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LBI Event Recap: Nike Nationals Part II (Augusta, SC)

By Keith Wade @wadesworld32, 07/27/21, 12:45PM EDT

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Augusta, GA: This was a great week of basketball in Augusta for the EYBL Nike Nationals with it being capped off with Cal Stars and All Iowa Attack winning the 17U and 16u Championships respectably. There were some standout performers in those championship games but there was also some straight balling going on all week.

2022 Gabriela Jaquez Guard Cal Stars 
Gabriela is a smooth long wing who plays with extreme confidence and has the ability to score the rock off the bounce at a high level. She slashed and made plays all week with a nice package of moves and an offensive swag that was evident every time she got the rock.

2022 Imani Lester PF Carolina Flames
Imani was an almost impossible cover down low for the flames she established great position, showed great footwork and a soft touch to get buckets for her squad. She wasn’t just a treat on offense as she was a force on defense doing a great job protecting the paint.

2022 Indya Nivar PG Carolina Flames 
Indya is Big-Time she is a very smooth guard with a nice handle and the ability to get her shot off the bounce or in the flow of the offense. During the Flames run to the final four she showed up big for her squad whenever they needed her to with a bucket a dime or a defensive stop.

2024 Chazadi Wright PG Essence 16U
Chazadi hit big shot after big shot all weekend shooting a very high clip from three and even higher when her team needed it the most. A super quick guard who used her speed to be effective on both ends of the floor.

2023 Arianna Jackson Guard All Iowa Attack 
Arianna is the complete package, she is a tough physical guard that can hit the long ball, get to the rack drop dimes, and defends at a high level. She always seemed to make a big play when her team needed it and on the championship game, she got a big three and got a big stop down the stretch to help seal the title.

2024 Callie Levin PG All Iowa Attack 
Callie is super nice with the rock she is great off the bounce and made a number of plays for her or her teammates with great vision and the ability to finish. She also knocked down the jumper which made her tough to guard. In every big win for the Attack the ball was in Callie’s hands down the stretch and she always seemed to make the right play.

2023 Mackenzie Nelson PG Exodus 
Mackenzie has a slick handle and deceptive quickness that allowed her to get to the rack and show her package of finishes to score the ball in traffic. She is a tough physical defender that did a great job hounding the ball and creating turnovers to help her team get out in transition.

2025 Journey Houston SF All Iowa Attack 
Journey is on go all game long she rebounds she scored she leads the break she finishes there isn’t much Journey doesn’t do to help her team win. Only a 2025 Journey plays with big time maturity and poise that makes her one of the top 2025's on the EYBL circuit.

2023 Emma Miner SF  All Iowa Attack
Emma who was consistently good all week rebounding, slashing, and hitting the jumper, decided to show just how good she was in the championship game making big time shots and big-time plays to help her team win the EYBL title.

2022 Nyanna Robertson PG Cy Fair 
Nya showed some big time flashes this week locking up on defense and knocking down big shots. Nya saved her best for the big stage when she was on fire knocking down 5 triples early and continuing to play well all game helping her squad stay close in the championship game vs Cal Stars.

2023 Amanda Muse Post  Cal Stars 
Amanda was very consistent all week scoring the ball, rebounding, and making plays for the Champion Stars. In the Championship game, Amanda was aggressive scoring the rock and making hustle plays. Amanda is one of my stock risers for the week.

2023 Rylee Grays PF CYFAIR 
Rylee has Great hands, she is a strong finisher and she showed that she has a high motor getting out and repeatedly out running her opponent’s front line for easy baskets. An intimidating figure on D, she held down the paint blocking shots and controlling the boards!

2022 Paris Clark PG Exodus 17U
Paris is a smooth guard with great poise, a sick handle, and the ability to control the tempo of the game at the PG spot. A great competitor she showed her will to win down the stretch of a game I was watching when she scored 10 of her teams last 12 scoring from all 3 levels and taking over the game. Paris is the truth!

2023 Gisella Maul Guard  CYFAIR 17U
Gisella is very smooth and plays with great pace and intelligence she never forced anything was always under control. She set up her teammates and scored when she needed to. She was the floor general for the Nike Nationals runner up.

