Girls Got Game Juneteenth Classic: Standouts
Girls Got Game put on a great tournament over the Juneteenth weekend and some very good young Oklahoma ballers were on the courts of Sand Springs. Though I wasn’t able to see as many games as I would have liked…
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Continue ReadingGirls Got Game put on a great tournament over the Juneteenth weekend and some very good young Oklahoma ballers were on the courts of Sand Springs. Though I wasn’t able to see as many games as I would have liked due to previous engagements, I was able to see some awesome young Oklahoma players that I had never seen before.
Saniya Gaddis | 5-8 G | Lady Trotters / Midwest City | 2024 | @GaddisSaniyah
I’ve actually seen a good bit of Saniyah’s play this summer with the Trotters competing on the PGH Circuit and now at the GGG Juneteenth Classic. She is a very good ball handler who is extremely quick. She always has her eyes up diagnosing any weaknesses in the defense and is a very deliberate passer. She has a nice shot from deep and is still learning to finish strong at the rim through contact, but makes it work more often than not. She is also a good free throw shooter. Saniyah is definitely a 2024 to keep an eye on as is the entire Trotters team that won the championship in their age group at the Juneteenth Classic.
Tianna Butler | 5-11 F | We R One / KIPP Tulsa | 2027 | @WeROneBasketba1
Man, Butler was fun to watch this past weekend. She stood head and shoulders above everyone on the court in height and – in my opinion – in future prospects. It is clear that she is still learning and is still very young, but she is being coached well and has a solid set of fundamentals that could put her at the top of the class of 2027 if she keeps working. She can handle the ball, which is unique for a player who seems to be completely relegated to the post during game action. She has good hands inside and receives passes well; she also uses those soft hands to rebound at an unbelievable clip. I am excited to see Tianna’s continued growth and how she looks against her fellow 2027’s during this years middle school season.
Aaliyah Burris | 5-1 G | We R One / Union | 2027 | @WeROneBasketba1
She is not very tall right now, but then again she is only in middle school – and with her level of basketball IQ, she doesn’t need to be super tall. She runs the floor like a general, positioning players verbally and with her passes. She runs the offense with precision at a very young age. She is involved in every play, offensively and defensively. She is a clear leader and is very vocal – in a good way – when it comes to encouraging teammates or getting the offense moving. She calls out screens on defense and works hard to be a nuisance to the opposing ball handler. Burris is part of a very strong grassroots program – We R One won their age group at the Juneteenth Classic – and will definitely benefit from being part of Union High’s basketball program as well.
Kinsley McLaughlin | 5-6 G/F | EYG / Bixby | 2028 | @KinsleyMcLaugh4
The youngest group of kids that I saw this past weekend was this EYG squad that appears to feature a lot of future Bixby High players. If these players are future Spartans, then it may not just be this current iteration of Bixby High’s girls team that is a perennial state championship contender. McLaughlin is a very smart defender and uses her ability to defend at a high level as a base for everything else she does. She forces turnovers and gets steals and quickly transitions to getting her eyes up the floor, maneuvering into the open and finding the open player. When she does decide to drive to the rim, she does a great job of finishing through contact and getting the “hoop and the harm.” The whole EYG squad was fun to watch and Kinsley was a big part of that. There aren’t many plays for this squad that McLaughlin isn’t involved in. She is always around the ball.