TAMPA, FL – The 6th annual Blue Star 30 Camp made a return to the Sunshine State last week, as an elite group of young ladies from the 2025, 2026, and 2026 classes was assembled at the beautiful Wiregrass Sports Complex to carry on the tradition of the 30 Sisterhood.
The legend of that tradition grows, as Blue Star 30’s are now featured in match-ups in the NCAA Tournament on a regular basis, and the gold medals in International play continue to accumulate for 30’s of years past.
In the 2021 group, 24 players were invited back as returners, as they are still in the eligible pre-high school age groups, and they were joined by more than 40 players from coast to coast. All in all, 31 states were represented in this year’s class, so the reach was once again broad.
Once again, the camp staff included decorated coaches from all across the country, with decades of experience in women’s basketball at the high school and college levels. Also, we have to give a huge shoutout to our 30 Camp Counselors, comprised of the following 30’s from previous camps- Ryann Bennett (2024, California), Lexi Blue (2024, Florida), Brooke Carlson (2024, Illinois), Kayla Cooper (2022, Texas), and Hope Masonius (2024, New Jersey). The 30 Sisterhood is clearly as strong as ever!
Camp kicked off with the usual FIBA 3X USA qualifier, where two winners were crowned and will advance to compete to represent their country in the next round of International play. Those two teams featured:
JJ Barnes, Sienna Betts, Jessica Fields, Rainey Welson
Aaliyah Chavez, ZaKiyah Johnson, Priyanka Ponnam
We will have more on these players soon! From 3X, players went through various skill sessions, 5-on-5 games, and the famed Blue Star 7 rules games. Campers were treated to an awesome presentation on health and nutrition for young female athletes, and of course, Blue Star owner Mike Flynn was on hand to share knowledge on the past, present, and future of women’s basketball with players and parents alike.
As we head into a new school year, a new search for the next new crop of talent begins! We can’t wait to be out at camps and tournaments all over the country this fall, starting with our Rising Blue Star Camp series that opens next weekend! For more information on these camps, visit https://risingbluestar.com/ . 44 members of this year’s Blue Star 30 crew were Rising Blue Star Camp alumni.
Now, let’s move on to the good stuff, the players! Here are just some of the special talents that came in, went to work, and performed on the biggest stage. More than 10 girls’ basketball media outlets were on hand for this year’s camp, which featured representation from the McDonald’s All-American Committee and USA Basketball on top of that. There was plenty to love, so it’s time to dive in.
Surprise Party
Make no mistake about it, the amount of talent in this camp year in and year out is absolutely ridiculous. All of these young ladies are well on their way, and already on the radars of colleges and media outlets from coast to coast. But every year, there are some players who show up to camp and leave a mark so big that no one could have expected it. You never know who it will be, but you do know it will happen.
Let’s start this year’s party with Aaliyah Crump (2025/Minnesota). A 6’0 wing who is well known up north already, Crump dazzled with her scoring and defensive efforts in the FIBA 3X qualifier. She was a big fish in a big pond, and you need to know where she is on the floor, just as much as you need to know who she is heading into her high school years.
There’s always plenty of rim grabbing and dunking by young ladies who are not yet in high school at the Blue Star 30 Camp, and one of this year’s highlights was watching Grace Knox (2025/Nevada) nearly dunking the basketball during warm up sessions. The 6’1 Cal Sparks wing player has some major ups and hang time! Combine that with her skill, shooting ability, and the makings of a game-changer on defense, and you have quite a prospect on your hands.
Keeping it out west, Jasmine Davidson (2025/Oregon) was awfully fun to watch. A dynamic lefty wing, Davidson is a long 6’0 already, and did some nice things off the bounce coming off ball screens. The pull up jump shot and three ball are coming around nicely too, so the cat is out of the bag here.
Get your popcorn ready, because 2026 combo guard Ariyana Cradle, AKA “Peanut” is a bucket getter worthy of any game time snack. This kid is a shot creator and a shot maker, very important to differentiate on that. While she’s more than comfortable at the point, with that nice, tight, compact jumper from all over the floor, she’s ready, willing, and able to put up points in a hurry. She put us all on notice here.
