Saturday Gamechangers #PGHDuelForTheDynasty

This content series is sponsored by GameChanger - The Official Scorekeeping, Stats, Team Management & Technology Partner of Prep Girls Hoops. What an opening day is how I usually start my articles because I'm always looking for "that player" that stands out and those who do things that begin and (or) change the momentum of a game and there were a bunch. I'm covering the 17U Division, saw most of the teams that had rosters on opening day and I'll grab the ones I missed later today however I also crisscrossed age groups. I'll also drop an All-Tournament squad late Monday or early Tuesday as well as a SIMINATOR mix but here are some GAMECHANGERS from Saturday [player_tooltip player_id="395744" first="Brandolyn" last="Freeman"]-6'2 C/PF ( Dickinson HS) Houston Queens Elite 2023 [2022] Freeman is one of the most underrated and still unsigned players in Texas. She doubles as a volleyball star yet I'm amazed she's still available because she's long and athletic and shows she can control a game on both ends of the court, case and point her numerous blocks to start the event got the momentum going and her powerful finishes either form the wing as well as off of putbacks kept t going [player_tooltip player_id="304713" first="Raven" last="Brown"]-5'5 PG (Swir HS) AKYB Academy 2023 [2022] Brown showed the "I feel good" stuff again as she dances with the ball to hypnotize the defender yet her first step either in the set or transition gives her team scoring opportunities, either with her attacking and finishing or dishing because of her court vision is also good, so is her ballhandling under pressure but she has a jumper and her on the ball defense helps create turnovers Grace Burksmier-CG Oklahoma Lady Fusion 2023 Burksmier's name is probably butchered but I got her game right and the first thing that sold me was her timing as she not only blocked shots but played the passing lane and both led to baskets going the other way yet she also scored well off the dribble and showed the mid to long-range Kinley Lewis-5'10 SF (Scott MS) Lady Sparks 2026 Lewis is one of the most athletic girls I've seen all circuit and her UPSIDE is scary, not for me yet defenders, well offensive players as well because she blocked the shots of 3 different players on the same possession, don't see that a whole lot yet I also enjoyed her swooping through the sky to grab rebounds. Nowhere near the finished product yet that potential is pretty high Ti' Heiress Davis=5'8 SG/SF (McAlester MS) GOC 2026 Black [2026] Davis goes hard, on both ends and that's something you can't teach but she has a knack to make things happen with or without scoring which is huge not only at this stage but period so her attacking from, well wherever to score, yes she finishes after contact but she also has a nice pull-up, I'm sure I've mentioned that before as well as her diving for loose balls, in the stands or on the floor but her court vision and on the ball defense keeps getting better Tyra McKinnie-5'11 PF (Glenpool MS) Team Griffin Elite 2025 Wernli [2026] McKinnie grabbed m attention a couple of years ago because she was "long and athletic" and caught whatever was thrown at her and I mentioned she reminded me of a young Nneka Ogwumike who had the most amazing hands I'd ever seen so McKinnie is still catching but she also goes after the ball off the rim like there's no tomorrow and her highlight finishes as well as blocks Emerie Gonzalez-5'3 PG (Duncanville MS) Mid-Cities Smoke 2023 [2027] Gonzalez closes out this segment because she is playing up in the top division yet in the 7th grade, hmmm so did my daughter so her running the 1, as my daughter did, and handling the pressure just had me reminiscing a lot. Her poise and confidence at this stage, in this setting, speak volumes because she sees the floor and can drop the jumper but her handles enable her to get to the rim and finish a variety of ways