National Harbor, MD – Nearly 350 teams made their way to the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor last for USJN’s 32nd Annual National Championships just last month. Teams and players from both coasts and in-between were once again in D.C. for some of the summer’s best basketball. As always, hundreds of college coaches from all levels plus a bevy of media and evaluators were in the house for all the action.
For a full recap of the event, check out Blue Star’s earlier coverage from National Harbor and the USJN National Championships..
https://bluestarmedia.org/32nd-annual-usjn-national-championships/
Looking back once more Travis Ponton zeros in on some of the younger talent (2022 – 24) competing “up” with a by position look at 15 additional players from USJN DC 2019. Our earlier coverage also included a few of the “next generation” talent and are worth the time for another look back.
Point Guards
Looking around, young floor generals were not hard to find. While they may not be as seasoned as their elder counterparts, they’re gaining valuable experience playing against those veteran ladies. From the West Coast, Tamaria Rump is a 2023 prospect with the CA Lady Soldiers Blue Star Team who definitely didn’t back down. She showed confidence taking the contested three-pointer while challenging people defensively with plenty of quickness. Over the years the Georgia Metros have produced more than their fair share of standouts at the point. Bridget Utberg, a 2022, has already been on the radar for a while. Her ability to score in a variety of ways coupled with her quarterback mentality and finesse passing game provides plenty of productive plays. Also coming out of the 2022 class we saw Illinois Lady Lightning Platinum Martinez combo Emma Ludwig, whose size and strength made her hard to bump around out there. Ludwig has no problem competing with older competition utilizing her handles, IQ, and three point shooting. Zahra Lewis (2023/NY Renaissance) plays in attack mode and showed off her wheels in transition. The lefty is starting to stretch the range on her jumper and keeps her team together in the crunch. Rounding things out, 2022 combo guard Sydni Scott (Philadelphia Belles) is an intense, gifted player who embraces contact while consistently playing with pace and vision.
Wings
Out on the wing, Afton Thomas (2022) stands at 5-11 for the Illinois Lady Lightning 17 Seberger. Thomas combines size, strength, and an ability to score off the dribble that already has her established among recruiters. Kentucky Premier’s Amiya Jenkins is also a member of the 2022 class who stood out scoring in a variety of ways while proving to be efficient in the tight confines of the pick and roll game. Chloe Clardy is a dynamic 2023 guard who impressed for Cyfair Elite’s 16 EYBL squad. An electric 5-10 guard who creates both shots and passes, she should make plenty of waves in the upcoming high school season as a freshman.
It’s hard not to love the play of 2024 wing Mikayla Blakes, an athletic Jersey Cardinal. Not only does Blakes “wow” gliding through the air to score, but her in-your-face effort on defense showed that she doesn’t back down. Sport City U’s Mari Bickley, a member of the 2023 class, absolutely belongs among this group. Bickley is a powerful guard with a mix of physical and mental maturity plus the ability to get to the rim in a hurry and often.
Forwards and Posts
In the front court, we start with 2024 paint presence Aalyah Del Rosario of the NY Renaissance. Already built to dominate at 6-6, the future is even brighter as her skill work continues to evolve. Hailing from north of the border, 2022 forward Pheonix Gedeon (QC Bulldogs 17 Leszek) also made an impression working inside with her advanced move set and good footwork. She has the physical tools to be an opponent’s big problem if she continues to work on her game. The Carolina Hoopzters claim interesting young wing / forward Yasmene Clark, a 2023. Clark didn’t look out of place competing against the older high schoolers showing the ability to face up and drive along with the potential to stretch her range to the arc. The skills are quickly catching up with the physical gifts. Rounding things out are a pair of future standouts from Cyfair Elite, 2023’s Rylee Grays and D’asia Thomas. Grays is not new to the radar, but she’s a much bigger blip on the screen now. Her body type has evolved to imposing status in the past year, and her game has followed suit. Thomas possesses some huge, soft hands that allow her to reach up and snatch both passes and rebounds out of the air. Both players were more than a handful for the opposition and represent serious double-double threats.
