COLUMBIA, SC – A cool, crisp fall breeze emanated from the Carolinas last weekend, as we made the trek to South Carolina’s capital city, where some of the south’s best club programs came for a little bit of fall ball action at the NYG Hoops/Carolina Girls Hoops Oktoberfest.
Anytime you attend an event organized by people who know girls’ basketball talent, there is bound to be an abundance of talent in the gym. These guys did not disappoint either, as we were presented with some unique, heavy weight match-ups throughout the event.
With a pair of courts going side by side all weekend, talent was about as easy to find as award ribbons at the county fair. There were certainly several prized young prospects in attendance to be recognized. Here are just a few worth mentioning.
Taylor Barner – 2024 – 5-7 – Point Guard – FBC Carolina Elite 2024 – Put up a 42 point effort in one game here…Scoring point guard…Lanky off the bounce and soft touch on a nice runner…Turns the corner with regularity…Deep three range all day…Patiently directs traffic…Really executes well within an offense
Vanessa Blake – 2021 – 6-2 – Forward – Lowcountry Premier – Has the coveted size and physical features…Moves fine…Catches well in traffic and can stay airborne to finish all in one motion…Good showing
Michaela Bogan – 2024 – 5-5 – Combo Guard – Augusta Showtime Elite – Young, athletic combo…Hit the three off the dribble…Energy is there on D…Can definitely get by defenders off the bounce…Heads up passer in transition
Tatum Bowen – 2023 – 5-10 – Guard – Lady Attack Elite George – Deep three point range and can hit it out of a horns flare look they run for her…Feeds the post…Keeps it simple off the dribble…Doesn’t make many mistakes out there
Zion Duncan – 2023 – 6-2 – Forward – Charlotte Dream Elite – Big, athletic kid in the frontcourt…Big hands…Runs the floor fine…Makes herself a big target when she posts…Keeps the offensive rebounds high and goes back up to score again…Still needs work, but has great size and understanding of playing down low…Stock ticking upward
Jordan Durant – 2021 – 5-6 – Point Guard – FBC Carolina 17U – Buried the contested pull up three off a nice crossover…Very good shooter overall…Finds open people and delivers accurate passes…Bull rushes her way through traffic…Intense player…Tough on defense as well
Kenzie Feagin – 2023 – 5-7 – Guard – South Carolina Future – Big time shooter here…Quick release and impresses from deep…Sees the floor and has some speed with the ball…Effective if you run her off ball screens for looks…Can tell she is used to defending athletic guards, because she can D up…In between scoring is there as well
Aliciah Fields – 2021 – 6-2 – Forward – Charlotte Flames – Physical make up is hard to miss…Faces up and finds the cutter for two points…Some really nice takes to the basket and showed some glide through the air…Rim runner in trans…15 foot jumper looks good as well
Miya Giles-Jones – 2023 – 6-0 – Wing – Lady Fayetteville Stars 2021 – Under the radar but a big time prospect to pay attention to…Doesn’t mess around out there…Puts it on the floor to score or pass…Stays on the balls of her feet, ready to move…Quick and effective moves when she posts…Muscles her way to the basket and covers plenty of ground in short order…Have to box her out or she’s getting the board…Sees the floor exceptionally well
Jasmine Grant – 2022 – 6-1 – Forward – Lowcountry Premier – Long, bouncy forward…Ripped down some very nice boards…Still a bit of a project but makes her share of plays…Good hands…Finishes over the shoulder some…Driver when she faces…Relentless inside at times…High rate finisher
Jael Hall – 2021 – 5-7 – Combo Guard – Charlotte Flames – Has the handles and some real burst on the drive…Smooth wrap and attack…Like how she changes direction fluidly with the ball…Lefty…Doesn’t really seem to tire out as the game goes on…Crashes the boards…Range to the arc…Good instincts…Can make plays on defense as well
Delanie Hill – 2024 – 5-5 – Point Guard – Lady Attack Elite – Vocal young floor general…Gaining experience playing up and didn’t look overwhelmed at all…Showed an emerging pull up game…Solid off the bounce…Zips the ball around…Understands push-pull concepts
Malaya Jones – 2024 – 5-5 – Point Guard – FBC Black NXT-Gen JG 2023 – Quick to the hoop…Maturity to her point guard approach…Asks for ball screens and goes to work…Nice passer…Improving three point shooter…She can go
Kamryn Kitchen – 2025 – 5-7 – Guard – 1 Dream Youngings – Changes the game entirely when she’s on the floor…Solid size for an off guard playing a year up, and could definitely continue to grow…Smart and very competitive…Plays with an edge…Talks on D…Highly mature game…Eyes in the back of her head in transition…Plentiful and 1’s and some three balls
