Team to watch this weekend
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Phoenix Thunder 16U plays this weekend in North Carolina for the Girl’s Memorial classic. I’ve wanted to cover this team for a while because they have some outstanding players that aren’t huge names. Ja’La Niblett VA #25 PG #8 HEIGHT…
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Continue ReadingPhoenix Thunder 16U plays this weekend in North Carolina for the Girl’s Memorial classic. I’ve wanted to cover this team for a while because they have some outstanding players that aren’t huge names.
Ja’la Niblett is the biggest name on this team, and it’s for a good reason. Ja’la was first team all blue ridge and had a fantastic freshman season averaging 17.1 PPG, 4 APG, and 3.3 RPG for Carlisle HS. She is quick, can shoot the ball off the dribble well, and is a fantastic shooter overall. Her ball handling and shiftiness make her a difficult cover. Ja’la is fun to watch and one of the multiple players you should watch on this Phoenix Thunder team.
Franklin County guard Kenzie Board Kenzie Board 5’8″ | PG Carlisle | 2026 State VA is an exciting player to watch. She is about 5’9, so she has a pretty solid size for a guard. She runs well and is a good athlete overall, which helps make her fantastic in transition. You love to see her commitment to attacking the rim, and if she gets deep in the paint, she often finds open shooters. She has a decent jump shot, but her ability to get the rim to where she does her best work.
Highlights
Zarah Gray
Zarah Gray
Zarah Gray was a fantastic player for Carlisle this past season. She was big on the glass and defense. She averaged 5.3 RPG and 5.4 SPG. Zarah struggled shooting the three last season but was still a productive offensive player averaging 11.9 PPG. She plays hard and is an all-around solid basketball player.
Ailynn Macauley
Ailynn Macauley
I covered Ailynn Macauley’s game yesterday when I put out an article about great players in the 2027 class so I won’t discuss her too much. She is an eighth-grader playing with high schoolers for a reason. Ailynn can shoot the ball, defend at a high level, and has excellent size for a guard. She can play either guard position and will be a problem for the next four years.
Zion Squires
Zion Squires
Another Carlisle chief on this team that is impressive is Zion Squires. Zion was second team all blue ridge and was a steady contributor to Carlisle all year. She competes on both ends and similar to Zarah, she struggled to shoot but still managed to average nearly 10 per game. She rebounded well and averaged 5.2 of those.
Sanaa Hairston
Sanaa Hairston
Magna Vista guard Sanaa Hairston is a talented offensive player. She can shoot the ball well off the dribble, has a good handle, and is solid around the rim for her size. Phoenix Thunder is a team loaded with good guard play, and Sanaa is one of them.
Miranda Reynolds
Miranda Reynolds
Magna Vista loves to get out and run; forcing turnovers is the way to do that. Miranda Reynolds does this well. She was outstanding defensively in forcing turnovers and racking up steals. She’s solid in transition as well, and she will do all the little things well for your team.