Spooky Teams: Spring A-Rival Part 2

Photo: Produced4Soul

Bash Hudson

April 29, 2022 @ 07:16 AM

I previously discussed the potency of the Lady Rivals starting 5, which is arguably the best in New England. The Rivals’ firepower is enhanced by the entire bench filled with premier prospects in their respective classes. Here are the athletes that fill out the loaded roster.   [player_tooltip player_id="267154" first="Cate" last="MacDonald"] | 6’2’’| PF| ’23 [caption id="attachment_421152" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/6D91F822-4BFB-49B7-896C-77A8CC328FE6-crop-1365x897-1651234033.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-421152" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/6D91F822-4BFB-49B7-896C-77A8CC328FE6-crop-1365x897-1651234033-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] You know your team is really good if MacDonald is coming off the bench. She was a borderline top 10 player during the winter for New Hampton and has brought that same level of play to the Rivals this spring. At Spooky Nook, MacDonald was locking down the paint on defense and protecting the rim. She also was efficient on offense and took advantage of all her scoring opportunities. When MacDonald comes in for Oliver, the team does not have to change or adjust. They can continue to play the same style and brand of winning basketball and squeeze the life out of the competition.   [player_tooltip player_id="278904" first="Paloma" last="Garcia"] | 5’7’’| CG| ’23 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-421155" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/FD8E433A-62DC-4190-B4FC-5A9BC3A7817D-crop-1369x899-1651234174-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Garcia gets in the game and does all the dirty work for the Rivals. Her hard-nosed defense and ball pressure are Garcia’s strengths. She can defend both guard spots and is aggressive when trapping the Rivals press. Garcia is a tough and physically strong guard who loves to play an uptempo style. She is also an excellent distributor who always looks up the floor and ignites the break with solid lead passes or will push the ball herself.   [player_tooltip player_id="289709" first="Sierra" last="Bentley"]| 6’1’’| SF/PF| ’23 [caption id="attachment_421159" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/8ACF031B-6C37-4A1F-97AB-EE13CF57371D-crop-1242x816-1651234351.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-421159" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/8ACF031B-6C37-4A1F-97AB-EE13CF57371D-crop-1242x816-1651234351-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: [player_tooltip player_id="355399" first="Anna" last="Kitch"][/caption] Bentley is another versatile defensive force who can protect the interior and switch out and guard perimeter-oriented players. Her athleticism is off the charts, and she does a good job cutting off angles. On offense, she has the handle to pair with elite athleticism to be an impactful slasher on the wing. Bentley also has the vertical and quick leaping ability to be a factor on the boards and around the basket.   [player_tooltip player_id="279087" first="Jamisen" last="Hill"]| 5’10| SG/SF| ’23 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-421162" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/3C003083-052E-4776-87D6-DFCCEEFA05B9-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1651234446-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> I liked Hill’s defensive versatility at Spooky Nook. I saw her matchup with guards, wings, and bigs, and she held her own defending all three. Hill has the foot speed, and upper body strength to defend multiple positions successfully and is alert when pressing and trapping. Hill stretches the floor with three-point shooting and, when aggressive, can power past her defender and get to the rim.