Hamilton, OH – Spring travel season is in full swing, and The Clash was proof of that. Four sites, 28 plus courts, coaches from colleges and universities from all over the country and every level, and an abundance of talent were present in the Cincinnati area. LBI was sitting courtside, trying to capture as much as we could. As hard as it was, here are a few of the Lady Ballers that caught our attention.
Natalie Beaudoin 2024 | Maine Firecracker 17U S40
A shooter that rarely missed, Natalie used the perimeter as her personal safe haven. She was great at passing inside, then relocating and making herself available. She has a quick release which forced teams to close out properly or pay one way or another. She’s not just a shooter. She defends well, plays hard, and helped shift the momentum of the game when it was needed most.
Nyasia Pauldo 2025 | HUrban Legends of NJ 16U
Nyasia understands her team and what they do well, so she did a really good job of putting them in a position to do just that. When the opposing team tried to slow down the game and take control of the flow, Nyasia stepped her defense up to another level, forcing them to speed the game up and commit several turnovers and bad shots. She took advantage of all fast breaks and never crumbled under pressure. She was a true floor general.
Megan Donelson 2025| HUrban Legends of NJ 16U
Megan was the sleeper for her team. She played really hard and was always in the mix. Her ability to assess and read the court started to show, and the shots started to fly. She was really patient and allowed the game to come to her. She made great basketball plays and stepped up when it counted the most. No extra “stuff”, just hard nose good basketball.
Tish Blackwood 2025 | MCW 2025 S40 Jesus/Smith
A powerhouse on both ends of the court, Tish was a force that could not be stopped. She is strong and plays big for her size. She got inside whenever she wanted, and no one could move her. She was a big rebounder and scorer at the rim. Her hustle was unmatched. She was active and present every possession. She has a high IQ and understands the game. Her ability to make her teammates better and set them up for success was the most impressive component of her game. She just wants to win.
Ramiya White 2024 | United Family 17U 3SSB
Ramiya was often the offense bridge for her squad. Whether she was setting strong picks, scoring in transition, or grabbing offensive boards and kicking it out to reset the offense, the ball passed through her hands. She is very active and effective. She has good timing and was good at blocking and altering shots. She knows how to work to get herself open on offense and finish strong.
Lillian Bates 2024 | Nautilus Express
Every team needs a player that is full of grit and grind, that brings a sense of toughness to the table. Lillian is that player for her squad. She has an inside presence on both offense and defense and is the power source for the flow of the game. She is relentless on the boards, dominating in most cases. She was great in the pick and roll and on the block with her back to the rim. She is a tone setter.
Aidian Langley 2025 | New Heights NYC 17U Dom
Aidan is strong, with a solid frame that she uses to overpower and bully her way to the basket and the boards. She had good footwork and was crafty in finding ways to open herself up for easy looks. She was patient and did not try to force what wasn’t there. She was great in transition and making sure she could score or rebound a missed shot. Her defense was just as impressive. Nothing came easy on her watch.
Aleah Hodges 2024 | Rice Basketball Academy 17U
Quick, feisty, and vocal, Aleah was secure in her role as the floor general for her squad. She was good at controlling and directing the offense and making quick decisions. She was always looking for the open man, but not afraid and very capable of taking over and scoring herself. She was aggressive and tough on defense and was not afraid to get down and dirty if she needed to.
Madilyn Stechulte 2024 | Rice Basketball Academy 17U
Madilyn is the type of player that steps in and fills the gaps that are missing on the court. She played and defended multiple positions and was comfortable to so. She handled the ball well when being pressured and breaking the full court press. She never seemed to get rattled or frustrated. She’s able to score in multiple ways, including sinking baskets from behind the arc.
Makena Christian 2025 | Wisconsin Lakers 2024 White
Once her feet were set, Makena was able to hold her ground and do whatever it was she wanted to do. She is strong and uses her strength to overpower other players and dominate. She is a strong and consistent rebounder on both ends. She ran the court well in transition, making herself available for layups. She was excellent at not forcing shots and kicking the ball back out to her shooters.
