Down the road from Hershey, 2020

OAKS, PA – As the club basketball world continues to navigate a very different summer, one of the nation’s premier pre-July staples navigated a date and site change this past weekend for the 19^th Annual USJN Hershey National Showcase.

Every year, in late June, hundreds of teams from all over the country take the trip to the chocolate capital of the US in central Pennsylvania for this storied event. Older teams are working out the kinks before the July Evaluation Period, and their younger counterparts are aiming to wrap their schedules with a championship run in tough middle school brackets.

Then 2020 happened. But if you hopped on the PA Turnpike and headed east toward the Philadelphia suburbs, fast forwarding to August, Hershey’s sweet basketball spirit lived on. It’s like your favorite candy bar, in a smaller fun size and perhaps a different wrapper. Open it up, and there was still plenty to enjoy. National media outlets and Division III college coaches were still on hand, and many more watched the live streams. The beat did indeed go on. There was plenty of talent to take in.

Here are just a small handful of players who caught our eye and helped make this year’s rendition of Hershey more than worth the wait.

Mercy Ademusayo – 2021 – 6-4 – Post – Team Pennsylvania 17 Felker – Size and athletic ability are the main sticking points here…Going to be the tallest player on the court almost every game…Blocks a bunch of shots…Still some room to improve offensively but she can rack up lay ups in the paint…Plays hard…Game is only going to continue to expand with age and experience

Mary Amoateng – 2025 – 5-4 – Point Guard – Maryland Shooting Stars 14 – Lightning quick point guard…Left-handed and likes to go that direction off the bounce…Made her free throws…Has a runner…Gets the three off quickly…Laying a good foundation for her future

Meghan Anderson – 2023 – 5-11 – Wing – NY Lightning 15 Flynn – Legit wingspan on defense…Hedges ball screens well…Big hands…Strong passer…Heads up player…Hits the three…Doesn’t force anything but does make stuff happen…Size helps her finish drives with two points…Just a basketball player flat out

Rakisha Ballinger – 2021 – 5-9 – Wing – BWSL Team Liberty 17 – Diamond in the rough…Super athletic out on the wing with some pogo stick-like hops…Splits defenders…Really gets by people…Can dump off when she gets into the paint…Still a little raw at times but a good find for the right fit

Lindsay Berger – 2021 – 6-2 – Post – Lehigh Valley Fever 17 – Big, strong kid who is built for the college game already…Will put it on the floor some…Gritty on the boards…Can be a powerful force inside

Samantha Blumenthal – 2024 – 5-10 – Forward – Delco Goats 14 – Nice peel back to score on the block…Runs the floor…Solid on the boards…Vocal on D…Plays as strong as she looks

Carmaya Bowman – 2023 – 5-10 – Wing – Mid-Atlantic Legacy – Lanky lefty wing…Plenty of athleticism…Boxes out well…Comfortable handles at a good pace…Tight, compact shot…Good pick and roll player…Likes to finish with the dominant hand…Still putting things together basketball wise but knows how to roll into open areas to score

Talya Brugler – 2021 – 6-1 – Wing – Lehigh Valley Fever 17 – Saint Joe’s commit…One of the best and smartest cutters in the gym hands down…Handles some in the open court…Loves to get to the rim one way or another…High effort kid

Alexis Buie – 2023 – 6-0 – Forward – Team Pennsylvania 15 Polly – Scores in droves in the paint…Decent back to basket options to choose from so far…Catches and finishes the lob inside…Lots of trips to the foul line also yielded points

Brianna Caliri – 2025 – 5-10 – Forward – Staten Island Diamonds 13 – Long young forward with a motor…Flashes without the ball…Lots of rebounds from the reach alone…Long stride to cover ground…Still working on the finishing but has some of the basics

Maya Carter – 2021 – 6-1 – Forward – Central PA Elite 17 Thomas – Strong passes out of the post…Can get position on the block…Has a little turnaround J action…Catch and finish on the run…Keeps it high and goes up…Uses pivot foot well…Good finisher against other bigs

