UPPER MARLBORO, Md.—The shoppers are out in the stores, Santa is enduring toddlers in his lap, folks are embarrassing themselves at Christmas parties and the parade of holiday basketball tournaments is in full swing. An annual trip to the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area provides a great look at a bevy of talented teams and sets the table for the season’s gold standard in just two weeks, the Nike Tournament of Champions in Gilbert, Arizona. (Tips December 19th).
Since 2009 the She Got Game Classic (Originally named for College and WNBA legend Tina Thompson) has been one of the holiday gifts that keeps on giving. This year’s addition had a monkey wrench thrown into the schedule courtesy of Mother Nature. While really not much more than a glorified frost, the snow “storm” that made it’s way into Friday’s evening’s forecast kicked in some closures and participation policies that impacted the second day of competition necessitating some late night hours, phone calls, and scrambling on the part of Afiba Fairnot and his crew. When all was said and done we still got a good look at some talented teams and players as well as some competitive games that are always a much welcome reprieve from the pointless 30 point blow outs provided when talented teams duck legitimate challenges.
Prior to the twists and turns provided by the local meteorologists and paranoid school administrators, teams from 16 different states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Australia were in a lineup that drew a large contingent of recruiters, evaluators and girls basketball media from across the country. A “classic” format doesn’t provide a bracket or championship but as mentioned earlier, it offered a good look at both established and evolving prospects. Keep in mind the sheer number of teams and geographical layout of the event makes it impossible to see all the teams on hand. No doubt there are plenty more that undoubtably would have caught our eye. Here are some who have hit the ground running at the start of the 2017 – 18 scholastic season. Be sure to check back with Blue star Media later in the week for a follow up from the 2017 She Got Game Classic courtesy of Travis Ponton.
Shakira Austin – 2018 – Post – Riverdale Baptist – Future Maryland Terrapin…Obvious addition of strength is serving her well…Continues to be one of the most active posts in the class…Makes herself an option in sets or transition…Exploits her agility advantage over opponents…Handling contact much better and finishing much more efficiently…High post drive features a long and hard to recover from first step…Weakside rotations could be quicker defensively but still a presence…Only going to continue to improve
Diamond Battles – 2018 – Combo – Winter Haven – Central Florida signee…Athlete plus…Applies quickness and speed to everything at both ends…Explosive with the ball in her hands…Crossover has become deadly…Hesitation serves her well, too…Attacking mentality on both ends of the floor…Occasionally gets out of control…Doesn’t take plays off…Same approach makes her a strong defender…Athleticism and mentality set her apart from the crowd both on ball and the weakside
Jakia Brown-Turner – 2019 – Guard – Bishop McNamara – Impressive size and athleticism at guard…Left hander…Nice stroke from 15 foot range…Employs a strong shot fake to get defenders out of their stance…Smooth and fluid…Gets out on the break and has a good grasp on spacing…Elevates among the crowd
Aicha Caulibaly – 2020 – Guard – New Hope Academy – Young, athletic backcourt presence…Physically strong for age with good speed and quickness…Hesitation and crossover both have great acceleration out of them…Gets to the rim…Can get off the floor and finish against bigger defenders…Has range and a fluid stroke…Shot selection has some moments however…Lots of promise that just needs the refinement that comes with experience
Yasmeen Chang – 2019 – Guard – Gulf Coast – Early verbal to Miami…Athletic and creating guard…Develops her own looks as well as improves those of her teammates…Plays effectively without the ball in her hands as well…Elevates on her midrange pull up off penetration…Puts it on the floor aggressively…Crossover is there…Quick release off her moves…Shot is off the shoulder to a minor degree…Lots of tools…Plays with effort
Chloe Chapman – 2019 – Point Guard – Good Counsel – Established top tier prospect…Has added length and noticeable strength…Has rare speed with the ball in her hands…Making sharp and effective decisions in transition and off penetration…Down floor passing is challenging opponents ability to get back…Perimeter shot shows the results of lots of work and reps to smooth it out…Forcing defenders to close tighter on the catch…Acceleration out of any of her moves is exceptional and leaves defenders scrambling…Has taken it to another level
