Top Forwards & Posts #DuelStatesAllStarGames 8th Grade Division

Part 3 of the 8th Grade Division from #DuelStatesAllStarGames, this gives me way over 100 players because one more time, no one does what I do, have done and can tell you anything of relevance about this because I know the politics, my daughter was omitted from the McDonald’s All American team because I was “UPPITY” and “didn’t know my place” yet I’m the same way I was back then, I have no agenda whatsoever other than identifying players who I feel have next-level potential. I’ll close this out with the BREAKOUT players on my BLOG, that’s my daughter in the picture with Obama after she helped Texas A&M win the National Championship and she’s played 8 years in the WNBA, yes I’m an expert at evaluating

Makayla Ellison-F (ATL Dream) let me start off with long and athletic because remember, that’s the base and when you play the passing lane and grab rebounds not to leave out on both ends and come up with numerous putbacks, pluses are adding yet they keep adding because she understands how to set the defender up to attack the rim and she plays hard defense

Makiyah Risby-SF (ATL Dream) to be honest with you, I didn’t even take notes because she reminded so much of a #THROWBACK player from another era so she plays taller than her listed height and she’s a BATTLER, something you can’t teach and her tenacity on defense to go along with that strong rebounding is just eye-catching. She finishes off the dribble, after the lick and she can drop the outside shot with ease

Hailey Prince-C/F (Fever) “did she do that” was my first thought when I saw her “drop step” for a basket, another #THROWBACK I don’t see enough of but she too is a BATTLER for the ball off the rim, on both ends of the floor. She finishes strongly, with players hanging on her and she understands the importance of running the floor

Solange Loadholt-F (Fever) long and athletic worked so many ways, yeah I saw the passing lane but I also saw her timing on defense, she altered some shots, blocked a few as well but she also understands how to create her shot and whether it was taking a defender off the dribble or elevating for a nice pull-up jumper, she got it done

Ytaly Lewis-PF (LA Sparks) understands how to use her athleticism on both ends of the court and watching her getting position for rebounds, battling for the ball off the rim and using her strength going after loose balls, as well as defending yet that same strength also enabled her to finish strongly, this includes after contact

Sophia Semmler-P (Las Vegas Aces) her upside is pretty good because she has the frame, she has the skills and she has something you can’t teach and that’s the mindset of “you will not stop me”. She also uses the drop, has good hands and footwork around the basket where she finishes strongly yet she can step out and score off the mid to long-range

Vanessa Coleman-SF (Las Vegas Aces) attacked the rim well, from various angles, and finished after contact but she also created her shot and her deceptive first step helped set up the attack. What also helped was she can shoot it, mid to long-range so the defense had to be ready. On the flip, she did a good job rebounding

Courtney Thompson-C (Las Vegas Aces) here we go, long and athletic, good timing on defense to block, deflect and alter shots but she also could put it on the floor and attack the rim, good body control and finished after contact was nice, so was watching her on the boards, especially on the offensive end where she got several putbacks

Angela Carroll-F (Las Vegas Aces) long and athletic yet again, I love this, more importantly, college coaches, and to add to that, she plays BIG inside and by that, she understands how to use her body around the basket to finish and what I also enjoyed seeing was she stayed with the ball off the rim, no matter what side it came off, she was there, you can’t teach desire

Wrigley Adkisson-F (Lynx) she stands around 6’0 and can just absolutely shoot the lights out, I love that combination but again, more importantly, so do college coaches and watching her create her shot, the elevation, the release and the accuracy made me smile but she also did a good job attacking the rim and finishing, as well as rebounded and defended