2022 Elle Ladine PG Cal Storm Team Taurasi 
Elle was most definitely one of the top players of the week, she could do it all on the floor and she made it look easy. She created off the bounce, she hit the long-range J she slashed to the hoop and she made some pretty passes to set up teammates. Elle was easily on my top 10 2022 list.

2023 Janiah Barker PF Essence Purple 
Arguably the best player regardless of age I watched all weekend, and if not the best definitely the most dominant. If you lay your eyes on Janiah right away you see a great body and intimidating snarl and then the big-time game to go with the exterior. She scored in the paint, was a fierce rebounder, made plays with the dribble, and maybe one of her most impressive skills, she was dropping some sick passes to teammates for buckets. With some big time offers already in tow, Janiah is no secret which made her play even more impressive as each defense was geared to stop her but as the kids say thinking you are stopping her is straight Cap!!

2023 Breya Cunningham Post Cal Stars 
Breya did a great job of posting and getting position in the paint once established she showed excellent footwork and a soft touch to get buckets. She also showed to be a very capable passer finding shooters and slashers.

2023 Carys Baker PF Exodus 17U EYBL
Carys is definitely one of the 2023’s to watch in the very near future, she was aggressive scoring the rock knocking down the three, scoring in the paint, and slashing for easy buckets. She has a great feel for the game and made some great plays on both ends of the floor.

2022 Kaylene Smikle SG Exodus 17U EYBL
Kaylene is a versatile wing that gets buckets and is as tough as they come. During a game I watched this week she just went straight crazy down the stretch of a tight contest and dominated the game on both ends of the floor scoring it, locking up on defense grabbing the big rebound, and being the physical vocal leader. Her game performance had coaches row buzzing!!

2022 Alexis Mcnabb PG Kia Nurse EYBL
Alexis is a throwback point guard who takes pride in locking up on defense making the hustle play and running the show getting her teammates in position to score. Alexis who is a high IQ PG showed that she had the handle and the ability to create a shot for herself as well getting by her defenders at times and getting into the lane to get buckets. Coaches who preach and actually believe the phrase “play the right way” Alexis needs to be on your list to call!!

2023 Lisa Thompson PG Midwest Elite EYBL
Lisa is super nice with it, she has the handle to get anywhere she wants on the floor, she can shoot it and she has the vision and poise. All week she beat her defender off the bounce creating for herself or for a teammate. Lisa also takes great pride in locking up on defense and this full package makes her one of the top PG's of the 2023 class.

2023 Cassandre Prosper Wing Kia Nurse 16U EYBL
Cassandre is right at the top of the list of the top prospects in the 16u divisions She is a  super athletic wing who does a little bit of everything for her squad she is very aggressive attacking the hoop to score but her extremely advanced basketball skill and IQ allows her to adjust on the fly and make the right read for an assist. Cassandre can defend 1-5 and rebounds at a high clip. She came in already very popular with the coaches but found a way to leave Augusta with even more admirers.

2024 Danielle Carnegie Guard Essence 16U EYBL
Maybe the biggest stock riser of the week, Danielle is an athletic guard that can create her shot off the bounce, has great range, and uses her athletic ability to rebound and defend with the best of them. In the semi-final and the championship games she took her show to a whole new level, putting on an absolute offensive clinic with defenders hanging all over her she knocked down shot after shot. The last few minutes of each game were two of the best performances I witnessed the entire week.

2023 Rylie Theuerkauf  SG Exodus 16U EYBL
Rylie showed her crazy range one day by hitting 7 triples, 5 in the first half alone which had the crowd going crazy. The next day she showed she was more than a shooter by putting it on the floor and consistently beating her defenders off the bounce with a quick first step. She is a tough guard that enjoys finishing with contact, Rylie is a straight BUCKET!!!

2023 Mackenzie Nelson PG Exodus
Mackenzie has a slick handle and deceptive quickness that allowed her to get to the rack and show her package of finishes to score the ball in traffic. She is a tough physical defender that did a great job hounding the ball and creating turnovers to help her team get out in transition.