Mount Pleasant, MI: A few days from now, everyone will be locked into July on the road, hoping to change lives, win some games, and perform at their peak. The Mitten Showdown gave some teams the opportunity to tune up against some of the best teams in the Midwest. The competition was stiff, and there was big time talent on display. Here are a few that caught my eye!
Mallory Woiteshek 2027 Post The House
Mallory Was a big factor on both ends of the floor, dominating the interior. She ran the floor well, doing a great job catching and finishing in the lane. She did a great job getting position and passing out of the double team. Defensively, she was a force blocking and altering shots. Mallory was definitely one of the best young players in the building.
Aubrey Hiller 2027 Guard The House
Aubrey is a tough, scrappy guard with a nice handle and an aggressive mindset. She was in attack mode today, playing downhill and creating for herself and her teammates. Aubrey showed big time leadership and refused to be outworked.
Gabby Piepho 2026 Guard CCE Drive Express
Gabby is a secret to some, but if you ever get a chance to see her play, you will quickly see that she won’t be a secret for long. Gabby plays with an extremely high IQ, can shoot it from deep, and does a great job putting the ball on the floor and attacking the lane. She had a nice day shooting the ball, hitting a few from deep, and showing that she can get her shot off against any defense.
Isis Johnson 2025 Guard Michigan Crossover EYBL
Sometimes, we take for granted just how special Isis is because she has been doing it for so long. Isis is Michigan's number one player in the 2025 class, and she plays with a smooth, super-athletic style. She is almost impossible to contain, getting to her spots on the floor and raising over and around the defense for 2. She has an elite handle and an ability to break her defender down off the bounce, and she did a great job finding the open teammate when the double came. Isis is ready for a huge July!
Alonna Divine 2026 Guard Always 100 Elite 3SSB
Alonna was a game changer all day. Her energy and intensity on defense were electric; she swiped the ball from the ball handler multiple times and created time baskets in transition, turning defense into offense. She seemed to play downhill all day, attacking off the bounce and hitting the open J when they backed off. Alonna is a big piece to the high-powered puzzle of the 2026 Always 100 squad.
Logan Thomas 2027 Guard Michigan Drive Premier Hutson
Logan is the glue to the Drive Premier team. She is a physical guard who is all over the floor, making plays on both ends. She can shoot it from deep, get out, and score in transition. She rebounds well for a guard and backs down from nothing between the lines.
Harlem Simpson 2027 Guard Michigan Crossover EYBL
Harlem is the real deal with the rock. She has an elite shifty handle, great vision, a very high-level skill set, and can shoot it from deep. She had spurts today where she completely took over the game with a pretty assist to teammates, finishes in the lane, and knocked down the three. Playing up a year on the EYBL circuit, the sky is the limit for this young guard.
Harper Backus 2027 Post Michigan Mystics S40
Harper is one of the top true post players in the 2027 class in Michigan, she doesn’t mind getting physical battling for position and displays a nice soft touch in the paint allowing her to finish through contact. Harper rebounds the ball at a high and is an intimidating presence on defense. Harper will be a big factor for the Mystics this summer on the circuit.
Rylan Buschell 2025 Guard Michigan Crossover EYBL
Rylan had a nice day, providing leadership, tough defense, and some nice finishes in traffic. The CMU commit is a super smart PG with a tight handle and great vision. One of her biggest strengths is her defensive ability and intensity in attacking the ball handler and applying pressure on the ball. She is cat quick and does a great job creating angles to turn the ball over. Rylan is looking to build on her hot June and have it carry over to July.
Izzy Wotlinski 2025 Guard Michigan Mystics S40
This seems to be déjà vu with Izzy. I go to the court to evaluate another team, and Izzy decides to show up and catch my attention. Moving extremely well off the dribble and known for being a knockdown shooter, she did a great job getting to the basket and making plays. She showed toughness and aggressiveness, and of course, her jump shot was money. Izzy is definitely one to pay attention to this summer.
Elise Bullock 2027 Guard Michigan Mystics South
Elise had a very good day using her extremely high motor and skill set to affect the game positively on both ends of the floor. Elise thrives on defense, jumping the passing lanes, hounding the ball, and forcing turnovers. What makes her special is the way she flips the turnovers in to transition offense so quickly, getting the ball down the floor setting up a teammate with an assist or scoring it herself.
Lilly Williams 2026 Post Michigan Mystics P24
Lilly dominated the day. Her improvement from spring to now is unbelievable she was already a force on both ends of the floor and now with her ability to get great position, catch the ball, regardless of pass and finish while being fouled is next level. Lilly will be fun to watch this July on the circuit.
Raquel Walker 2028 Wing Michigan Crossover EYBL
Raquel is easily one of the most athletic players in the building, regardless of grade. She does a great job using her length and her athleticism to attack the basket, run the floor, finish in transition, rebound, and block shots. Raquel was a big factor in her Crossover team winning today's Mitten Showdown championship.
