Battle in the Big Friendly: Bucket Getters
Every team needs at lease one player that can SCORE the basketball, no matter the situation. If you are down by 1 with 10 seconds left in the game, no time outs left, whose hands do you want the ball…
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Continue ReadingEvery team needs at lease one player that can SCORE the basketball, no matter the situation. If you are down by 1 with 10 seconds left in the game, no time outs left, whose hands do you want the ball in? These players highlighted below are certified “Bucket Getters”. They make it happen for their team and are the type of players that are not afraid of the moment.
Heavan Smith | 5-5 / CG | Hope Academy | (Team Griffin Select 2024 Funderbunk)
Heavan is a player that plays with a chip on her shoulders. Her mentality is “get to the basket”. The way she breaks her defender down, you almost feel sorry for them because they have no chance of staying in front of her. She is fast and quick—now you see her, now you don’t. She is a downhill player that can maneuver her way through the lane and finishes with an up and under move in midair to score the basket with ease. She is really good at drawing the foul and is a willing passer in transition to an open teammate. Her on-ball defense is what makes her a problem to deal with because she will pick your pocket before you realize it. One moment you are trying to run the play, then Heavan comes, takes your “cookies” and scores on her basket. Talk about nerve-racking, yep Heavan is the one that makes it happen on both ends of the court.
Mirakle Anderson | 5-5 | CG | Eastwood HS | (El Paso Lady Hurricanes 2023)
Mirakle is one of the most poised players I have seen in a while. She is aggressive when it’s time to score, but never in a hurry. She plays with her head up and is either going to score the basket, or create a wide-open opportunity for her teammates. She knows what she is doing and attacks angles efficiently. She uses her body really well and does a good job lowering her shoulder to rise up for an uncontested jumper, or draw two defenders to then drop it off to an open teammate. She is a smart player that can score anytime she wants but her high IQ allows her to be a great leader for her team.
Fayth Walker | 5-6 / CG | Sand Springs HS | (Playmaker Express 2023)
Fayth is a quick, high-energy player that can score in bunches. She is a straight-line, no-nonsense type of player that can blow by her defender and score the basketball quick when you need a bucket. She has an extended range behind the three-point line and is sneaky with it. She will let it fly before you decide what you want to do defensively. You have to pick your poison because when it’s time to score, Fayth is bound to do anything to will her team to a win, or at lease put them in a position to win. She plays the passing lane really well and has a knack for where the ball is going so make sure you keep it away from her.
Kate Wernli | 5-9 / SF | Bixby MS | (Team Griffin Elite 2025 Wernli) | 2026
Kate is a player that plays with one purpose—put the ball in the hoop! She can score in a variety of ways from putting her head down and muscling her way to the rim, to stretching the floor and knocking down the trifecta. She knows how to will the ball into the basket. One of my favorite parts of Kate’s game is her ability to hit the mid-range shot. When she shoots the mid-range jumper it is a high probability it is going in. She went off on Day 1 scoring 32 points going 6 for 10 behind the 3-point line and 8 for 11 at the charity stripe in a tough loss against a very talented Oklahoma Fusion 2025 team. If she continues to develop her game, she has a bright future ahead of her.
Keeley Parks Keeley Parks 5'11" | PG Norman | 2025 State OK | 5-11 / CG | Norman HS | (Team Trae Young 17U 3SSB) | 2025
Keeley is a player I have enjoyed watching since she was in 6th grade. She seems to be a step ahead of her defenders mentally, and knows how to play the game at a high level. As a coach, how do you prepare your team to face her? When Keeley goes to work, good luck stopping her, you can only hope to contain her. She has a solid mid-range shot and isn’t afraid to run the floor for easy opportunities. She is good at attacking with her back to the basket and does a good job of using her body to finish with the “and 1”. She made some timely baskets in their 1-point Overtime victory against Team Buddy Buckets 2023, including scoring 27 points and making the winning free-throw.