Gabby Casey – 2023 – 5-8 – Guard – Lehigh Valley Fever 15 – Aggressive on offense…Has a good look about her…Mature physically…Smooth with the ball…Gets to the foul line a ton…Pressures people on D…Nice player who has another gear in there waiting for her to discover too

Ciara Croker – 2022 – 6-0 – Forward – Empire State Blue Flames 16 – Played tough versus elite competition…Scored inside with some nice moves…Forced some turnovers in traps…Not afraid to body up on defense…Can turn and finish either way with either hand…Stretches D with the three…Handles well enough to drive and dish

Veyoni Davis – 2022 – 5-8 – Guard – Philadelphia Belles 16 EYBL – Lefty off guard has showed growth in her game throughout the summer…Three ball will fall when she gets going…Will attack the cup, especially going left…Good decision maker…Leans into contact…Defensive principles are intact

Marlie Dickerson – 2022 – 5-10 – Guard – Team Pennsylvania 16 Polly – With her combination of size and skill, she can help her team at the point or over on the wing…Long reach on D helps…Contests lay-ups with fouling…Can blow by people and has no qualm dialing up a pull up jumper instead of attacking the help….Speed with the ball is good for her size and position

Deja Evans – 2023 – 6-0 – Forward – Philadelphia Belles 15 Steidle – Big body inside…Can be a hadnful for opponents at times…Strong on the boards…Good mobility…Working on some face up skill set

Talia Gilliard – 2021 – 5-8 – Guard – Central PA Elite 17 Thomas – Scoring guard…Nice mid range game…Smooth stroke that she gets off from deep…Will hit from a couple steps beyond the arc…Attacked the rack some in transition…Offensive playmaker

Tatum Greene – 2024 – 6-2 – Wing/Forward – Maryland Belles 2024 – Has dug down and found another gear or two…Really starting to assert herself…Hit the three and also scored a ton off the bounce…Big time game winner in the championship…Finishing and playing stronger overall…Knows how to post up and get open out on the perimeter…Utilizes the retreat dribble into a crossover to get out of traffic…Bucket-getter

Alice Hall – 2022 – 6-1 – Forward – Rebels Basketball Academy – Gets a good wide base to post…Sets nice ball screens and rolls in to post up…Will take the 12-15ft jumper but plenty of room to develop there…Quick first step when she faces to match some quick ups to finish…Communicates on D…Collects plenty of rebounds

Alainna Hopta – 2022 – 5-7 – Combo Guard – York Thunder 16 – Remains a shooter defenders must find early and often…Deep range on it too…Nice quick pull up is a legit concern for opponents…Hits the gas pedal in the open court when the opportunity arises…Accurate passes to teammates spotting up…Shields well to finish on the attack

Eliana Hosey – 2021 – 5-7 – Guard – Team Pennsylvania 17 Gingrich – Scores in all sorts of ways from the three to the lay-up and places in between….Nifty finisher in traffic…Will get out and push tempo in transition when the situation allows

Jordyn Jackson – 2026 – 5-11 – Wing/Forward – Philadelphia Belles 13 Henry – Versatile and athletic for her age…Lots of good stuff off the bounce…Good O boards and scores the put backs with the right hand…Will drive to score or set up others

Nyla Brooks – 2025 – 5-11 – Wing/Forward – Maryland Belles 2025 – All the athletic tools…Right hand heavy on the finish but very effective as it stands…Has some huge feet…Ceiling is so high…Makes free throws and the 15 foot jumper is useful too…Saves balls going out of bounds

Olivia Jones – 2025 – 5-9 – Point Guard/Guard – Mid Penn Motion 15 – Does some really nice things at her age…Bigger guard who can play the point…Runs the offense with the poise of a veteran…Physical make up allows her to hang out in the paint on offense and defense…Awareness and knowledge of what to do without the ball is noticeable…Will flash into high post or short corner to work

