Dayton Lady Hoopsters Invitiational Top Defensive Performers
Photo Credit: Dale Barger Saturday I attended the Dayton Lady Hoopsters Invitational which featured several Dayton Lady Hoopsters teams on display. Seeing well over 150 players play throughout the day, I narrowed down some of my top performers my…
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Continue ReadingPhoto Credit: Dale Barger
Saturday I attended the Dayton Lady Hoopsters Invitational which featured several Dayton Lady Hoopsters teams on display. Seeing well over 150 players play throughout the day, I narrowed down some of my top performers my category and will recap them throughout the week. The first category is the top defenders from the day. Many of the girls below impressed me with their hustle, good discipline, and most importantly, their playmaking abilities.
LaSonjia Hill (2021) Princeton- All Ohio Express
This All Ohio Express team had plenty of talent in the backcourt, but Hill was the most impressive defender on the floor for them. A lightning quick guard, she has great footwork and moves side to side defensively well. Using active hands and having a high basketball IQ, Hill jumped passing lanes and reads the offense and makes plays on the perimeter. As a result, she scored several buckets in transition which allowed the Express to dominate against Dayton Metro.
Aaliyah Smith (2021) Chaminade-Julienne- Dayton Lady Hoopsters Varisty
Besides Hill, Smith might have been the best on-ball defender I saw during games on Saturday. By far one of the most physical players on the day, Smith used active hands and her physicality to create several turnovers on the perimeter. She was not afraid to body up smaller guards and made sure they controlled their dribble and respected her speed and strength. Her hustle after loose balls was also quite impressive to me.
Lissa Siler (2020) Tri-Village- DLH Elite
Another talented defender, Lissa did a very nice job of staying with her assignment and showed her discipline and focus by not biting on head fakes or talented ball handling. Although not one of the taller players, she is still a tough on-ball defender and used her speed to her advantage. Siler also had a strong showing on the offensive end which highlighted her all around talent. I think she will be a name to watch as the AAU season continues.
Ashley Besingi (2021) Northmont- Dayton Metro-Ballard
While the other players mentioned so far have been elite on-ball defenders. Besingi is my favorite prospect that played as a rim protector. What is most impressive is the fact that Ashley is a 5’8 guard and she was blocking shots against taller players. Her blocks were well timed and she knew how to play up and down rather than jumping into offensive players and committing fouls. She had a few moments of fouling in half court setting, but found success in defending transition plays and stopping fast breaks.