Dynamic Forwards For Days
There was a deep, talented collection of up and coming forwards to feast on in Tampa this year. Let’s start with a 30 vet you know well, 2025 Leah Macy. Hailing from the Blue Grass State, the Kentucky Premier product separated herself from the pack early in camp. Standing at 6’2 with an incredible motor, Macy is spectacular on the boards because she does her work for good position so early. Her comfortability with the basketball has always been there and is now like second nature, and while the inside move set continues to shine, her three-point shooting ability has become grown her into way more than just a, “will take one every once in a while if open” type of deal.
If you’ve never heard of Oliviyah Edwards (2026/Washington), well, you’re welcome. This is a youngster who grabbing the rim with two hands easily, and she looks like someone you want no part of in the paint either. The Northwest Greyhounds have a star on their hands here. Edwards not only has all the athletic ability, but she is finishing very well and will even knock down the open three with fluidity. She event went coastal a couple times. The potential here is boundless.
Last year, Priyanka Ponnam (2025/New Jersey) was in Tampa around this time for the Blue Star All-American Camp, and the 6’2 forward had a solid showing. Fast forward to 2021, and she was back for a different experience at Blue Star 30. The skill and versatility at her size is well documented, and she is so smart on the court. While she has the ability to handle the ball and shoot the trey, as long as she continues her willingness to go to work in the paint and defend in the post, the Philly Rise product will continue her ascent heading into high school.
Lauren Hassell (2027/Tennessee) is another returnee, back for her 2nd year as a Blue Star 30. Needless to say, she of course did not disappoint. With all the big time athleticism and size, she’s been on the radar very early. But if you see how she has grown her game, now sporting a fluid jumper that she can hit from beyond the arc, you know she is only going to keep working and keep improving. Still one of the youngest players in camp, you can tell she is starting to hatch out of her egg and really come out and take over. All in due time!
Olivia Vukosa (2026/New York) can do a lot of things very well at 6’4. The Philadelphia Belles product has such a unique combination of skill and massive size, making her among the most exciting players in her class to keep an eye on. You can tell she works on her game, inside and out, and her defensive prowess is also continuing to expand.
Home Improvement Crew
We get to see a lot of several of these young women over the years. One thing any good evaluator is searching for, is who is adding to their game and getting better? We saw some players who have put the work in and added to their bag they packed for Tampa, so let’s visit a few.
Tyler Jones (2025/Tennessee) is coming off a nice summer with the Arkansas Banshees, and showed some real improvement following a nice showing here at Blue Star 30 last year. The most noticeable area would have to be the three point shot, which looks great rotating perfectly through the air and finding the bottom of the net. Jones has always been athletic off the bounce, but now she has realized there are times to get all the way to the rack, and time to use that nice jumper in the form of a mid range pull up. Jones is heading down the right path, and we are excited to see what she adds next.
Another returning 30 this year was Jaylah Lampley (2025/Indiana). The dynamic older-half of the Indiana Blaze star sister duo has always been a handful to the basket at 6’1 with the handles and hang time. It was her defense that first caught our eye here though over anything else. Lampley rejected quite a few shots over the weekend, and she made the right call to shoot the gap on some telegraphed passes and take them the other way. Also noted this time around was her willingness to get more physical on the boards. Job well done, Jaylah.
You may be hard-pressed to find too many kids who love to compete more than 2025 guard JJ Barnes of Wisconsin Playground Elite. Barnes didn’t back down against anyone. She’s athletic and not afraid of contact and even banging in the paint. The way she uses her lower body to shield and protect the ball also gives her leverage, and while the lefty drive is her calling card, she demonstrated to all in attendance that she came to play and rise to the occasion.
Another player from the Blue Star Travel Team League who is really starting to come into her own, and the colleges are taking notice, is Kate Allard (2025/New Hampshire) of the New England Crusaders. Allard is already a multi-sport standout at 6’2, and while a sprained ankle kept her out of full contact work, the skills were on display in the player development segments. Allard does still need to get stronger, but the frame and coordination are certainly there. Her post game and jump shot continue to improve with age as well, making her a prospect on the rise.
If you like bigger guards who can handle the ball, Tiana Chambers (2025/Colorado) is your type of player. She continues to discover and utilize all the gears she has off the dribble, while also harnessing the pace and then hitting the gas pedal in a flash. Here court awareness and ability to see things develop makes the Hardwood Elite standout a big time prospect.
