‘23 Summer Watch: Brand Mark

With the summer here and the July Live period on the horizon, I wanted to highlight a few ’23 prospects from the region to whom we should pay attention.   #37 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-445887" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/06/6B53F88E-97C4-4296-8B20-9470B005EFBF-crop-1302x855-1655255046-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="266519" first="Ava" last="Winterburn"]| Team Saints| 6’2’’|PF Every season, it feels like Winterburn adds another dimension to her game, and throughout the spring, I’ve seen a big jump in her ball-handling and shot creation. Winterburn is still at her best when her back is to the basket, but she has developed a deep arsenal facing up from 10-15 feet. Her high motor and athleticism make her a two-way force who can switch out and defend wings.   #89 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-445886" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/06/C1BDE8CF-7073-4562-ACBC-1DB7AC8D1E7E-crop-1537x1010-1655255021-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="406500" first="Lyneta" last="Brand"]| New Heights|6’1’’|PF I watched Brand the other weekend at New Heights inter-squad scrimmage, and she is at minimum a top 40-50 player in ’23. To appreciate what Brand brings to a team, you have to watch intently because her game has no flash or thrill; she just gets the job done. She has great size and strength at the 4 and can muscle up anyone in the post. She is also one of the few who makes a living doing all the dirty work. Brand wants to set the hard screens, communicate and anchor the defense, box out and be a menace on the glass. She can also step out on the perimeter and shoot. Brand is a player you need to win, because she has the size and mobility to keep up with a high level of play and a unique skill set that doesn’t make your lineup redundant.   #108 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-445884" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/06/5951ADA5-FB1C-49B0-AF22-0A5A26AB1ADA-crop-1537x1010-1655254970-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="328970" first="Maddie" last="Parks"]|NE Crusaders|5’8’’|CG Parks missed the beginning of spring with an injury, but I had the opportunity to watch her play in Atlantic City. What impressed me most was that her athleticism, quickness, and mobility looked the same as when I saw her in the Fall. Parks entered each game and brought a high level of competitive news and energy, specifically on the defensive end, which was awesome to see. Parks has excellent court vision and is good at getting into the paint and drawing the defense. So once she shakes all the rust off from the injury, she will be back to being a solid, high motor, two-way point guard.   #114 [player_tooltip player_id="405389" first="Marissa" last="Nudd"]|CT Storm|6’0’’|PF Nudd’s game is old school which is why she has become one of my favorite players to watch. She is a strong and rugged big who wants to bang down low and play with her back to the basket. Nudd is a no-nonsense player who gets the job done on both sides of the ball. She is dedicated to the glass and will fight for inside position. She is hard to contain one on one,because she is physically and mentally tougher than her opponent.   #204 [caption id="attachment_445882" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/06/EF97CADC-4F4D-4686-B8BA-9DE2FC4C229F-crop-1440x946-1655254866.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-445882" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/06/EF97CADC-4F4D-4686-B8BA-9DE2FC4C229F-crop-1440x946-1655254866-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="328954" first="Shauna" last="Sullivan"]| Middlesex Magic|5’9’’|SF I have always been a fan of Sullivan because of her length and versatility. She is very good at scoring in traffic and playing through contact and has found success taking advantage of mismatches on the wing. Sullivan won’t overwhelm anyone with her height, but her wingspan allows her to shoot over a hard contest, and she has the shooting accuracy to be efficient from the field.   #253 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-445880" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/06/A2BC2100-1031-46E8-A91F-0EDA6130EE74-crop-1299x853-1655254790-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="393158" first="Mary" last="Daley"]| MT Elite Ducks|5’6’’|SG I love how hard Daley competes every game. Her grittiness and scrappiness on defense is the first thing you notice about her. Daley has good foot speed and is an aggressive on-ball defender. I also like how she pushes the ball up the floor. Her head is always up, scanning the floor, looking to make a play, and she attacks the defense aggressively at full speed.