McKenna Karlson – 2024 – 5-9 – Guard – NJ Belles 16 – Knocked down several three pointers, even off the bounce…Handles to play the two spot…Wants to pass off the dribble…Hustles…Side steps second level defenders to score

Jayla Koser – 2026 – 5-8 – Guard – Central PA Elite 12 Walker – Nice frame…Likely to grow more…Good ball/body control…Long stride…Nice potential…Can push and dish off in transition…Uses inside shoulder to protect on lay-ups

Makayla Lemelle – 2022 – 5-6 – Point Guard – Philadelphia Belles 17 Halligan – Lead guard…Shot the ball really well from three and in the middle area…Has shown marked improvement throughout the summer…Plays fast…Not afraid of physical play

Grace Lesko – 2023 – 5-11 – Forward – Lehigh Valley Fever 15 – Strong build that she can use in the post…Can turn and finish once she gets good position…Developing a more elaborate move set…Rebounds, keeps it high, and goes again…Mobile…Hits the three a bit…Good weekend for her

Colleen McCullogh – 2022 – 6-1 – Forward – NY Lightning 16 Flynn – Active on D…Can protect the rim…Works block to block on offense…Gets position for offensive rebounds…Catch and finish points in the paint…Sustainable effort…Comfortable facing the basket

Brielle Renwick – 2023 – 5-11 – Empire State Blue Flames 15 – Stays moving around…Sets good screens and executes…Can stretch defenses with the jumper…Does things that don’t show up in the box score

Caroline Shiery – 2022 – 6-3 – Post – Team Pennsylvania 16 Polly – Well-built and has plenty of success sitting down and posting up, making herself a prime target…Can catch the low passes or go up and snag the high ones…Drop step can be deadly…Will volleyball spike some shots away…Great energy…Very engaged cheering her team on even when not in the game…Shot the 15 footer on the empty out…Just will flat out bury defenders, catch, and put the ball in the basket

Rhian Stokes – 2024 – 5-7 – Combo Guard – Philadelphia Belles 14 Retif – Athletic combo…Pull up looks solid but needs to continue to up the percentage with work…Keeps her head u and can sling some passes around…Turns the corner…Doesn’t quit on plays…Still just scratching the surface

Sydney Sutton – 2025 – 5-9 – Guard/Forward – Maryland Belles 2025 – Kid just scored all sorts of baskets right within close range…Shot baby jumpers and the like…So strong for her age…Smooth release on the pull up…Boards it at a decent rate…Zips passes through tight windows…Creates points

Mackenzie Szlosek – 2021 – 5-7 – Point Guard – NY Lightning 17 Vasselman – Deep range off the dribble is a big attention-grabber…Has some burst coming out of the hesitation…Uses the jab…Tough pull up in traffic…Can hang in the air to make shots…Good instincts…Uses retreat dribble well

Faith Walker – 2024 – 5-11 – Wing – York Thunder 14 – Helps coach and lead her teammates on the floor…Built for wing work…One of the more talkative players in the gym at any age…Lots of simple, easy assists…Range to the arc…Interesting intangibles…Good flow with the ball in transition…Defends inside and out…A litle springy from the lower half as well

Talayah Walker – 2024 –5-10 – Wing – Maryland Belles 2024 – Impact athleticism is on display…Tons of deflections on D…Will drive from the wing or facing up in the post, and more than capable of splitting defenders to score…Willing to feed the ball inside to the post…Blocks jump shots…Already problematic

Milly Wolf – 2025 – 5-8 – Guard – Philadelphia Belles 13 Lang – Predicting a bright future here…Plenty of length leads to steals and has the ability to take it the other way to score or tack on the assist…Crashes the boards…Already making jump shots at a good rate

Katherine Yashina – 2025 – 5-11 – Forward – Loudon Flight 13 – Already some nice size and wingspan to like…Can rebound and hit the outlet quickly…Boxes out…Took 12-15ft jumper some…Runs the floor well…See how she develops the offensive game