Ayla McDowell (2025/Texas) had some great moments here at camp, and while she is not a finished product by any stretch, there’s already a lot to like. Versatility reigns supreme here so far, as she did some things inside and out, particularly scoring wise. She defends guards and posts alike, and can score in the paint one time down, and hit a contested three the next. Slashing to the rim is also a skill she possesses. The box out effort is consistent, and she does a good job on the boards, even tapping rebounds to herself.
Tori Oehrlein (2025/Minnesota) made her Blue Star 30 debut, coming off a great summer where she proved herself playing up a year or two in the Blue Star Travel Team League. Oehrlein is skilled and has a good physical make up to play at a high level. She demonstrated that she is a quick learner, and this experience will pay dividends.
Stand Up for These Standouts
You’d be hard pressed not to give 5’11 2025 wing ZaKiyah Johnson her props for having perhaps the best overall showing in camp this year. Coming off an impressive camp in 2020, on top of a strong showing in 17 EYBL, that came as little surprise. Johnson has the uncanny ability to just make plays, and she is wired for high achievement. A true stat sheet stuffer with a powerful presence, it’s her versatility to defend and score all over the floor that makes her so outstanding.
Speaking of players who are ultra-competitive and all about winning, enter 2025 CyFair point guard Aaliyah Chavez. This year’s camp three point champion and a 3X champion, Chavez clearly has a knack for stacking the hardware, thanks to her pure ability to stack buckets and dimes alike. She truly does it all, and this hooper continues to separate herself on the biggest stages.
Jordan Speiser (2025/Missouri) is quite a player. This isn’t breaking news. A blue collar, 6’0 wing for the Missouri Phenom, Speiser is a variety scorer. That three ball off the catch is like clock work, and hard to contest at her size. What perhaps stands out the most though about this player is her efficiency. She’s not out here collecting style points, although she gets plenty nonetheless.
When it comes to interior players, Kelsi Andrews (2026/Alabama) has to be at the front of a very long (no pun intended) and deep line. The FBC United product was back for her 2nd year, and showed once more that she can dominate the paint with her size, strength, and mobility. She has all the makings, burying people with some of her post moves, and intimidating shooters closing out like a guard at 6’4. An added dimension to her game worth mentioning is her own three point shot, but as long as she continues to embrace her roots in the paint, she is trending up, up, up!
Getting it Done
Some players just get things done, point blank period. It’s not always appreciated, or not always flashy, but it’s effective. When you can come in to an elite setting like this and just get things done, that bodes well for the future.
Kyla Hayes (2025/New York) is one such player. Hayes has wing/forward potential, and showed nicely all week. She’s big and strong, can handle and glide through the air to finish, and makes her share of shots. Also, we like the way she hits the boards and rebounds in traffic. There’s plenty to see here.
Olivia Jones (2025/Pennsylvania) is another versatile player who comes to mind in this particular mold. Jones is physical in a lot of what she does, likely a product of playing up all summer in 17U with the Philadelphia Belles. She’s got handles like a guard, and rebounds it like a power forward. Jones is steadily moving forward, and we should continue to follow her.
Meghan Yarnevich (2025/Maryland) doesn’t care about your feelings. Here’s another player with a range of abilities, and at 6’1 with a motor, she puts them to use. She’s a lefty and prefers doing things going that direction. Constantly pursuing rebounds and points in the paint, we’ve also seen her play some point guard in her younger years, so she can put it on the deck. It was a good experience for her to work against high level forwards and bigs.
One player who just will not be denied is 2025 guard Reese Beaty of FBC Reign in Tennessee. Handling the basketball, she really pounds the rock and is able to get separation with a variety of moves in which she covers nice ground. Savvy is a good descriptor, and she plays well with others. Her shot making ability in the mid range and from beyond the arc is continuing to grow, and she more than holds her own against the “more athletic” types out there.
Ava Rawlins (2025/California) showed off plenty of combo guard archetypes in Tampa. Her size and length aids her when playing on the ball, allowing her to see the floor and make some creative passes. Rawlins is going to be more than capable off the ball as well, as she gets downhill in a hurry off the ball screens, and can hurt you with the runner or the three ball. Not to be overlooked as well is her ability to get into people on the defensive end.
