PGH Legacy Region Kick Off: The best of Friday in 16U

The Prep Girls Hoops Circuit has established itself as the country's top independent grassroots circuit, the place to see and be seen for teams and individuals who might have been flying a little under the radar in years past. As the PGH Circuit's Legacy Region Kick Off got underway Friday night near Milwaukee, it quickly became clear that 2023 is going to provide many more players with the opportunity to become quality college prospects. Here are five players competing for 16U squads who stood out on opening day at the Center Court Sports Complex in Waukesha.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/Elayna-Marinaro.jpg?w=647" alt="" class="wp-image-632582" width="485" height="767" /></figure>   Elayna Marinaro – 2025 guard, Minnesota Diamond Elite   We were impressed with what we saw from Elayna on the Circuit last summer and were curious to see how much she had improved over the course of the winter playing primarily JV ball at Roseville. It didn't take long in Friday's opening game to see that the lanky guard is trending in the right direction. Marinaro looked so much more confident, more assertive, and more self-assured than before. She was putting up (and knocking down) shots from distance without hesitation, and was constantly on the attack. That's new, and we loved her aggressiveness. At one point she scored on a beautiful hard-nosed drive through contact from two defenders, finishing with a nifty scoop layup. You know a year ago Elayna's Roseville teammate [player_tooltip player_id='436101' first='Lily' last='Peper'] was in the midst of a similar transition in her game and she finished as one of this season's breakthrough success stories. That could be Elayna's situation a year from now, too.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/Kiya-Dixon.jpg?w=625" alt="" class="wp-image-632583" width="469" height="768" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='624967' first='Kiya' last='Dixon'] – 2026 guard, Wisconsin Crush Select   The gritty guard from Sun Prairie East kept her wits about her Friday against Let it Rain 2025 White in a game where it would have been easy to do just the opposite. It was a physical contest in which emotions ran hot, getting hotter as things progressed. That didn't seem to bother Kiya who stayed calm, defended well under pressure, and took advantage of her opportunities on the offensive end. The 5'8 freshman, who averaged 8 points per game for the Cardinals this winter, is strong and athletic and she's got some hops, too. That was obvious when she went skyward immediately in front of us in the second half, providing an up-close-and-personal view of a size-large block that definitely got the crowd's attention. On offense Dixon scored through contact inside, showing off a nice floater at one point and she knocked down a couple of shots from distance, as well.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/Natalie-Field.jpg?w=635" alt="" class="wp-image-632584" width="476" height="767" /></figure>   Natalie Field – 2025 forward, Let it Rain 2025 White   We'd heard a fair bit about Wisconsin Crush forward [player_tooltip player_id='528123' first='Makenzie' last='Hawk'] of Sun Prairie West prior to Friday night's game with Let it Rain 2025 White and she did not disappoint. It was the job that Field did up against Hawk that ended up impressing us the most. Field, a 6-footer from Wisconsin Dells, got stronger as the game went along. The more physical the proceedings became, the more effective she was. Natalie has length and she knows how to use it to maximum advantage on both ends of the floor. She's mobile enough to defend opponents of all sizes and strong enough to do battle with bigger kids inside. We loved her patience on offense. On several occasions she worked her way into good position down low with the basketball but elected to kick it back out when that was a better option. She never forced anything and that's an underrated understanding in our view.   [player_tooltip player_id='296514' first='Alaya' last='Carter'] – 2025 guard, FBC North   It took the Prior Lake sophomore a little while to get warmed up on Friday night with her new squad as the former The City performer is now running the point for coach Takara Mason's FBC North squad. Once her motor got revving, however, Carter was quickly up to Mach speed and FBC was off and running. Carter has swagger. She handles the basketball as if it's her personal yoyo on a string as she bobs and weaves her way through opponents and makes one good read after another. She's got great court vision and a fine sense of timing, too. Carter will lull you to sleep and wake you up abruptly with a quick step for a blow-by and a bucket. The 5'8 combo guard is a Top 20 prospect in Minnesota's Class of 2025 for good reason and she showed it on opening night in Milwaukee.   [player_tooltip player_id='632543' first='Jade' last='Severson'] – 2025 forward, FBC North   Every time we set foot in the gym we're hoping to find the next hidden gem who has a chance to be great. It didn't take long on night one of the Legacy Region Kick Off. Severson immediately caught our attention. At north of 6 feet, with super-long arms, she's hard to miss. But since FBC North didn't have its roster in the tournament app it took us some time to find out who was wearing #43. We learned that Severson is from Pine Island, Minn., which went winless in the 2022-23 high school season. She runs the floor well, moves well laterally, and has a good set of fundamentals although her ball handling does need some attention. We loved the simplicity of Jade's game. She rebounded effectively, protected the rim, and when Carter got Severson the ball inside she knew what to do with it –  executing basic finishes off the glass, not trying to make anyone's highlight reel. She showed some nice range out to the three-point line, as well. Jade has a ways to go but she's got scholarship-level potential written all over her.

The Prep Girls Hoops Circuit has established itself as the country's top independent grassroots circuit, the place to see and be seen for teams and individuals who might have been flying a little under the radar in years past. As the PGH Circuit's Legacy Region Kick Off got underway Friday night near Milwaukee, it quickly became clear that 2023 is going to provide many more players with the opportunity to become quality college prospects. Here are five players competing for 16U squads who stood out on opening day at the Center Court Sports Complex in Waukesha.