2023 and 2024 Forwards Who Impressed at National Championship

The high level of play at the forward position was really impressive, especially in the 2023 and 2024 classes. In this articke we look at some of the standouts small forwards and power forwards at the tournament.   [player_tooltip player_id=’248345’ first=’Clare’ last=’Coyle’] / 2024 / 6"0" SF / ECU Family 2024/   Coyle was a step ahead of everyone else and seemed like every loose ball she was the first to get to it. Seeing her in action was a treat. Coyle has good length, she is strong in the paint, and she can really track the basketball. She is tenacious going after offensive rebounds and the same on the defensive glass. On offense, she makes a lot happen in the motion offense. Her threat to drive to the rim created open jump shots for her guards. She also created a lot of open looks for her power forward on the offensive end. On the defensive side of the ball Coyle showed the versatility to defend out on the wings as well as in the paint. Coyle doesn’t quit on plays and on two occasions that mindset yielded great results: blocking a shot after she was initially beaten on a drive to the baskets, and ripping the ball from the opponent after the opponent had secured a steal. Coyle was a work horse on both sides of the court and really stood out.   [player_tooltip player_id=’219923’ first=’Kiara’ last=’Williams’] / 2024 / 6’0" PF / ECU 2023 Family.   William was just having her way in the paint at times. Without a timely double team, she was too hard to handle on the blocks. Williams is strong and athletic and she is explosive with the ball in her hands. Williams was really special in the pick and roll game. Time and time again that play yielded positive results. Defensively, Williams was active and held down the middle. Williams has a high motor and she runs the floor well in the transition game. Her combination of speed, size and explosiveness was unmatched in the arena.   [player_tooltip player_id=’426397’ first=’Zaree’ last=’Nichols’] / 2024 / 5’8" SF / Ultimate Warrior Pink - 17U/   Nichols (pictured above) has the ability to get you a double-double when she hits the floor. She rebounds the ball well and is strong with the ball in her grasp. She can dribble out of pressure if she needs to which makes her team harder to press. Nichols was clutch in some crucial moments of the game with a blocked shot, some big rebounds and game clinching freethrows. Nichols followed that game with a 21 point game performance. She is just scratching the surface of how good she can be.   [player_tooltip player_id=’349278’ first=’Aniyah’ last=’Fisher’] /2024/ 5’10" SF / ECU Clarke 2024   Fisher can made this list of forwards on her defensive efforts alone. She played the passing lanes with great anticipation and looked like a free safety out there on the court. On three straight possesions, Fisher baited the point guard to feed the post and intercepted all three passes. Offensively, Fisher also showed the ability to shoot from behind the arc and drive to the basket. Fisher is also able run the offense as a point forward. She handles the ball like a guard. She has the ability to initiate offense and is a valuable player in press break. She rebounds the ball extremely well on the offensive end.   Zayjah Knight / 2024  / 5’8 SF / DME 2023 .   Knight was super impressive on the court. She is fast, athletic and very fluid on the basketball court. She has great handles, shiftiness and can get to the basket going left or right. She also moves well without the ball in her hands. She had some nice back door cuts and showcased her smooth left handed jumper. She can finish at the rim, shoot the jumper, and can finish in the midrange area. Defensively, she was impressive and a good on ball defender.   [player_tooltip player_id=’460873’ first=’Michelle’ last=’Ugwah’] 2023 / 6"1" PF / DME 2023   Ugwah was really impressive with her ability to dominate a basketball game. She is tall, strong, lengthy, and athletic and delivered a special performance on Day 2 of National Championship. She defends well, runs well and has great footwork. She is a tough assignment for anyone who has to guard her. With superior quickness and athleticism she had the ability to get some quality shots deep inside the paint. She was "money" in the closing moments of the game.     [player_tooltip player_id=’248281’ first=’Hilary’ last=’Englert’] 2024 / 5’10" PF / 2024 East Coast United Clarke   Englert is physical, aggressive and can get up and down the court. She can also shoot the ball from behind the arc. Defensively, Englert’s skillset allows her to play up or back in a zone defense and she is able to guard positions 2 - 4. She is very aggressive on defense and you can count on her getting 2 to 3 steals per game. She handles the ball well enough to assist in press break and can bring the ball up and initiate the offense. In motion offense, Englert does a good job of getting leverage on a defender and getting to the rim. She can finish on both sides of the goal with either hand.

The high level of play at the forward position was really impressive, especially in the 2023 and 2024 classes. In this articke we look at some of the standouts small forwards and power forwards at the tournament.