If you’re looking for a breakout performance, 2025 wing/forward Jah’Naesia Spiers out of Georgia turned in one of those. Spiers had some impressive moments, and the future is bright for the Essence standout. She’s got all of the athletic traits you look for, and her shooting ability is continuing to come around. Whether off the jab, pulling up, or a couple steps beyond the arc, Spiers is showing the development with the jumper. If she keeps running the floor and defending at a high rate, she’s in line for a good high school career and beyond.
Running the Show
We’ve already mentioned a couple of play-making point guards, but there was plenty more to go around. The conversation of who’s next has to start with 2026 Midwest magician Jenica Raine Lewis. The 5’9 Iowan has handles and footwork that are as good as they come, and the pull up jump shot was nearly automatic in a drill setting. She was one of the top performers in the gym, regardless of class.
Destiny Jackson (2025/Illinois) had an awfully good showing, starting from the jump in the FIBA 3X play and carrying over the rest of camp. Her defensive efforts are commendable, and while she is a clutch three-point shooter, her shot selection and willingness to share the ball with some pizzazz have both continued to develop and add to her skillset.
When you watch Ashanti Fox (2025/North Carolina) of the Carolina Flames, it’s the defense that stands out first. She can deny other guards the basketball, and if they do get it, she is in their face and in full contain mode. Even against the best guards here, her defense held true. Offensively, the lefty showed a nice fadeaway jumper, and with the elevation she gets on the pull up, good things are going to happen.
Another PG who is known for her pull up jumper is Caliyah DeVillasee (2025/Maryland). The Team Melo and Elevate Elite lead guard can surely shoot the ball from the mid-range and three point land. DeVillasee has great energy about her, and she is going to wiggle her way to the rim as well.
LA Sneed (2025/Texas) was back in the mix in her second year at 30 camp. There’s some real power in that lower half, and she can go get you a bucket in a range of ways. She’s so physical in getting to the hoop, and progressing well heading into the high school world.
One youngster to watch, who is just still cracking out of her shell a bit, is 2025 Zakieah Berry of the Alabama Southern Starz. This lefty has some wheels and at times you wonder if she has eyes in the back of her head. The shot still needs to continue to get reps, but she is serviceable with it. It’s her variety passing and athletic tools though that have you enamored.
Rieyan DeSouze (2026/Texas) of Lady Jets Elite flashed some exciting play. She hasn’t matured much physically yet, but this kid has some sauce and smooth handles. Her passing in the pick and roll was on point, and she’s starting to direct traffic like you want to see out of a point guard. Certainly she never backed down against the older lead guards in attendance.
Posts with the Most
Over the past 6 years, Blue Star 30 has been well-established as a magnet for a lot of the best young post players up and coming. The names are well-documented. One such name you may recognize is Betts, and Sienna Betts (2025/Colorado) is carrying on the legacy nicely. A 6’3 long lefty, the frame and mobility in the paint is there, but she is willing to step out and handle the ball or take the jumper on the perimeter. Make no mistake, the paint is where she can do a ton of offensive damage when she wants.
For the first time in Blue Star 30 history, there was a player in attendance from Alaska, and 2025 post Layla Hays made quite an impression. At 6’4, she has the physical traits that are coveted in the paint, and from the first session, the skills shined through. Hays showed the potential to drive and be physical on the finish. Keep an eye out for her in the very near future.
Write this name down, Aniya Trent (2025/Ohio). The 6’1 post has all the traits, and knows how to use her size. The hands are huge and that always helps, and she has filled out some more over the summer. Trent can finish with either hand, and really cleans up on the glass. Keep an eye out for her, running with the Cincinnati Angels.
Marisa Taylor (2026/Georgia) is still young but she is starting to sprout a little bit. Taylor has some length and gets up around the glass at 6’3. She’ll get out and defend away from the basket, and likewise is learning to shoot it out there a bit too. As the post game continues to grow, look out.
Hey, I Know You
One of the cool things about Blue Star 30 is, if you are still young enough, you get to come back again (and sometimes, again times two!). Show up, punch the clock, work hard, ball out, and repeat. It’s cool to see the players grow from year to year, and you can pick the vets out of a crowd.
