Pittsburg, PA - The 2nd Annual WPA Bruins Spring Classic was this weekend in Pittsburgh, PA at Penn Hills HS. Teams from the Midwest and East Coast traveled to “The Hills” and battled from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. One thing is for sure, there were some dominate programs and talented players battling in the Steel City. Here is a look at some of the tournament’s top performances.

2021

Kyla Foster  5’7”  Wing  All Ohio 12U
Foster is a very athletic wing that was an aggressive defender and did a great job finishing at the basket in traffic and with contact. She seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. Kyla played extremely hard from start to finish. She was very impressive.

Delaney Rucker  5’4”  Guard  All Ohio 12U
Delaney is a quick guard that uses her speed to her advantage on both ends of the court. She drove to the basket strong to draw defenders and create shots for her teammates. She also was able to knock down the outside shot, keeping defenders in trouble. Delaney brought that same intensity on defense and was able to play strong on the ball defense.

Jada Bass  5’7”  Guard  All Ohio 12U
Jada was the strongest ball handler in this age group that we saw. The ball was in her hands the majority of the game and she consistently had little to no turnovers. She also was a strong floor leader, creating shots for herself and others. Bass did a great job of knocking down the mid-range jump shot as well.

2020

Javann Rogers  5’8”  Point Guard  All Ohio
Rogers played at a high level in the two games that we saw her play on Saturday. The 5-foot-8 Rogers was really effective in transition plays. She handled the ball well and made good decisions. She’s a good athlete as well. She showed that she is a promising prospect.

Olivia Westfall  5’9”  Point Guard  WPA Bruins
Westfall is a very smooth off the dribble and in transition. Olivia was not out of control at all while she was scoring in bunches on Saturday as she dropped 25 against Michigan Crossover. Westfall is a good shooter, and a good overall athlete.

Mikaela Griggs  5’10”  Wing  1 Nation Elite
The young guard showed her ability to score in various ways this weekend while playing on 1 Nations top team when she got her opportunity.  She was effective pulling up for mid-range jump shots and also got to the rack occasionally for easy finishes or assists. Griggs has the chance to be special in a few years.

Tess Walker 5’8”  Wing  WPA Bruins
Tess is a guard with great size. She has a fantastic day which included her showcasing her shooting ability; which kept defenders honest because she is also good off of the dribble. Walker has a really nice touch and feel on her shots around the basket. She had 22 points in the Bruins loss to Michigan Crossover.

2019

Jakkarri Alven   5’9”  Wing  Michigan Crossover 14u
Alven is an extremely tough and very athletic kid that made smart plays on Saturday and Sunday. She was very good at attacking the basket off the dribble drawing several fouls and she doesn’t shy away from contact. She used her length to show her ability to be a lock down defender and along with her athleticism, to get rebounds or just keep the ball alive.

Alexis Johnson   5’10”  Post  Michigan Crossover 14u
Johnson started off the day with a strong performance against WPA Bruins then she backed it up with another strong performance on Sunday. Alexis does just about everything on the floor well. She sprints the floor like a guard, rebounds on both ends and does a great job of getting to the basket when bigger players try to guard her. Her team often benefited from those drives because she was able to finish strong at the rim. Johnson had 28 points in the Michigan Crossover victory over WPA Bruins. 

Rickea Jackson  6’2”  Wing  Michigan Crossover 15u
Jackson’s long frame was a huge presence on the court this weekend. She used her long arms to alter and block shots and to snatch down rebounds over defenders. She used her athleticism to slash to the basket and put back offensive rebounds without touching the floor.

Del’Janae Williams  5’7”  Point Guard  Michigan Crossover 14u
Williams’ quickness caused problems on both ends of the court. Her ability to anticipate on the defensive end caused many headaches for her opponents. Her athleticism allowed her to create opportunities for herself and her teammates at will. She is small in frame but that didn’t stop her from battling in the paint and driving to the basket.

Jasmine Powell  5’5”  PG  Michigan Crossover 15u
Jasmine was something like a super hero this weekend. In a double overtime thriller against a very talented All Ohio-Xpress team, Jasmine did everything to make sure her team had a fighting chance. In the last three minutes of regulation, Powell got two huge defensive stops, knocked down a three pointer to pull her team within 2, and dropped a bullet pass into Jackson for a layup to tie the game. Her all over the court play carried over to Sunday, and helped her team make it to the championship game.

2018

Pearleon Dean  6’2”  Post  Cincinnati Lady Tigers
Dean was the most dominate rebounder in her division. She used her strong frame to get position and keep opponents on her back. She demonstrated great post moves in the paint and also altered several shots that came her way. Pearleon can also score from 10 feet.

Camree’ Clegg   5’5”   Point Guard  1 Nation Elite
Quick with and without the ball, Clegg kept defenders on their toes with her ability to drive to the basket and also find the open man. She saw the court well and did a good job of knowing when to score and when to get the ball to teammates. She was a solid on the ball defender and was not afraid to shoot the long three.    

2017

Kierra Fletcher  5’9”  Guard  1 Nation Elite
Fletcher was effective and efficient on defense and offense. She displayed great basketball IQ; reading passes, cutting to the open spot, and being a floor leader with and without the ball. She takes high percentage shots and rarely turned the ball over. Kierra was the silent assassin this weekend, having multiple 20 point games by playing solid fundamental basketball.

Desiree Oliver  5’8”  Guard  WPA Bruins-Cash
Oliver used her solid, strong frame to bulldozer her way to basket, drawing fouls and in some cases, putting defenders on their butt. She was the team’s leader on both ends of the court, using her energy to spark up scoring runs and defensive stops. Desiree displayed great ball control and smart shot selections. Her consistent phenomenal play helped her team take home their division championship.

Michaela Porter  5’9”  Wing/Post  WPA Bruins-Cash
Using her size and speed to play a strong inside-outside game, Michaela was able to get inside and battle for rebounds, but also beat many of her defenders off of the dribble because of her strength and quickness. She also was able to effectively defend many positions without getting in foul trouble. Porter is a tough kid that finished well at the rim with contact.

Alicia Smith  6’3”  Post  Michigan Crossover EYBL
The strong middle presence for the 6 man power team of Michigan Crossover EYBL, Smith often was the deciding factor in the Crossover’s journey to the championship game. She was a strong rebounder, finished with contact around the basket, knocked down free-throws, altered and blocked shots, led transition breaks and even knocked down a couple of three point shots. Alicia’s versatility was endless, impressive, and refreshing to see.

Brianna Hoover  5’7”  Guard  WPA Bruins-Zeise
Brianna was the primary ball handler and scorer for her team this weekend. She made great decisions with the ball and was able to knock down some deep shots. She played very hard from start to finish, diving for loose balls and making great defensive plays.