Iowa Gym Rats: Queen’s of the Courts Ten that Caught My Eye
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This weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to catch the Queens of the Court put on by Iowa Gym Rats at Kingdom Hoops in Ankeny, Iowa. Many of the state’s top talent was on display all weekend. It’s not…
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Continue ReadingThis weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to catch the Queens of the Court put on by Iowa Gym Rats at Kingdom Hoops in Ankeny, Iowa. Many of the state’s top talent was on display all weekend. It’s not often you get to see this much young Iowa talent at one venue cause they are all usually out and about traveling and getting ships all over the midwest and nation. If you don’t know the Iowa basketball landscape you can learn with me for sure. All these girls can hoop and have D1 talent or potential in my eyes. Here’s who put on a show for me and my girls this weekend. Lady Martin Brothers had the most princesses at the ball for sure for the weekend.
I will break down my top ten tourney performers sprinkled in with Paisley’s picks and Journey Standouts my scouting helpers and hopefully one-day hoopers.
#1 – Mya Wardel – 2024 – Lady Martin Brother’s – If you know you know right. https://twitter.com/i/status/1520830362733236224 . This young lady can really shoot the ball from deep. She hit the game-winner in the high school red championship game. A Catch and shoot long bomb over Meena Tate Meena Tate 5'11" | SG Iowa City West | 2023 State IA and Lady Martin Brothers 17U long stretched hands and put a dagger in them. Walking off the court hopping. Mya plays the game with fierceness and really raised her stock this weekend with her play. Cold-blooded shooter and put on a show making her my Queen of the Court for the weekend. Mya is a 16U talent who helped her team take down the bigger girls. Highlights at http://Mya Wardel
#2 – Jenica Lewis -2026 – Iowa Battlers – Paisley’s Pick for the weekend. Lewis is by far one of the most polished hoopers in the nation for her age. She basically lulls you to sleep then picks her poison. First time I’ve been able to catch her live and my goodness I wasn’t disappointed. She can hit the long three-ball or drop a dime on a rope from the fullcourt. She is so strong. I’d love to see her do more in the midrange or post on smaller girls but man. This girl is going to be a player for a very long time and play at the top level always. Highlights at http://Jenica Lewis
#3 – Caleiyah Wilder Caleiyah Wilder 5'5" | PG Waterloo West | 2025 IA – 2025 – Kingdom Hoops – Wilder Is Journey’s standout Player. My 12-year-old thinks she is super saucy. I agree. Even though Wilder is small she is so quick and deceptive with amazing handles that will break any girl’s ankles. She sees the court with amazing vision and runs the team and looks for the assist. Don’t sleep on her offensive game as she can fill it up from all levels and is super fun to watch ball.
#4 – KeaOnna Worley – 2026 Lady Martin Brothers – Worley is a prospect in the making. She can really do it all with bounce and flare. Court vision is so amazing and she always makes the right play. Very Unselish, KEaOnna can really fill it up when she wants to and plays hard nose defense. Higlights at https://www.google.com/search?q=KeaOnna+Worley&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS999US999&oq=KeaOnna+Worley&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i10.1659j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
#5 – Nava’eh Diaz-Doolin – 2025 – Kingdom Hoops – Diaz-Doolin had me drooling all weekend with her shifty game and hard nosed defense. She will be a very capable small forward at a high level on day, Has a scoring game of a guard and the handles too. Her lock down defense and flow to her game is so much fun to see. She bouches around the court with a flare many hoopers don’t have. Highlights at https://www.google.com/search?q=Nava%27eh+Diaz-Doolin&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS999US999&oq=Nava%27eh+Diaz-Doolin&aqs=chrome..69i57.1982j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
#6 – Karrington Asp – 2025 – Lady Martin Brothers – Karrignton is a long baller who is advanced in her years and really knows how to play the post game well. Uses her hips to destroy defenders and has a very nice soft stroke to her shot, Highights at https://www.hudl.com/profile/17084474/Karrington-Asp/about
#7 – Jayla Williams Jayla Williams 5'10" | CG Ankeny | 2026 State IA – 2026 – Kingdom Hoops – Jayla will be a very capable scorer at every level she plays. She can play the point or lock down bigger defenders, She play the game hard, Defensively she gets after it and locked down smaller 2 guards all day while running the floor and finishing well. Highlights at https://www.google.com/search?q=Jayla+Williams&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS999US999&oq=Jayla+Williams&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l3j0i22i30l3j0i22i30i457j0i22i30l2.1527j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
#8 – Olivia Schossow- 2028 – CY Select – Schossow was Dropping dimes. Shaking girls out of their sneakers with her killer crossover and handles. Olivia is well advanced beyond her years and has s great skillset already for a young budding baller. Very capable shooter and scorer at all levels. I’m excited to see how this young pup grows with the wolves. Highlights at https://www.google.com/search?q=Olivia+Schossow&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS999US999&sxsrf=ALiCzsYxPHG0MGUrNUaImSwh9V1vdc2YDA%3A1651540981227&ei=9YNwYqWMDYGmptQPn8abuA0&ved=0ahUKEwjl2pHMlcL3AhUBk4kEHR_jBtcQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=Olivia+Schossow&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBAgjECc6CAgAEIAEELADOgkIABCwAxAIEB5KBAhBGAFKBAhGGABQoRBYoRBgqh1oBHAAeACAAZ0BiAGdAZIBAzAuMZgBAKABAqABAcgBBMABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz
#9 – Melae Lacy- 2024 – Lady Martin Brothers – Really has impressed me with her game and how she can step out and stretch her bigger defenders out with her touch from three. Lacy was putting people on notice in the post with her smooth aggressive post-up game. Very capable high-level small forward someday. She also kills it on the volleyball court as well.
#10 – Meena Tate Meena Tate 5'11" | SG Iowa City West | 2023 State IA 2023- Lady Martin Brothers – Tate is so long defensively most girls don’t even try. She is going to be a great small forward at the next level, Her game is so silky and she plays well defensively moving her feet and blocking shots. A huge offensive mismatch when she takes the smaller girls outside she can nail the three or make the right play.
Video Highlights at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwIgFcgUkxkJbS6iAkg9hHA Please Subscribe and Help me get all the hoopers seen.