HoopPlay Nationals: Day 3 Standouts

As the HoopPlay National Tournament came to a close, there was still plenty of exciting play left. Teams fought Friday and Saturday to put themselves in the best position for bracket play on Sunday. There were some great games and several individuals displayed their talent on the final day. <strong>Shy Willis | 5’7 | Combo Guard | 2024 | AR Elite (Russellville High School)</strong> I loved the energy Shy brought to her team when she played. She’s a good athlete that plays hard and really gets after it on defense. Shy competes every possession and has a passion for the game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="305929" first="Sidney" last="Townsend"] | 5’10 | Wing | 2022 | RV Heat (Nashville High School)</strong> Sidney is a hard-nosed player. She brings a level of toughness and grit that most players don’t have. She attacks the basket hard and can finish in traffic. She’s an active on-ball defender with quick hands. <strong>Heavan Sanchez | 5’6 | Point Guard | 2022 | RV Heat (Booneville High School)</strong> Heavan is a pass-first point guard that plays under control. She’s an extension of the coach that ran the team and kept everything working. She uses her speed well in the half-court and in transition to get away from defenders for easy lay-ups. <strong>Grace Brown | 5’5 | Point Guard | 2022 | RV Heat (Morrilton High School)</strong> This multi-sport athlete has a lot of promise on the basketball court. Despite dealing with a nagging softball injury, Grace still gave it her all and competed on the court. She displayed the ability to hit the catch and shoot 3 while also being aggressive with her on-ball defense. <strong>Brynlee Huggins | 5’10 | Wing | 2022 | AR Sting (Pangburn High School)</strong> Brynlee is what I call a quiet assassin. There were no spectacular plays, but she was great at moving without the ball and catch and shoot jumpers.  She has a smooth stroke that can make shots from anywhere on the court. <strong>Emma Hughes | 5’3 | Point Guard | 2024 | SC Heat (Lake Hamilton High School)</strong> I love me some point guards. Especially those that play with an edge and intensity. Emma played with a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. She was an aggressive on-ball defender and kept the defense on their heels by playing fast-paced and always looking to attack. <strong>LaTia Johnson | 5’10 | Post | 2022 | OK Fusion-White (Northside High School)</strong> If you’re a timid post player then I suggest you guard someone else. LaTia is a physical presence on the low block. She’ll seal you and then make a strong drop step for the lay-in. She also has a good-looking shot when on the perimeter.