Every Rose Has Its Thorn: 16U Standouts (Part-2)

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='486528' first='Laniah' last='Davis'] (2026) of Marquette Catholic High School and City Elite Supreme 16U.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the stretch of July 6 through July 11, many of Indiana's top prospects and grassroots teams found themselves in Louisville, Kentucky, at some point, participating in either the Run 4 Roses Classic (<em>July 6-8</em>) or the Run 4 Roses Championship (<em>July 9-11</em>), or possibly both tournaments. With more than 150 Indiana grassroots teams in attendance, it was improbable to see everyone for a duration long enough to offer a fair evaluation, so I focused more so on the teams I was less familiar with. Below is a look at six more young ladies who participated in one of the 16U divisions and stood out because they either (a) made a good first impression, or (b) they played better than expected.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324066' first='Chaney' last='Brown'], 2025, 5-9 W/F, Greenfield-Central H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='712574' first='Indy' last='Magic'] Black-Blanding E40</strong><br>- Chaney is a strong, physical, North/South athlete who plays with a really nice motor. She has inside-out ability, and if she absolutely needs a bucket, she can go inside and post for a score. At the same time, she looks like she has really worked on her handle, and her touch is much-improved from the perimeter, so I would consider her a full-time wing offensively. If she can prove to defend bigger guards and wings consistently, her versatility should attract college coaches of varying levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emma Daugherty, 2025, 6-0 F, Summerville H.S. (SC), [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] Stars NE2K 16U</strong><br>- Emma is originally a Huntington resident and played her Freshman season at Huntington North High School, but this past year she and her twin enrolled in South Carolina due to a move. Emma has a long, athletic frame, but it's what she's able to do at her size that has drawn Division-I offers/interest. She has worked tremendously on her handle and changing directions, but in addition to finishing at the basket, she also has an array of pull-ups and runners in the mid-range game. She is a highly skilled face-up '4'.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Avery Elsworth, 2025, 5-0 G, Blackhawk Christian H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] Force 16U</strong><br>- Avery has never been the biggest kid on the floor, so she makes sure to make the biggest impact. When I was able to see her last weekend, she was on fire, knocking down shot after shot from the perimeter, creating offense for teammates, and hustling around defensively, causing turnovers, and creating extra possessions for her team. She is a natural point guard and has ball skill, but she's so good in catch-and-shoot situations, I would want to run her off of screens as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='506025' first='Ava' last='Grant'], 2025, 5-7 G, Center Grove H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='712550' first='IGB' last=''] UA Rise 16U</strong><br>- Ava has typically been known as a shooter, and she has nice touch and a quick release from around the perimeter. But what I noticed last week in Louisville is, she has gotten noticeably stronger, she is absorbing contact much better, and she is using the dribble more productively and even playing a little point guard from time to time. I don't know that she is going to grow much more, so becoming more of a combo/point guard is helpful to her recruiting. Still, though, I like her ability to make shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486528' first='Laniah' last='Davis'], 2026, 5-8 G, Marquette Catholic H.S., City Elite Supreme 16U</strong><br>- Laniah is an extremely strong, broad-shouldered, and physical combo guard. She is a really nice North/South athlete, and she has some deceptive shiftiness to her as well. She is at her best in transition or attacking the basket with relentlessness. She is able to absorb contact and finish inside, but she also has the ability to hang and finish around length, plus she's a quick second-jumper and grabs a lot of offensive rebounds for "scraps" baskets. Look for her to continue putting up huge numbers for Marquette.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='567135' first='D'Aaliyah' last='Kemp'], 2026, 6-2 F, Park Tudor H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='715826' first='Showtime' last='Academy'] 16U</strong><br>- I have listed D'Aaliyah among the top 2026 prospects since our first list posted last September, but this past weekend in Louisville was my first time to see her at length. She is extremely long, fluidly athletic, but she will need to add strength as soon as possible, though she might still grow another inch or two. She has some touch facing the basket to the 3-point line, and inside she doesn't shy away from contact and tries to play the right way and be physical. With more strength, she has a tremendously high ceiling.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->