Prospect Spotlight: Aaliyah Yates
PGH scouts feature ranked athletes from Kansas.
Donovan Finan
Tates Creek is looking to make some noise this season. They fielded one of the younger teams in the state last season and will remain young this year despite returning most of their team. While their record was disappointing, they gained valuable experience and should return some now veteran players who are still improving. One of these players is Aaliyah Yates.
Yates is a two-sport star, as she is a successful softball player along with being one of the leaders of Tates Creek's basketball team. While this shows she certainly posses natural athletic ability, she focuses largely on her leadership and hustle on the court. "My strengths are being a good team leader and hustling as hard as I can every play," Yates said. These strengths are what make her such a valuable part of her team. While she may not stuff the stat sheet, Yates has a noticeable impact on the court.
Showing great utility, Yates has demonstrated the ability to play multiple positions. On this, Yates explained "I am a versatile player that makes a presence on both sides of the court. I mainly play a power forward but you’ll see me on the wing as while at times." As far as areas she would like to improve, Yates said, "My weaknesses as a player are having a lack of confidence and utilizing the left hand." While she did not play AAU over the summer due to conflicts with softball, if Yates is able to improve her game in these areas she should take a big step forward.
Looking forward to next season Yates has both individual and team goals, "For next high school season I am hoping to contribute more on the offensive side for my team this year and I want our team to come together as one." While she is focused on softball in terms of college recruitment, Yates remains an integral part of an up and coming Tates Creek team and should cause problems for opposing teams this season.
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