against other elite power posts. She ducks in hard with the best of them and can put the ball in the basket at a high rate. Rise has another big time post working her way up the ranks in 2024 Kennedy Umeh, who opposing guards hate encountering on their way to the basket. There is dominance in her waiting to be discovered fully.
The 2024 class is very promising for Midwest Elite, with a good weekend of work submitted by 6’0 forward Anna Rosenberger and big 6’5 post Hayven Smith. Both are noticeable in their frame and stature and run pretty well. As they continue to add to the mix and hit the weight room, expect for them to be a force on the circuit the next few years.
Beast Mode
Some players are simply a match-up nightmare, unique in things like size, athleticism, body type, skillset, and flat out intensity. Who doesn’t want one of those players on their team?
One player that immediately comes to mind is 2024 point forward Mackenly Randolph of Cal Swish. The daughter of retired NBA star Zach Randolph stands at 6’1 and plays just like her pops. From the coast to coast journeys that culminated in “get out of my way” finishes, to the leaping across the lane rebounds, and most notably, the intensity and leadership intangibles, Randolph impressed, and has a bright future.
In the not so surprising category, Madison Booker (2023 wing/forward, Alabama Southern Starz) is a game changer end to end. This is not a new development. Booker has always been a major athlete, and the way she goes to work 1 on 1 from the wing or in the high post has always had a little old school flair to it. Add in the blocked shots, rebounds, and some really nice passing she appears to have discovered, and you have quite the package.
If this weekend was a new record, Janiah Barker just laid down a platinum track. The 6’4 Essence forward was easily one of the chart-toppers, with hits including contested three point buckets, power lay ups, and monster blocks that flew across the floor. Barker was a freight train steaming down the tracks with the ball all weekend, and defenders didn’t stand much of a chance. Keep an eye on a couple of her younger counterparts from the Essence program that fit the mold in 6’2 Sa’Mya Wyatt (2024) and 6’1 Alancia Ramsey (2023), who helped propel the Essence 16 EYBL squad to a championship appearance with plenty of moments of their own.
All Iowa Attack forward Hannah Stuelke is poised to muscle her way through her last season of club ball leaving a path of destruction along the way. The Iowa commit has some of the best footwork on her move set in the building, and can score all over the lane and in the mid range with some physicality. And if you like physicality, let’s throw in something a little stronger, by the name of Sarah Strong. At 6’2, the 2024 forward can absolutely dominate in the half court, playing her game at her pace and imposing her will in the form of double-doubles and victories. This is a name opponents do not forget.
Amina Muhammad, a 6’3 2022 forward from ProSkills maximizes an incredible collection of physical gifts. She loves to push it all the way on her own in transition, and gets up around the rim to finish. A little further down the line, ProSkills has 2024 6’2 forward Yves Cox who is hopefully paying close attention to what Muhammad does on a regular basis. The lefty interior prospect plays hard and runs the floor, and runs down loose balls in a hurry. Cox has some really good basketball days ahead.
S’Mya Nichols has been established as a do it all, utility player for Missouri Phenom. Now, having grown to an even 6’0, with tri-level scoring ability, the wing forward is much, much more than a defensive standout that rebounds and does the dirty work. Speaking of defensive standouts, 2022 5’10 guard Nalani White is a suffocating defender in her own right for West Coast Premier. The athletic, bouncy wing can get to the basket as she feels like, with little anyone can do to stop it.
Rising senior Jalyn Brown was instrumental in Boo Williams’ run to the Platinum 17U title game this weekend. Forever long and forever aggressive, Brown gets into the lane all day and makes some ridiculous baskets and equally ridiculous passes. On a team that doesn’t have a true back-to-basket post, Brown is more than capable of defending inside, which will serve her well at the next level as teams embrace small ball.
Howdy, Partner
What’s more beautiful than a dynamic back court tandem? Several teams we saw this weekend packed a 1-2 punch at the guard spot. One thing they all had in common is that they all went pretty far and won a lion’s share of games, likely not a coincidence.
We have to start the conversation with the Fairfax Stars and their star duo of highlight reel point guards, KiKi Rice (2022) and Kiyomi McMiller (2024). Rice has put on a show at Boo on more than one occasion. She really does it all, scoring, assisting, and rebounding. You’ll often hear of “bigs that can guard the perimeter” but KiKi is a “guard who can guard the bigs”, and that’s what winners are made of. With McMiller, if you missed that buzzer beater to end a half on social media, go look it up. Her evolution continues, with some of the strongest handles in the gym, and a quick rising floater in the lane. She is also doing a nice job of keeping her teammates engaged, the true mark of a point guard.
