Chicago, IL – On the last day of this great tournament, the competition was thick as teams gave the last of their all to go home with some victories under their belt. The gym was still filled with some of the best talent in the country, and hundreds of colleges and universities. Congrats to all the teams that placed first in their divisions and to all the lady ballers that will be receiving scholarship offers because of their dynamic play this weekend. You earned it! Below are just a few players that I was able to witness during the final day of play.
#23 Makayla Daniels 2019 5’7” Point Guard Maryland Belles 2019
Daniels gave every ounce of herself to help her team win in a very tight game against the Wisconsin Lakers. She was a floor general, calling plays, encouraging others to shoot and even crashing the boards to help rebound. She is strong with a great ability to attack gaps and get to the basket. She used this to her advantage, scoring 8 consecutive points, all floaters in the paint or layups. Makayla even went down on the block and posted up a smaller guard. She did a great spin move and finished strong.
#1 Courtney Blakely 2020 5’6” Point Guard Hamblin Hoops (IN)
Blakely may be young, but her confidence and composure surely are not. This fearless point guard opened the game by knocking down a long range three pointer with a hand in her face, then getting a steal on the other end of the court the very next play. She has very strong ball handling skills and always found a way to get to the paint when she needed to. Courtney has great on the ball defense and is not afraid to get on the floor and go after a loose ball. Throughout a very tough battle against the CCE 2020 team, she kept her emotions under control and played hard until the final buzzer sounded.
#21 Jahri Smith 2019 5’11 Wing/Post Bolingbrook Panthers (IL)
Jahri is an athletic player that was most impressive because of her ability to truly play the wing and post positions and be effective and efficient at both. She uses her long wingspan to catch the ball high and keep it out of defenders’ reach while shooting a jump-shot or laying the ball up. She is definitely a strong rebounder and does so on both ends. Smith moves well without the ball to make herself available to score.
#1 Paige Schuman 2019 5’5” Point Guard Wisconsin Lakers 15u-Grey
Small but feisty, Schuman did any and everything to help her team defeat a very talented Maryland Belles. She has a high IQ and always played under control. She was never rattled, even when the game got close. She was great at communicating with her team and being the floor leader. Paige has a quick first step and often drove to the basket drawing the defense and getting the ball to her wide open front court. Oh, I almost forgot…she can shoot!
#0 Toree Jackson 2020 6’0” Wing Hamblin Hoops (IN)
Jackson showed her versatility on the court. She has a nice long build and can handle the ball, leading transition breaks when needed. She used her quickness to beat bigger defenders to the basket and her length to post up smaller players. She did a wonderful job of boxing out and crashing the boards. She runs the court and makes herself available within her teams’ offensive flow. Toree plays her area well, blocking and altering shots consistently.
#34 Brianna Forbes 2019 5’9” Guard/Wing Maryland Belles 2019
The first thing that caught my attention about Forbes was her energy and attitude. Whether she was on the court or on the bench (which wasn’t often), she was constantly encouraging her teammates, celebrating their success, while showing humility during her own. Brianna is a guard/wing that uses her solid frame and strength to her advantage on both ends of the floor. She knocked down 4 three pointers, but also was a presence in the post, showing some great footwork and strong finishes.
