Brady’s Day Three Notes: PGH Champions Challenge
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On the final day of the Champions Challenge, I bounced around between gyms and games all day long. Much like yesterday, there are plenty of players worth noting, but today I’m going to highlight five now and the others throughout…
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Continue ReadingOn the final day of the Champions Challenge, I bounced around between gyms and games all day long. Much like yesterday, there are plenty of players worth noting, but today I’m going to highlight five now and the others throughout the week.
Gracyin Phillips-Let it Rain 2026 Black
As far as the 2026 prospects I’ve seen, Phillips is the most intriguing. She has all the physical tools to be an outstanding defensive prospect. For someone with her size and length, she moves her feet well and will succeed in any defensive scheme she’s thrown in when she gets to high school. Phillips also has flashed on the offensive end. She has a solid touch and can knock down 15-foot jumpers. As she gets older, if she continues to expand her game, there’s a chance she could become one of the best prospects in her class. Keep an eye on her development.
Emily Cooper Emily Cooper 5'7" | SG Mcdonnell Central Catholic | 2024 State WI -Team Wisconsin 2023 Hebert
The main knock on Cooper, at least statistically, was her shooting during the high school season. However, whenever I’ve seen her play with Team Wisconsin, she’s been an outstanding shooter who shoots well beyond the 3-point line. She comes from a small high school in Wisconsin, so she doesn’t get the respect she may deserve broadly, but I’ve seen her come against some elite talent this spring and excel. It feels like Cooper at least earns a deflection when she’s the nearest defender to the ball. Of all the kids I’ve seen this spring, Cooper is the one I’m curious to see what kind of looks she gets this summer.
Lexie White Lexie White 5'11" | SG Wausau West | 2023 State WI -Team Wisconsin 2023 Hebert
I can’t confidently speak about anywhere else but Wisconsin. However, White may be the best pure scorer nobody seems to talk about in the state. The Wausau native scored in almost every way imaginable in the game I saw her play. She has a smooth-looking jumper, one dribble pull-up, a floater game, and the aggression to put pressure on the rim and get to the line. She’s a 5-foot-11 wing and uses all of it to get shots up over the defense and make scoring look easy. White is one of the best wings in Wisconsin, but she comes from a relatively remote part of the state, so I don’t see too much about her during the high school season, but she’s wowed me every time I’ve seen her play this spring.
Annika Pluemer Annika Pluemer 5'9" | CG Brookfield East | 2023 State WI -Wisconsin Impact 2023 Witt
Seeing the Brookfield East guard play in a more up-tempo setting is weird but a good thing. I know the things she does well in a system where defense is the No. 1 priority. For Impact, they tend to try and get some things going in transition. In her final game, I saw her play well. She shot the ball like I’m accustomed to seeing her shoot and continued to force the issue with dribble penetration. She’s a lot stronger than people think. When she attacks the paint and kids challenge her, they bounce off her.
Trinity Mocadlo Trinity Mocadlo 5'8" | PG Hortonville | 2023 State WI -Wisconsin Blaze 2023 Inferno
The Hortonville guard is the kind of kid coaches will never have to worry about effort-wise. She plays as hard as she can every second on the floor. Watching her in person this weekend was the first time I’ve seen her play extended minutes. She does everything you’d want a lead guard to do. I saw her knock down perimeter jumpers, attack the basket, make good decisions, and bring her point-of-attack defense. If I had to guess, the next 12 months for Mocadlo have the potential to draw more eyes to her game. Mocadlo has been coming off the bench in high school, playing a secondary role behind Wisconsin’s Ms. Basketball. With her now graduating, Mocadlo will (likely) start and be a key player for her team. I wouldn’t be surprised if she winds up as one of the most productive seniors in Wisconsin next season.