Sanai Richardson (2025/Oklahoma) is a sharpshooting point guard who was clearly on a mission coming back to Tampa this year. Richardson is so locked in and hangs on every word her coaches say. She wants to learn and wants to keep getting better. Her shot making ability, handles, and maturity on the court set her apart.
Aubrey Shaw (2025/Kansas) made her third appearance at Blue Star 30, joining very rare company. Shaw is a cerebral, skilled lefty forward who can handle, shoot, drive, and pass. Her ability to contribute inside and out on both sides of the ball continues to garner big attention, and she is just now reaching her high school years.
Lola Lampley (2026/Indiana) is so very impressive on the basketball court. The Indiana Blaze product goes beast mode and starts getting to the rack at will. She’s also managing to add more assists to her stat line as well. Overall, she is relentless in her pursuit of lay ups, and she has the ability- basketball and natural, to get the job done.
Speaking of taller wing players who can score, now’s a good time to drop Maya Makalusky (2025/Indiana) into the conversation. Maya continues to grow as she gains experience playing against high level competition. Her ability to score in different ways is going to continue to set her apart at her size.
Your first thought when you lay eyes on Johanna Potter (2025/Georgia) is that she is just destined to be a basketball player. The 6’0 tall wing/forward from Essence was born to play, and the way she sprints the floor and defends 1-5, there’s just a lot to like. Potter is still not a finished product, but she can make some jumpers and has soft touch in the lane.
One more three-year Blue Star 30 is 2025 Kennedy Hall of Team Takeover. Standing at 6’3 and as long as you’re going to find, the physical gifts have always been plentiful. Hall showed more aggression and rigor than we have seen in the past, leading to some O boards put backs and scores in the paint. She is trying the three pointer, and the handles continue to advance as well.
That’s My Shooter Right There
A premium is always placed on players who can make shots. You know the type, ice water in their veins, have to know where they are at all times, as soon as they come across half court. This year’s rendition of Blue Star 30 was certainly not lacking in three point marksmen.
Kaelyn Carroll (2025/Massachusetts) of the Bay State Jaguars made her mark at last year’s camp, and she continues to be a lights out shooter. Oh and by the way, she’s doing this at 6’2. Carroll understands spacing and knows where she is on the floor. She’s shot ready on the catch and will bury them even with a contest coming.
Fellow Bay State Jag Narissa Smith (2025/Massachusetts) had a solid showing as well. Smith was consistently tough, kept playing, and moved well without the ball to best position herself for success when the ball came. She will even surprise you and body up inside when she has to switch onto a post player.
Another young lady who turned in a very strong camp is 5’9 2025 off guard Rainey Welson out of Wisconsin. The North Tartan standout can fill it up with the jump shot, and the step back is particularly smooth. But, she’s more than just a shooter. She helped her team to a FIBA 3X Qualifier championship with her competitive play, toughness, and overall knowledge of how to play the game.
Another returning member of the 30 sisterhood was Skyla Tuthill (2025/South Carolina), who suits up for Team Curry. Tuthill is an established sharp shooter with size and length out on the wing. We observed that she is pulling up in traffic with more regularity. She also is backing down smaller guards, hitting the shoulder fake, and then pivoting into a nice little turnaround jumper, which is some big time stuff.
Keeping with the long, lanky wing trend, Ella Todd (2025/Illinois) is a 5’10 wing player from Midwest Elite who has quite a future. The amount of separation she is getting on the step back jumper impressed early on, and she can shoot a little more of a high arching shot with the D in her face. When you can knock down the three off the catch on the move at an early age, you’ve got our attention.
Aniya Foy (2025/Texas) shot the heck out of the basketball every day of camp, and at 5’11 with a big time frame, the sky is the limit for her. All of the athleticism you want to see, she has, and then she clearly is getting shots up on a consistent basis. While she’s more than capable of getting to the basket, and she has a scorer’s mentality, we would expect her to continue to wow us with the jump shot for years to come.
One word to describe Alyssa Murphy (2025/Indiana), crafty. The 5’5 Kentucky Premier combo guard makes the heads up plays and has a great foundation of the fundamentals in place. The jump shot has a quick release and very deep range, and her confidence in it is strong.
Hanging Tough
For this category, we need to include the emoji with the steam shooting out of the nose, along with maybe a bicep flex or two. These players got after it and stayed with it every drill, every possession, every day.
