Cal Storm Grand Finale Top Players in the Paint

The AAU season is winding down and this past week, Cal Storm, one of the top girls AAU programs in the country hosted their Grand Finale event at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, CA. It was a two-day event from July 24-25. I was able to attend the event on July 25 and there was plenty of top talent on display. There were teams and players from different regions, but I focused mainly on the more local Southern California talent. Having a good post player used to be a major requirement for a successful team. Now, with a lot more positionless basketball and non-traditional bigs, the post position has evolved. There are some players who still make a living there, however. Here’s a look at some of the top SoCal players in the paint that I saw. <strong>1. Emma Svoboda – La Quinta 2021</strong> Svoboda is one of those players who definitely makes her presence felt. She sets screens well to help free up her teammates. She’s got great hands in the post, she’s always ready for a pass from her teammates. When she catches the ball in the paint, she can make a move quickly as to not let the defense get set. She finishes well at the rim. She’s a good rebounder, particularly on the offensive end to create second chance opportunities. <strong>2. Cheyenne Forney – Colony 2020</strong> Forney is more of a traditional post player. She makes strong and decisive moves to the rim. She’s good at drawing contact in the paint and getting herself to the free-throw line. She’s got good hands in the post and her teammates look for her when she establishes position. She’s got a nice looking hook shot and has good footwork. She has the ability to draw double teams. She’s patient in the post and doesn’t rush anything. <strong>3. Alexis Whitfield – Chaminade 2020</strong> Whitfield is in the mold of one of the new age post players, a versatile big who can do a little bit of everything. She can put the ball on the floor from the top of the key and make a move to the rim. When she’s in the post, she finishes strong. She’s constantly crashing the offensive glass for second chance shots. She’s also very skilled in pick and roll situations at setting screens and rolling to the rim. Solid give and go action with her teammates. <strong>4. Kimberly Villalobos – Alemany 2020</strong> Villalobos is another versatile player in that she isn’t quite a traditional big, but she does spend a good amount of time in the paint. She’s more of a forward who can play in the paint if need be. She does a little bit of everything on the court. She can stretch the floor with her shooting, or she can make a strong move in the paint. Great rebounder and strong defender. Always seems to be in the right place at the right time.