Nia Clouden – 2018 – Combo – St. Frances Academy – Michigan State signee…Well known as one of the top guards in the class…Creates and develops her own looks and options…Mixing up her speed and direction even more effectively than in the past…Always looking to get past her defender and succeeds more often than not…Floater and midrange pullup are lethal…Gets off the floor for clean looks…Smooth stroke with range…Needs just a bit more time to set up deeper on the perimeter…Tools are there to be a strong defender with the right focus
Amira Collins – 2018 – Forward – Paul VI – Tennessee signee…Playing some of the best basketball she has offered up…Confidence is high and rightfully so…Looking for her own options but still seeing teammates and making smart decisions…Consistent work over the years paying off in her perimeter shooting…Much more active without the ball in her hands…Hitting the offensive glass and going up strong on second looks…Utilizing her length on defense as well as agile feet on rotations…Looks to be enjoying herself
Margaret Connoly – 2018 – Point Guard – Ursuline Academy – Princeton signee…Skilled and smart guard…Ballhandling is sharp and always gets used for a purpose…Very slight physical build…Left hander…Reads on the catch…Strong decision making skills…Interior passing is exceptional…Form, stroke and range are there if given time…Makes those around her better
Kirsten Deans – 2019 – Point Guard – West Ridge Academy – Has shown advances even in just a month…Dynamic and attacking…Mixes up her speed and direction…Hesitation is a challenge for defenders to resist…Can dump it off on the drive as the defenders rotate her way…Shot selection has its moments…Aggressive and quick on ball defender
Emily Engstler – 2018 – Wing / Forward – St. Francis Prep – One of the most versatile players in the class…More reserved in her attack with her high school team…Looking to set up teammates first and occasionally passing up her own options…Opened it up at times and created her own shots virtually at will…Recognized high-low options efficiently both scoring and passing…Ballhandling still sets her apart for any other players she lines up against… Going up aggressive on the offensive boards…Tools are always there to take over but risky for an elite athlete to play restrained
Zakiyah Franklin – 2019 – Guard – Winter Haven – Attacking, athletic guard…Also active without the ball…Mixes up both speed and direction on the drive…Good acceleration the catch…Can pull up at full speed…Consistency will need to evolve
Azzi Fudd – 2021 – Combo – St. John’s – Continues to set herself apart from the crowd…Consistency in productivity and level are rare for any age…Playing assertive, aggressive and smart…Shot selection is sound and goes hand in hand with an impressive field goal percentage…Looking to attack and create but does so with an awareness of both defenders and teammates…Acceleration off her moves or a defender’s error appears even quicker…Sweep through her first step is hard to contain by even the quickest opponents…Defense appears to have a new embrace from her (it wasn’t bad before)…Has fun while playing
Emma Glezen – 2019 – Wing / Guard – Long Island Lutheran – Lean with good length on the perimeter…Reads the floor on the catch…Has some tools…Keeps the ball high when she gets into traffic…Not shy about putting it on the floor…Somewhat upright at times on the drive
Rain Green – 2020 – Point Guard – Roland Park – Established and highly regarded sophomore point guard…Impressive physical strength for age and size…Aggressive with the ball in her hands…Looking to push and attack at opportunity…Aware of her own options but making sound choices…Very much “in command” of the floor…Can be an assertive on ball defender
Madison Hardy – 2018 – Guard – Good Counsel – Headed to Columbia…Quick in the backcourt…Has both a nice pull up and a step back move to set up her perimeter jumper…Crossover leads to a quick release on her shot…Has good strength as a guard
Aziah Hudson – 2018 – Point Guard – Baldwin – Old Dominion signee – Small, wiry point…Speed and quickness to spare…Pushes the ball on makes misses and turnovers…Forces defenders to play her honest…Sharp interior passing off penetration…Streaky perimeter shooter with some form and range…Consistency needs to evolve…Active hands and feet as an on ball defender
Brianna Jackson – 2019 – Post – Princess Anne – Size and frame are there…Good strength serves her well…Sets up her drop step…Active in looking for her options…Posts up and handles the pushing and shoving…Got on the glass aggressively…Went down with an injury
Aziaha James – 2021 – Point Guard – Princess Anne – Lefty at the point…Plenty of speed and quickness for age…Pushes the ball at opportunity…Good form is there on the shot…Elevates on the pull up…Decision making needs to evolve and sharpen up
