DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. – Jewell Loyd and Taya Reimer are the unquestioned stars of a Midwest Elite Platinum squad that has advanced to a second straight final at the U.S. Junior Nationals.
Those two, both of whom have spent time with USA Basketball inside the last year, have not done it alone. When Reimer tried out for and was chosen for the U16 national team this past spring, she had one of her Midwest Elite teammates there with her that did not make the final cut, but came away better for the experience.
What Jacqui Grant, a 6-foot-3 junior lefty, has shown this weekend in the Washington, D.C. area is solid footwork in the paint and a willingness to do the dirty work down low. Both attributes have led to easy buckets inside five feet and solid defensive rebounding that have helped Midwest Elite make it 17 wins (so far) over the last two U.S. Junior Nationals.
Grant does not hesitate to say her experience against some of the top competition in the country at USA Trials has been key to her improved play this summer.
“It was a very good experience, it showed me what it takes to be on a national team,” Grant said. “Taya is a great example. She made it and she is a very, very good player. I’ve tried to just be as aggressive as possible, rebound, make hustle plays and help out my team any way I can.”
When USA Basketball set out to pick the U16 team that would eventually go on to win the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mexico in June, it picked 35 players to head out to Colorado Springs to try out. In a new twist, it also accepted applications from players that wanted to try out, but would pay their own way. Grant was one of the 121 pay-for-play girls chosen to go to Colorado Springs.
Once there, she surprised most with her steady play throughout the trial process and in fact made it down to the final cut.
“I knew I wasn’t my best out there, but I played well. When it got down to the selection, I thought it was 50/50 that I was going to make it,” Grant said. “If nothing else, it showed me what I need to work on because every girl out there was amazing.”
Grant, the daughter of former NBA second round pick Josh Grant, is coming off a sophomore season at Maine South High School in Illinois that saw her help lead the Hawks to a 27-9 record an appearance in the state 4A semifinals.