Essence 16 EYBL features 2024 guards Danielle Carnegie and Khadee Hessions. Each one of these players showed their ability to take over games in spurts, with a variety of scoring methods and plenty of athleticism on display. These two are gamers, and should be fun to watch the next few years. Both are capable of leading runs on offense, and getting stops on defense. The energy and intensity they can show really sets the tone.
The big time offers continue to pour in for the Nike Lady Gym Rats 2023 tandem of Ashlynn Shade and Rashunda Jones. Rightfully so! Shade is so dangerous off the bounce and plays at one speed all the time. Even if she perhaps drove in from Indy, she collected her usual frequent flyer miles this weekend, as it will be hard to find too many PG’s with that kind of vertical. Jones has really started to think some plays ahead and that is leading her to make the right reads more and more often. Quickness and craftiness is coupled with some three’s off the catch to make for a nice ensemble.
Team Takeover 17 EYBL is already set up to duplicate their success of recent years, and the steady playmaking and high level experience of 2022’s Gia Cooke and Yonta Vaughn is at the top of the list. Vaughn can go out and get a bucket. She’s been doing that for years and is just hard to contain, coming up big in clutch spots. Cooke can be a chef out on the floor herself, with all the tools to create, score, and distribute as needed at the highest level. Team Takeover is in good hands with this tag team at the helm this summer.
North Tartan got plenty of points and production from 2022 Minnesota commit Mara Braun and 2023 shooting specialist Logan Nissley over the weekend. Both guards have size, Braun at 5’11 and Nissley at 5’10. Braun is a killer out there on the court, getting out in a hurry off a rebound, using her size and body well off the bounce. Effort plus length on defense equals steals and deflections. She also shoots the 3, although Nissley tends to make that living for herself beyond the arc. Stringing makes on consecutive possessions will always make your coaches happy, kids.
We’ll close this section out with a pair who has every reason to be connected, the twin magic of Mia and Mya Pauldo. The two New Jersey Sparks sisters pack quite the one-two punch, facilitating, scoring, and running the show. It’s especially fun to watch when they are in the game together, feeding off of each other. Now members of the class of 2025, we will be treated to a few more sequels of the Pauldo show.
Bombs Away From Deep
So many coaches are seeking out shot makers, kids who can flat out find the bottom of the net. The old adage is true, if you can make shots, you can find minutes on a lot of teams.
If your last name is McCabe and you play for All Iowa Attack, you were born to shoot the basketball. 2022 Iowa commit Taylor McCabe does it at 5’11, and her scrappy nature and willingness to put her body on the line to get up to the rim make her more than a specialist. Younger sister Peton McCabe is cut from a similar cloth. The 2024 guard already stands at 5’8, and while she can stroke it from deep, it’s good to see she already has a shooter’s next greatest asset, the floater.
Paulina Paris of the New Jersey Sparks recently announced her commitment to Penn State, and the Nittany Lions have to be excited to add another scorer to their backcourt in a couple years. Paris has an excellent feel for the game and while the three ball is lethal, she is more than comfy going off the dribble. You have to know where this standout scorer is at all times, no doubt.
Clutch. That’s the word to describe 6’3 2022 Tennessee commit Justine Pissott of Philly Rise Team Stewie. We watched as she hit a trifecta of trifectas in a short span to help lead Rise to a come from behind victory on Saturday. Pissott is one of the best shooters you’ll find at any position in the country, hands down.
Another sharpshooter with some size and length is Gabriella Jaquez, a 6’0 2022 wing with the Cal Stars. She had multiple three’s in multiple games here, right on cue. At her height, she has full license to go down and score in the post, and off the bounce, she will get to the hoop even if you slap at her on the way.
The Stock is Up!
2023 wing/forward Olivia McGhee did a lot to prove her increased value this weekend. She hit two big baseline treys in a close game on back-to-back trips to help her Boo Williams team hold the lead in the semi’s against a surging All Iowa Attack. A multi-positional, multi-dimensional option, McGhee was sprinting the floor with regularity and seemed to be on a mission. Let’s see how she follows it up this summer!
Maggie Mendelson is as primed as anyone to have a huge summer! The 6’5 2023 Colorado Premier forward runs up and down the floor like she never gets tired, and just keeps making big plays. Contact is not going to stop her in there, and she just keeps going. Another 2023 big looking for a hot summer has to be 6’3 Sarah Rambus of Michigan Crossover. The size and frame have always enamored, and whether she is sitting down and defending guards and hedging screens out on the perimeter or facing up in the high post to attack the rim, she is tantalizing with the potential. Let’s see how the competition shapes Rambus’ game the next few months.