Jayla James – 2019 – Wing / Small Forward – Riverdale Baptist…Continues to develop and add to her game…Playing smart offensively…Reading on the catch…Makes good decisions in halfcourt scenarios as well as on the break…Good vision…Nice fallaway from the 10 to 12 foot range…Lots of effort on the glass and defensively
Donetta Johnson – 2018 – Guard / Wing – Baldwin – Future Georgia Bulldog…Power player in the backcourt…Lefty…Attacking mentality…Looks to create her own looks off the dribble…Handles contact inside and not afraid to initiate physical play…First step is explosive…Cuts hard to make herself an option…Can finish among the bigs…Protects the ball….Well suited for SEC play
Liatu King – 2020 – Forward / Wing – Bishop McNamara – Young and versatile…Nice size and build for her age…Offered up both interior and perimeter play…Posted at times…Strong presence on the glass from the perimeter…Form is there on her shot…Solid ballhandling and passing
Mir McLean – 2020 – Wing / Forward – Roland Park – Basketball skills are catching up with physical skills…Dynamic and active on the wing…Sound ballhandling at this point…Speed and quickness to spare…Plays with lots of effort…Inserts herself into the action on both ends of the floor…Elevates defensively and on the glass…Strength isn’t quite there yet…Easily runs the floor with the ultra-quick guards…Only going to get better
Alisha Lewis – 2019 – Point Guard – Long Island Lutheran – Georgia Tech verbal – Continues to add more to her game each time out…Smooth, quiet and confident against any level of competition…Plays with a “mono-emotional” approach that keeps her in command of her game and team…Mixing up her change of speed more and more…Has great awareness on penetration…Sets up her passes…Actually could look for her own options more often to keep defenders closing out and honest
Koi Love – 2019 – Guard / Wing – Miami Country Day – Back to form after a brief plateau…Aggressive and active in searching for her opportunities…Assertive with the ball in her hands looking for both shots and passes…Utilizes good physical strength in the backcourt…No hesitation taking it among the bigs and absorbing the contact…Good body control off the drive…Perimeter shot has a forward motion to it at times…Scrapped on ball defensively
Mirde Oriyomi – 2019 – Wing – Kings Christian – Athletic…Decent size…Possesses some sharp individual skills…Slashes through traffic…Can find her own options off the dribble…Made some plays
Ashley Owusu – 2019 – Guard – Paul VI – Maryland verbal commitment…Continues to stand out even among the elite…Power guard to very definition of the word…Can work from almost any spot on the floor…Elevates on the pull up even leaning back a bit to give herself more room and a better look…Strength challenges smaller opponents while explosiveness gives the bigger match ups headaches…Contact is not an issue for her…”Woman among girls” cliché is very appropriate…Has the tools and applies them with a consistent effort as well…Highly regarded from day one and has not disappointed
Angel Reese – 2020 – Forward – St. Frances Academy – Established prospect for some time now…Even more length but added agility to go with it…Increased ballhandling is making her a match-up nightmare for opposing coaches…Creating more from the high post…“Slithers” in the paint while navigating traffic off penetration…Drifts a little on her jump hook…Going up aggressive on the offensive boards…Getting out in transition when she’s not the outlet… Can run with the guards…Length is an enormous asset defensively…Only limits are her own
Anissa Rivera – 2019 – Wing / Forward – Rock Creek Christian…Early verbal to West Virginia…Long and athletic on the wing…Well established among the upper tier of the class…Appears to have added both strength and length…Agile and fluid in all her motion…Strong individual skills allow her to improve both shots and passes…Stroke is smooth and consistent and doesn’t change as she moves deeper on the perimeter…Stands up on the weakside defensively…Absolutely must find consistency in her play…At her best she’s a major impact player but at other times she tends to disappear…Not a good look for an elite upperclassman
Madison Scott – 2020 – Wing – Bishop McNamara – Continues to evolve among the elite in the 2020 class…Lots of length with fluid athleticism…Lean build will develop with time and Mother Nature’s contribution…Constantly active both in the halfcourt and transition game…Lengthy first step goes with speed and quickness to challenge most defensive match-ups…Ability is there to develop her own looks…Can take it herself coast to coast…Sound vision and passing are in place…Deceiving speed and an impressive vertical add more impact to her play on both ends of the floor…Same length and active play make her a strong defender in her own right…Elite in every way
