ENG Power 80 Showcase: Standout Guards Part 2

Hunter Keith October 12, 2023 @ 07:39 AM

In this article we continue our look at more of the standout guards at the ENG Power 80 Showcase. We are just scratching the surface on our guard coverage at the Showcase.   [player_tooltip player_id='223783' first='Jade' last='Thompson'] was a "beast" and one of the best players at the event. She was a player who was very impressive to watch. Everything seemed to come easy for Thompson, and she played with an aura of confidence on the courts. Thompson could shoot the three about as good as anyone in the building and she was one of the most dynamic players in transition. Her acceleration, timing, and explosiveness on the fast breaks were impressive. Thompson was elite and was one of the top players in the showcase. Defensively, she was just as impressive. She played defense with great anticipation and turned great defensive plays into coast-to-coast finishes.   [player_tooltip player_id='784236' first='Amaya' last='Richardson'] was a standout at the showcase and had the size and power to create all kinds of mismatches on the floor. She handled the ball well, got to the rim, and had a smooth midrange game. Richardson was one of the most versatile guards/ wings in the building. She has the physical attributes to play several positions on the court. Defensively, Richardson mixed it up on the inside and also played out in space on the wings. She did it all in the transition game- leading the break throwing dimes filling the lane and converting layups.   [player_tooltip player_id='426385' first='Tiyana' last='Snowden'] made a believer out of many as soon as she walked in the building and started raining threes from everywhere on the court. The smooth lefty was stellar all day and that jump shot was like “butter”. Snowden can score the ball and she constantly put pressure on the defense with the ability to drive, shoot the midrange, and get to the rim. Snowden was a playmaker and had some nice dishes to teammates when she drew extra defenders.   [player_tooltip player_id='248428' first='Kalese' last='Salter'] has that passion for the game and continues to get better and better. She played well at the Showcase and her final game was on a different level. She showed the full repertoire, connecting from behind the three-point line, pulling up in the midrange, and explosive stop-and-start moves that were so fast that they weren't even detected on radar or camera. Salter has a scorer's mentality and she looks to get downhill and get buckets. She can accelerate quickly to the rim and has one of the fastest first steps that I have seen. With her speed and quickness , she created double-teams quite often, and made some nice passes to open shooters. Salter is also an aggressive on-ball defender. She did a good job of harassing ball handlers all day.   [player_tooltip player_id='249437' first='Olivia' last='Staples'] (Cover Photo) had a good showing at the Showcase. She showed a lot of versatility on the court. The three-point shot was her bread and butter, but she showed some other skills, including drives to the basket and a potent left-handed floater. Staples has nice handles. She does a good job of using her dribble to create space and has a patented step-back three-point shot. With an elite shooting ability, Staples creates open shots for teammates just by being on the court. She can also drive and set up shots for her teammates. Staples has a high basketball IQ and does a good job of setting up open shots off of the pick-and-roll. She communicates well with teammates to create open shots on the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='514601' first='Talia' last='Busser'] was one of the youngest players on the court and played with no fear. She was lethal from the corner all day and she didn't need much space to get her shot off. Busser also stared pressure in the face and did a good job of handling the ball. Busser will be a fun player to watch this high school season.   [player_tooltip player_id='248347' first='Nina' last='Green'] displayed a toughness and competitive nature on the court. Green works hard on both ends of the court . On offense, Green has a knack of maneuvering into the paint and scoring buckets around the rim. She can also shoot it from the three-point line. Green is an aggressive attacker of the rim. At the Showcase, she drew praise from college coaches for her consistent and relentless play on both ends of the court.

In this article we continue our look at more of the standout guards at the ENG Power 80 Showcase. We are just scratching the surface on our guard coverage at the Showcase.