The DMV Lady Tigers have some very nice prospects and play with some swagger. 2023 wing/forward Laila Reynolds had a nice weekend. Standing at an even 6’0, Reynolds is good from three, and gets her hands on a lot of basketballs on defense. Her transition pace is also impressive. Another DMV product who has to be adding value this spring so far is 2022 6’3 forward Caia Loving of Team Durant. This is a big kid who loves to play inside and make herself a big target. Points in the paint follow.
Chloe Vasquez put on quite a scoring display for the New Jersey Sparks 15U group on Saturday. She still needs to develop the jump shot, particularly off the bounce, but the 5’11 2024 wing hangs her hat right now getting to the basket and just being competitive. She’s intriguing for the right level if she stays on this course.
Kennedy Chappel is such a fierce competitor. The 5’9 2023 point guard is the heart and soul of her ProSkills 16U team, and plays with a purpose out there. Chappel plays at a different level of speed and intensity than a lot of her counterparts and that stands out. She gets to the basket and draws contact at a high rate as well.
Jaylah Robinson had quite a weekend for Team Final down in Hampton. At 5’11, she is able to fill some different roles in a line up with a wide range of capabilities. From the three point line, into the mid range, and even some willingness to work in the post, she can put up some numbers. There is plenty of pep in her step when she is at her best.
It may be hard to find a player who did more to add value than Team Takeover’s Saniyah Jah did with her efforts this April. Jah rebounded the heck out of it, and played as motivated as we may have ever witnessed. She hit the trail three with some regularity, and skipped and high stepped her way through the lane. The 6’3 2022 forward is reaching new heights right now.
One more big to watch is 2023 6’4 forward Amanda Muse of the Cal Stars. Muse has quite a loud game, and is very physical in spite of her lean appearance. Catching and finishing in a lane filled with top prospects is no issue, and she sprinkles in some big time shot rejections to keep you honest on the other end. Expect her to make a growing impact in the immediate future.
Looking to the Future…
There were a number of young players that caught our attention as we scoured the courts of Hampton. Some are already known-commodities to the basketball aficionados, others are exploding on the radar as we speak. When you see young players holding their own playing up against elite competition, or dominating all comers at their own age group, the prognosis is optimistic. We are here for it!
Write this name down- Aaliyah Chavez. Commit it to memory. She is the real deal, a 2025 point guard who helped lead CyFair to the promised land as the 16U Platinum Champions this weekend. Her amazing passes will leave you asking how the heck she did that, and her dribbling can only be described as sizzling and scintillating. Chavez is a nightmare for defenders, with an elite mid-range game already in place, and speaking on D, watching her block shots of post players inside just has you shaking your head with a smile.
The Tennessee Flight 16 EYBL squad is paced by a pair of 2024 athletes, 5’8 guard Jailyn Banks and 6’0 basketball player Bre’Aria Cannon. You call a kid like Cannon simply a basketball player because it doesn’t matter really where you play her, she just makes basketball plays. Her shot has continued to show marked improvement, and she is still learning so the ceiling is high. Banks showed herself to be an athletic scorer, and the mid-range game is in a good place.
Nyla Brooks has been a standout against fellow 2025 competition in the past year, so she has certainly earned her spot with the Boo Williams 16 EYBL team. At 6’1 with plenty of athleticism, Brooks is only going to get better challenging herself against older players. Once she realizes she can still get away with the stuff she does against these high school kids, she is going to be quite a handful. Another 2025 player to watch from the 757 is Jemma Eleby, a versatile 5’10 kid who loves to put it on the deck and get to the basket. Eleby can glide through the air to rebound and to score, and racked up points from the short corner and from beyond the arc.
Kentucky Premier has a lot of young talent playing up with its older squads. 2025 wing Zakiyah Johnson needs no introduction, and does not look out of place in the least against 17 EYBL competition. The 16U group is led by 6’3 2025 forward Leah Macy, who continues to show off new additions to her tool belt every time out. Her motor sets her apart, and pressuring her is not going to help because she is going to rip out of it. She is jabbing and going from the perimeter now too, so good luck. Madi Hawk will also benefit from playing up with the 16s as a 2024 who is looking to continue to rise to the challenge.
Keep an eye out for 2025 lefty combo guard Zakeiah Berry from those Alabama Southern Starz. Already a high octane slasher, she is in the process of becoming a more consistent threat from the outside as well. She has a chance to be very special.
The Lady Gym Rats have a couple of stars in the making running with their 15U crew, in 2025 6’3 wing Maya Makalusky and 6’1 Forward Emily VanTimmeren. Makalusky shoots the 3 ball so well for her size, and has all the skill to be as good as she chooses to be in the future. Expect to VanTimmeren to follow the path of her older sister (Boston College’s Ally VanTimmeren) as there are plenty of similarities in their physical make up and their games. The footwork, attacking, and running the floor to score is bound to work out just fine for Emily.