Sydney Benally (2025/New Mexico) of Blue Star New Mexico made the most of her 30 camp experience. Evaluators had high praise for her defense and tenacity. Benally is used to playing the point, but with her creative lay up package and a smooth three point shot, there’s a lot to unwrap with her. Two claps and a job well done!
Naomi Benson continues to burst onto the radar in the 2025 class, as the 6’2 Ohio Xtreme forward did her thing last week. Benson has a great build, and she showed some nice hands to catch and finish on the run in transition. Keep an eye on the gradual development of her perimeter skills. This is an aggressive, athletic youngster who is going to block her share of shots along the way too.
One west coast athlete with potential to keep tabs on is Diamond Wright, a 5’10 2025 forward from Northwest Magic. Wright is built to be a face up driver, and she is working on that skill set. Her footwork is solid, and she is able to do some good things in motion. As she continues to develop and find consistency with the jump shot, she can get to another level still ahead.
Still only a 2026, Autumn Fleary is a saucy, quick point guard out of the DMV to pay attention to. Fleary can really fly to the rim, and she shoots a nice, compact three. Even against elite competition, she was able to shoot the gap on defense and take it the other way to score. The Philly Rise have an exciting player on their hands.
Kirston Verhulst (2025/Kansas) is another 30 legacy, as a youngster who grew into her own watching 30 camps of years past. The Next Level Eclipse combo guard is deceptively fast and bouncy, and plays a very strong point. If you go under on the ball screens, she can pull that three pretty well, and it’s very commendable that she just doesn’t waste touches, while also not trying to do more than the situation calls.
Bright Road Ahead
2027 wing Haylen Ayers of the Tennessee Flight is so advanced for age that it’s hard to believe. An athletic 5’10 with a wealth of upside, Ayers is so good at the little things already. She loves to push in transition and covers a lot of ground in a hurry, and the three is finding the bottom of the net with some very nice rotation.
There’s a lot to like about 2026 combo guard Jaidyn Gunter from Lady Jets Elite out of Texas. Gunter is quick off the dribble and does a nice job of asking for and then making use of her ball screens. For her size, there’s some exciting elevation in there, and she’s developing a diverse jumper that she can use in different situations.
Amaia Jackson (2025/New York) is a point guard out of the Northeast to watch early and often. The Rochester Premier product is a hustle player who makes the heads up plays often. She’s quick as she slides around with the ball, and sneaky is a good descriptor. Scoring opportunities come often as well, as she can split defenders on the drive and also cash out with the pull up jumper.
Amari Byles (2026/Texas) is well on her way to being a special player. A 6’2 do-it-all athlete from Nike ProSkills, Byles is aggressive by nature, and has some versatility to her offensive game. Byles is a baller, point blank. She’s likely to be asserting her will for quite a few years to come.
Another Texas product we will look forward to following is 5’10 2026 wing Jacy Abii. Abii is a natural athlete and strong for her age. She’s already a playmaker on both ends of the floor, with a solid three-point shot and the ability to rebound and finish in a loaded lane. This is a dynamo in the making.
Kamryn Kitchen (2025/North Carolina) continues to be a prospect to keep an eye on down South. Like a lot of these young players, she still has some growing and maturing to do, but the skill set she has at 5’9, with the ability to play the point, it sets the table for her to make waves at the high school level as a freshman.
It was very obvious that Kamora Pruitt (2026/Texas) really just enjoys being around the game of basketball, and at 6’1, she was made to play too. An athletic wing option, Pruitt showed some legit burst to the rim and proved that she can be a physical finisher. She likes having the ball in her hands, and is going to only get more dangerous as she keeps connecting the dots.
Sydney Savoury, a 5’11 2027 guard, put an exclamation point here on what has been a terrific summer for her. The Michigan Mystics product is a bucket-getter at all three levels. She may have been one of the youngest players here, but that did not stop her and she certainly didn’t look like it as she is very mature. She’s built to not only hang, but to thrive.
A young back-to-basket post player who is just scratching the surface, Chanel Noel Shuler (2026/Texas) can be a handful in the paint at 6’3. She can duck in and bury opponents, and her footwork for her size and age is very commendable. The move set is going to continue to grow, and she should be a menace in the paint for years to come.
