It was a great overall weekend working with USA Basketball at the US Open Championships, and we were able to learn several names on the girls’ side. Here were a few standouts that grabbed our attention throughout the event.
2030 Jordyn Avila (AEBL)
Avila looks to be a name worth watching now and down the road, as she really captured my eyes with her overall play at the event. She has a terrific early feel for the game, displaying craftiness, creativity, and flourishes as a true playmaker on the court. We were able to watch her on several occasions make plays off the bounce, getting by defenders, scoring well off the dribble, and looking to make plays for herself but also did a great job in understanding how to run the show for her team overall. Absolutely loved her feel in what she was able to do for her team and she has a bright future ahead.
2029 MacKenzie Smith (Team Thrill)
Smith was a player who was able to flourish and showcase her toughness as a guard. On Day 2, we really summed up her game by saying: “Smith was a new player personally for me, but I was highly impressed with what she showed on the court. She is a scrappy and competitive guard who was strong out in the open floor, weaving and creating not only for herself but for her teammates. She did a great job getting paint touches consistently but was also a true leader on the court for her team. Smith was able to show her ability to impact the game on both sides, being scrappy in creating steals and active overall defensively.” Smith was an impact player on both sides of the court and could be a name to watch down the road.
2030 Rianne Minor (Legacy Carolina)
Legacy Carolina was such a fun team to watch, especially with the young talent they brought to the courts over the weekend. Minor, one of the younger prospects on the team, displayed a high-level understanding of the game and had such a strong overall feel. She played with composure, read the floor well, was strong in using her quickness and speed to her advantage, and was an effective multi-level scorer with touch. Whether it was strong on drives, getting to her spots, or knocking down shots from outside, Minor found ways to produce.
2028 Sami White (Loudoun Flexx)
White had a really good overall showing throughout the weekend, and she summed it up well in the championship game. She is an absolutely tough and gritty prospect on the floor, excelling in attacking off the bounce, battling through contact, and aggressively getting downhill to finish around defenders and with touch. White really impressed with how scrappy and hard she played, competing and attacking while playing within the offense. On so many occasions, I saw her step up when needed and made big plays after big plays.