All Iowa Attack 15U teammates Divine Bourrage and Journey Houston are only in the 8th grade, but you wouldn’t know it from their play this past weekend. Bourrage is already thinking a play or two ahead and keeps the ball moving where it needs to go. She has some fast handles and hit the three at a good rate when she took it. Houston is a versatile guard/forward at 6’0 tall, scoring off various actions and finishing like a monster in the lane off the bounce.
Essence has a nice 15U group, including well-known 2025 athlete Johanna Potter who we’ve long profiled. She is joined though by quite the ensemble, including a pair of versatile 6’1 players Jahnaesia Spiers and Jessica Fields. Spiers is a killer on the floor, and her combination of size and ball handling is frightening for the opposition. Fields plays all over out there, and has the physical ability to dominate games in a variety of ways. The group is led by PG Camryn Register, who has grown some in the past year, and keeps all of her surrounding big athletes fed and happy.
We’ve had our sights set on 2025 Cal Storm scoring guard Brooklyn Shamblin for a few years now, and plenty of colleges have followed suit. Shamblin is locked in and her workouts translate to her game nicely and she is very locked in and engaged. Another name that is quite familiar nationally is Kendall Dudley, a 6’2 2024 wing/forward who suits up for Team Durant out of the DC area. It’s been fun to watch her grow and develop in her earlier years, so expect big things to continue to follow this summer.
ProSkills 2026 combo guard Morgan Davis is going to put herself on the treasure map with more weekends like this one. Davis gets shots up at all levels of the defense, flashing good handles and solid play in congested areas. She shoots it like a grown up already, and the frame lends itself to more growing to be done.
Jada Lynch, a 2026 guard with the New Jersey Belles, plays hard and gets to the rim with the physicality of a much older player. Standing at 5’10, Lynch turns the corner with some force, and goes right at defenders. Keeping on the topic of the Belles, the Philly Belles 14U group is awfully talented. 2025 guard Laila Sierra is a three-level scorer in the making, strapped with a nice three point stroke, a pull up, and a very quick first step. Also, Milly Wolf, a 5’10 2025 guard has developed over the winter and taken it up a level from her 2020 breakout with a nice showing. Among the most impressive players in the 8th grade division were ProSkills 6’2 2026 phenom Amari Byles who took her team to the Platinum title and 6’4 2026 post Olivia Vukosa who led the Philadelphia Belles to a 5th place finish in the 24-team division. Keep a look out for those two!
The Carolina Flames have some younger talent up and down the program, starting with 2023 wing Reychel Douglas who is cutting her teeth with the 17 EYBL schedule. Further down the line, let’s monitor 2025 guards Gabriel Matthews and Morgan Thompson who both made some plays this past weekend that were intriguing. Their teammate Quinice Toran is another interesting youngster, a lanky 6’1 forward who is still in the early stages.
Missouri Phenom has plenty of gas in the tank for the future, with 2025 6’0 wing Jordan Speiser leading the cast. Speiser has continued to grow physically, and of course her game has followed. A devout scorer, Speiser is way ahead of even the older competition at the 16 EYBL level. Jadyn Wooten should be on the radar, the sonar, and the GPS right now if you’re trying to navigate to wins. She is perhaps a hair small on paper right now, but don’t tell her that. The hang time and twisting and turning in the air to finish lay ups and leaners is outstanding. She features a tight handle in traffic, and does a good job as a vocal floor general who gets her team into the offense. Pay attention to this one.
Team Melo has expanded its presence in the Baltimore area to the girls’ side, and they have a pretty marquee young guard to build around in Cailyah DeVillasee. The 5’6 2025 lead guard has elite elevation on her pull up coming off ball screens. The passing game is very fun to watch, as she has all sorts of tricks up her sleeve with the ball in her hands, and tends to take care of the ball. Equally impressive out of Maryland was Princess Moody, a 5’7 2025 point guard with Team Takeover. Moody is a mood on the court, making plays left and right, crisscrossing through opponents to the rim and shooting the three ball a bit too. She’s a handful to the basket already, so big things are in her future.
BlueStar30 Reunion
It was a #30Sisterhood reunion as many of the teams at Boo, especially those comprising the top programs in the country attending had a BlueStar30 player on their roster. In fact, some teams had two or more players in their programs. Many of the top games featured one or two BlueStar30 from either the same class or a different class facing off in various games. It showed the impact of the 30s on each of the team rosters in the event, especially the EYBL teams.