Honsety Scott-Grayson – 2018 – Guard – Riverdale Baptist – Bound for Baylor…Dynamic guard…Has the tools to create both shots and passes at will…Hesitation move is looking even sharper…Can turn the corner at full speed coming off ball screens…Elite skills…However, shot selection is a challenge for her with her mind often made up on the catch…Has both strong and weaker moments in the course of a single quarter of play…Will get easier looks at the rim as she set up teammates more and takes the target off her own back…Current defense won’t get her off the bench in Waco next season
Sydney Shaw – 2022 – Point Guard – Miami Country Day – Very promising 8th grader…Quick, athletic and attacking…Tremendous confidence for age…Can handle pressure both full and halfcourt…Willing to work to be an option without the ball…Not afraid to take it into traffic…Made some eye-catching plays but also showed her youth at times…Combination of potential and the experience she’s getting is setting her up for a bright future
Tyia Singleton – 2018 – Post – Winter Haven – Rutgers signee…Good size with a solid frame…Still recovering from previous ACL issues…Plays with good strength…Impressive spin move on the block…Used a jump hook with confidence…Plenty of tools are in place with just some refinement needed to allow her capitalize on them…Keep watching
Celeste Taylor – 2019 – Guard – Long Island Lutheran – Recent Texas verbal…Constant threat in halfcourt or transition game…Is a threat spotting up or off the drive…Finds a way to be an impact even when shots aren’t falling…Keeps defenders occupied and on their toes…Stepback is creating plenty of separation and time for her shot…Elevates in traffic on both the pull up and floater…Becoming much more active without the ball in her hands…Picking passes more efficiently and delivering some sharp options for teammates…Competes assertively on the defensive end of the floor
Mariam Traor – 2020 – Point Guard – New Hope Academy – Young point guard…Strong and attacking…Ability is there to penetrate and improve her options…Has a smooth pull up…Overdribbles quite a bit at times…Decisions and maturity with evolve as the season progresses
Melu Tshitenge – 2019 – Post – St. John’s – Progress keeps coming…All the tools are in place and the game is beginning to smooth itself out…Consistency is still a ways off but the good moments are very strong and promising…Runs the floor with the guards in transition…Great agility allows her to rotate and make an impact defensively…Physical strength is deceptive with her having much more than first impression…Gets on the offensive boards…Nothing but upside
Rayne Tucker – 2019 – Forward – Good Counsel – Impressive size and strength…Makes herself a presence on each possession…Posting hard and wanting the ball…Reads well on the catch…Jump hook is in place and serving her well…Works well with contact almost enjoying it…Strong effort on the offensive glass…Needs to sit down on the weakside defensively to be more effective in rotation situations
Marisa Warren – 2019 – Guard – Incarnate Word – Lefty junior guard…Thin build…Speed and quickness are there with the ball in her hands…Pushes the ball and gets to the rim…Sees the floor in transition…Had some moments
Xaria Wiggins – 2018 – Guard – Princess Anne – Headed to Mississippi state…Brings power and versatility to the backcourt…A true “fullcourt” player…Ability is there to work away from the rim effectively but the tools and willingness are in place to post up and convert…Even showed off a baby hook down low…Impressive wingspan combines with the same strength and quickness to put her in a position to develop as an elite defender…Must avoid carless moments
Rickie Woltman – 2019 – Forward / Post – Incarnate Word – Purdue verbal…On the radar for a long time…Has both size and agility…Impresses at times with reads and reactions…Plays with a good feel for defenders and the options they’re leaving open…Jump Hook is there…Nice midrange touch keeps opposing bigs active…Can finish with pressure and contact…Gets on the glass…Plenty of tools…Biggest issue is consistent play and remaining a factor from start to finish
Sydney Wood – 2018 – Guard – St. John’s – Northwestern signee…Continues to evolve even as a senior…Played an assertive attack against aggressive defense…Gets to the rim time and again…Can get her shot off in traffic and with contact…Mixed up her direction and change of speed much more effectively than in the past…Still a slight build however…Made plays…Anticipates well off the ball defensively
Amari Young – 2018 – Wing – North Augusta – Dynamic athlete…Lefty…Strong ballskills allow her to develop options and exploit defenders…Active play keeps her in the middle of the action on both ends of the floor…Elevates well helping her both defensively and on the glass…Length and agility make her potentially an impact defender
