GymRatLIVE Albany Tournament: Top Performers

Last weekend I had the pleasure of going to Albany and being able to watch some of the best and most talented 17 year old girls in New York that played in the GymRatLIVE Tournament. [player_tooltip player_id="266710" first="Aoibhe" last="Gormley"] ‘23 G - Huskies (DeSantis) <img class=" wp-image-414413 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC6239-2-208x300.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="241" /> Gormley must be listed first on this top performance article as she was named MVP of all the girls on the 17u teams that came to compete in this Albany tournament. She undoubtedly displayed her high basketball IQ and her ability to bring the best out of her teammates. She sees the court very well, making the game look easy and somehow always finds her open teammate. Gormley is a pass first guard, she controls the offense and is anything but selfish!   [player_tooltip player_id="269345" first="Ahnay" last="Adams"] ’24 G - MCW Starz <img class="size-medium wp-image-414442 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0786-scaled-crop-1366x897-1649981151-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Nay Adams definitely put up a fight for MVP, with her shifty handles, quick speed and stand out passes. Adams is always a fun player to watch and what I appreciated about her game is how you can tell she loves the sport and is having fun when she is out there. Though some might be intimidated by her role, she definitely handles it well. She sees the court, controls the speed of the game, uses screens effectively and has a lot of trust in her teammates. If you let her go by you, she will either finish the layup/floater by taking the ball strong to the basket or make an amazing, clean drop off pass for a teammate to finish the job. <img class="wp-image-414389 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC6302-scaled-crop-1506x989-1649979374-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="298" height="195" /> Bailey Breen ‘23 F - Maine Firecrackers Breen is the forward every point guard wants on their team. Even though she is a forward, she is a versatile player that can do it all. She infrequently makes the wrong read, making the game look easy. She plays a very controlled, calm game no matter who she is playing against. You will never see her rush or force anything, whether she is driving strong to the basket or finishing in the paint. Breen is fun to watch, easy to cheer for and you can learn a lot from watching her play, it’s hard not to love a versatile forward who plays as solid of a game as she does. [player_tooltip player_id="384798" first="Ariel" last="Little"] ‘24 G - Castle Athletics<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0648-scaled-crop-1425x936-1649981371.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-414448 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0648-scaled-crop-1425x936-1649981371-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> If you are looking for a strong and effective point guard, Little is your girl. She knows her role very well, will control the offense, run the plays and take on that leadership role but she will also let her other teammates take over when appropriate because she understands basketball is a team sport. She knows her teammates very well, trusts them and puts them in a position to succeed. She is quietly aggressive with a high iq and she is always paying attention, so the second she catches you sleeping she will go right by you. <img class="wp-image-414450 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0736-scaled-crop-1569x1030-1649981534-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="239" height="157" /> Maya Summerville ‘24 F - NJ United Summerville is a very forceful player who will not disappoint. With her length and speed, she is always a presence on defense and is not afraid to guard anyone. I don’t blame her, I wouldn’t be either if I had her wingspan! Summerville will steal every rebound from you and if you are against her in the paint, good luck finishing anything you put up at the basket because she will find a way to block it. She is also really good at keeping the flow on offense because she is always moving. She is able to be on the perimeter and keep the ball moving, she will set screens, dive to the basket or find the open kick out, either way she is always doing something. [player_tooltip player_id="406508" first="Rayne" last="Durant"] ‘23 F - New Heights<img class="wp-image-414415 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0770-scaled-e1649982032280.jpg" alt="" width="169" height="254" /> Durant is not someone you want to get stuck down low in the paint with because she will not only finish the layup but most likely get an and-one. She is a very physical post player who keeps it simple. While she doesn’t really step out of the paint too much, she is not afraid to kick it out to one of her shooters and set some screens. She gets a lot of easy buckets, being in the right position and working very well with the rest of her team. Durant is very involved in the game, communicating and directing her team on defense and helping out as much as she can. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0695-scaled-crop-1518x997-1649981764.jpg"><img class="wp-image-414458 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0695-scaled-crop-1518x997-1649981764-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="276" height="181" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="413602" first="Sydnee" last="Eggleton"] ‘23 G/F - Exodus Talk about a strong, effective forward, it doesn’t matter who you put in front of her, she goes into every game fearless and not afraid to play tough. Eggleton has a lot of heart, and is determined to make an impact on the game while making her teammates look good in the process. While her strong suit is dominating in the paint, you will also see her around the perimeter, slowing down the game playing a very controlled game. Don’t underestimate her, if she sees an opportunity to take the ball strong to the basket she won’t think twice. You won’t see her take too many shots but you will see her grab every rebound. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0825-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1649981865.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-414462 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0825-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1649981865-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="209" height="137" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="413576" first="Lauren" last="Patnode"] ’23 F - Elevate The best way to describe Patnode is as an authoritative and purposeful player. She is fun to watch because one possession she will be in the paint waiting to do a drop step against her defender but the next time you will see her bringing the ball up the court after grabbing a rebound. Her ability to see the court and know where her teammates are at all times while being patient and effective is unmatched. She’s always talking on the court, telling people where to be or giving constructive criticism while always cheering them on.