Jeniya Bowers 2026 | United Family 3SSB 16U
Jeniya is a hustle player that did not give up on a play until it was over. Her game is versatile, and she is able to play in the post and on the perimeter, effective and efficient in both places. One defense, she did not let up. She is smothering, quick, and great at anticipating her opponent’s next move. She has a high motor and plays with a lot of energy.
Chloe Bullinger 2026 | Michigan Drive Premier Brown
Chloe is a tough, hard-nosed guard who plays with a ton of energy on both ends of the floor. This weekend, she scored consistently from the perimeter, slashing to the basket and scoring in transition. She is intense on the defensive end, applying pressure on the ball and jumping passing lanes off of it. Chloe is an interchangeable piece for Premier as she can effectively play the 1-3.
Emma Smith 2026 | MCW Starz S40
Smith had the ability to make the game look easy and effortless. From the way she glided up and down the floor to her overall decision making. Emma found her teammates well in the full court as she pushed in transition off the boards. She really shined when looking to attack the rim in the quarter court, using her nice length and speed against her defenders.
Lillian Merow 2025 | Wisconsin Lakers 2025 White
There’s nothing like watching an interior player who really knows the ins and outs of playing down low go to work. Lillian was rim running hard down the floor, making moves inside with little to no dribbles, not to mention posting hard and then reposting for better positioning. I loved to watch it! She was extremely impactful on both ends of the court for her team.
Camdyn Nelson 2025 | Empire State Flames S40
Camdyn Nelson was the best player on the floor, hands down. She managed to string together possessions where she boxed out and bullied a player for a rebound, shot up the floor like a rocket, and then shook her primary defender, just to find herself scooping a layup with someone hammering her all the while. Nelson ended up on the floor throughout the game because of her tenacity and flat out desire on getting to the rim.
McKenzie Neal 2025 | New Heights 16U S40
Neal was definitely giving off “baby Shaq” vibes in the paint. Her presence alone commanded your attention. When she did get the ball, there was a unanimous rumbling that happened throughout the crowd. She was nothing short of impossible to guard one on one. The lefty pounded her way from the midpost to the rim with thunderous movements and punished anyone in her way. Double teams dig downs, and charges might be the only way to stop this young star from having her way.
Lamiya Gooden 2025 | Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB McBride
Talk about a turn up! Gooden had a spurt of time where she completely dominated the game. Her team fed her the ball inside, and she went straight to work. And ones with players falling all over her, paint bunnies, and offensive putbacks that lit a fire under her team. She also snagged timely boards on the defensive end to finish big possessions for her squad late in the game.
Takisa Hastings 2025 | TN Flight E40
Takisa Hastings displayed a legit inside-out game. She stroked the three at a very high clip. Hastings was able to create her own shot in the half court but also moved so well without the ball off of screening actions and set plays as well. She used her shooting reputation to get to the rim as the game progressed, showing off her ball handling skill and sweet touch in the lane.
Christinana Gordon 2025 | Sideline Cancer Dynamite S40
The toughness and confidence this young player exemplified had the sidelines talking. Against an uber talented Legends U team, Gordon had no backdown. She came full speed and full throttle from start to finish. She showed she had the athleticism to guard the quick perimeter players and the length to contend with some bigger post players inside as well. On the offensive end, Gordon used her lightning quick first step to blow by defenders and finish inside. The 5’11” small forward also took advantage of her size and crashed the offensive glass to get some easy putbacks as well.
Aniah Smith 2025 | United Family FBC 16U 3SSB
This young lady caused pure chaos all over the court today. A pesky defender with quick hands gave her team extra possessions. She was so good in transition for her team; she was a calming presence and yet electric at the same time. She’s a leader that was able to get her teammates the ball when and where they needed it. Her balance of knowing when to look to score as the lead guard was very mature as well. She picked her spots well off the pick and roll, getting all the way to the rim or dishing to her big. To top off a great game all around, she also managed to throw in a half court buzzer beater too!