Emaya Lewis – 2024 – 6-3 – Forward – FBC Black NXT-Gen JG 2023 – Detectable from a mile away with the eye test…Can power up off two feet…Long stride when she does sprint the floor…Likes to post and can go up and get the high ones…Has to get stronger and play stronger to get to her max level…Productive…Check in down the line and see where she takes it
Maliyah Mason – 2023 – 6-0 – Wing – Aja Wilson Elite 2022 – Freak of nature athletically so a problem all over the floor…Driver from the wing…Some absolute monster shot rejections, had to lead the entire tournament in blocks…Still working on the jumper and the range…Just a fighter jet out there flying around…Makes some vicious plays that most other players simply can’t
Braylyn Milton – 2021 – 6-0 – Wing – 1 Dream 2021 – Cincinnati commit looks the part…Scores inside and out…Scorer in the post, off the bounce, and from three point territory…Gets to the foul line often and converts
Chloe Moss – 2024 – 5-9 – Guard/Forward – 1 Dream 2021 – Bully potential…Undersized inside a bit…Plays physical and built to work in the paint, just needs a couple more inches…Will post or go to work on the face up…Needs to improve the off hand…Plenty of points in the paint and range out to twelve feet
Lauryn Russell – 2021 – 5-6 – Point Guard – Power Move 17U – Likely the best pure shooter at the PG spot here..Drained so many money balls, off the bounce and off the catch, from a few steps beyond the line…Can be effective off the dribble as well…Plays the PG position adequately, but shooting is the standout trait…Rose to the occasion in big spots and balled out too much to ignore
Victoria Sagne – 2023 – 5-10 – Guard – ABC Lightning – Some big buckets against tough competition here…Shot the ball really well, from two and from three…Back to back three’s to open one game…Nice wingspan…Good athlete and will finish more against elite defenders once she gets stronger…Scores in the mid-range at a good rate
Laynie Smith – 2024 – 6-2 – Forward – FBC Carolina Elite 2024 – Great frame for a younger player…Sets good screens and rolls nicely…Pokes the ball away from driving guards…Nice job battling for position in her post defense…Working on the 15 foot jumper
Sarah Strong – 2024 – 6-1 – Forward – Strong Center – Game matches the name…Huge inside with a presence to match, but smooth…Handles and drives like a guard all day…Three point threat…Best passer on the floor at any given time, and can throw the ball end to end with accuracy…Straight up beast…Unique player
Blanca Thomas – 2024 – 6-3 – Post – Lady Attack Elite George – Major upside and big schools are already taking notice…Physical maturity and potential is instantly recognizable…Catch and score in transition off the rim run…Blocks shots just by being big and long with the hands up…Has a tool box of post moves already…Does some really impactful things in a crowded lane
Emerson Thompson – 2024 – 5-7 – Guard – Strong Center – Already off to a good start as a skilled wing player…Has size and handles…Variety scorer…Three point shooting is on the upswing…Pulls up off ball screens…Willing defender…Will level up as she gets older and stronger
Jessica Timmons – 2021 – 5-9 – Point Guard – 1 Dream 2021 – NC State commit…Absolutely balled out in some intense match-ups…Always answered big shots with buckets of her own…Can break down the defense off the dribble and score all over the court…Uses defenders as cones to dribble through…No lazy passes allowed in her vicinity
Tamia Watkins – 2025 – 6-2 – Forward – Aja Wilson Elite 2025 – Big time look and huge feet on this lefty forward…Can block her share of shots…Likes to drive left, that’s her go to…Point forward potential…One to keep an early eye on
Staci Williams – 2023 – 5-7 – Guard – ABC Lightning – Really rises to the level of her competition in big games…Vertical is strong and will hit the boards…Tough finishes against legitimate size inside…Gets into the paint and finds a way to get a shot attempt up in a crowd…Tough and wants to compete
Jessica Woods – 2023 – 5-8 – Point Guard – South Carolina Future – Quite the physical specimen, and does the output matches the expectation…Explosive is just one descriptor…Wants to get to the basket first, but showed the onus to crank out the pull up even with a hand up…Really elevates…Expect her game to continue an upward trajectory
Meghan Yarnevich – 2025 – 6-2 – Wing/Forward – Power Move 17U – Will hurt you inside and out…Playing up several years and still making her presence known…Strong to the basket and finds a way to score inside…Knows to run to the nail in transition…A bruiser out on the court…Pushes in the open court but also demonstrates patience…Gets the three off pretty smoothly
J’Adore Young – 2023 – 6-4 – Forward – Aja Wilson Elite 2022 – Opening a game with a made three at this height…College build already…Surveys the floor well when she faces up…Nice hands on D…Can go to work some in mid and low post…Just working on the consistency in some areas