Ava Sandroni 2025 | I-90 Elite
This young lady is tough. She stood up and went toe to toe vs. one of the toughest defenses I’ve seen at the 16U level with such poise. Sandroni left it all on the court as she gave her team a chance to make the game competitive with her play making and shot making ability. She just kept coming as she was able to make key floaters, midrange jump shots, and threes under duress to keep I-90 in the game early. It was a joy seeing her grit and competitive nature.
Lillie Graves 2027 | Indiana’s Best
Perhaps no one was oozing potential more than Lillie Graves for me. She was aggressive, using her length, size, and quickness on defense to be disruptive. She got downhill off the dribble and squared up to knock down some jump shots. She’s got a lot of tools at such a young age and is going to have a bright high school career.
Mia Pauldo 2025 | Hurban Legends
To be successful at a P5 level as a small PG, you have to be special and understand a few things, like how to create for others when you have size in the paint. Like how to strip steal on spin moves from bigger players instead of just treeing up. Like how to dig down on post players when they lose sight of you, and Mia Pauldo displayed these attributes and more in a big time win over Legends U. Big 3s. Post play. Dimes. You name it; she did it.
Ashley Bowden 2025 | Dayton Vipers
Ashley Bowden can shoot the rock. She doesn’t force anything and allows the game to come to her. When the the ball does find her, she knows what to do with it, as she knocked down at least four threes during a pivotal stretch in the games to help lead the Vipers to victory.
Kendal Batchik 2025 | SMAC 16U
This PG is fearless. Kendal Batchik was everywhere she needed to be and hard to contain on day 1. Standing at about 5’4”, she came up repeatedly, knocking down 3s and taking advantage of other scoring opportunities off the dribble. She played with pace and poise on another level from her fellow competitors in this one.
Kaylea Lacey 2026 | Illinois Legends
Mix a lightning quick first step with some fearlessness, and you get Kaylea Lacey. Lacey made the free throw line her home on Saturday as she consistently beat the initial defender off the dribble to put the rest of the defense in bad situations. Lacey did a great job of picking her spots to attack, leading to double-digit points and free throw opportunities.
Marisa Gant 2023 | Mac Irvin
Gant’s jump-shot was pure this weekend. She was able to get to it off the dribble or catch and shoot off the screen. She can get going in a hurry, as she made multiple shots in a row at different times during the game. Great motor and ability to handle the ball makes her an intriguing prospect for schools still looking to fill their rosters with a 2023.
Lillian Barnes 2026 | Always 100
Able to guard multiple positions and be effective at multiple positions (including PG) makes Lillian Barnes a top 3 prospect in Indiana. She already possesses a college ready frame and uses it to get anywhere she wants on the court to make plays for herself and others. I’d even say she’s too unselfish and has yet to unlock her true potential to score the ball…and that’s scary.
Sydney Savoury 2027 | Legends U
Savoury’s potential as a top prospect in the country is well chronicled already, but this was the first time I’ve seen her for an extended period. Her poise as a young lady who hasn’t even had a high school lunch yet is striking and even breathtaking. Always under control. Always on balance. Always focused. She was on a mission this weekend, scoring on all three levels and doing the simple things like making quality post feeds and the extra pass. Her floor game at this age is uncanny, and she had dozens of coaches watching and salivating this weekend.
Melana Eyer 2025 | Sideline Cancer Dynamite S40
Melana Eyer was one of the toughest point guards and players I saw all weekend. Using her body as a battering ram, she was willing and able to keep the defense on their toes all game. She was impossible to keep out of the paint off the dribble as she was able to score, get to the free throw line, and create opportunities for others. Though she expended great amounts of energy on the offensive end, there was plenty in the tank defensively as she frequently picked up the other team's PG full court. Very impressive.
