Headliners Invitational: Session 3 Team 1

#31 Jenna Bowerman was only one of two 6th graders competing at the Headliners Invitational! She didn’t let her being one of the youngest on the team stop her from communicating on defense. I admired her offensive skills, but her defense was even more impressive to me. I found her defensive abilities to be particularly noteworthy.  She had very active hands, was getting tons of deflections, and came away with some steals.  It will be fun to watch what she does before her High School career even starts!

#22 Elyse Thelen had an impressive day at the Headliners Invitational!  She had a dangerous crossover that left the defense on skates.  She took the ball to the hoop with authority and already had some crafty finishes in her bag of tricks. She was aggressive on the offensive boards to give her team more scoring opportunities and had a few put-backs herself.  I’m really excited to see Elyse at more events in the future.

#26 Payton Jobson made a defensive statement at the Headliners Invitational! She was a lock-down on-ball defender and had some blocks on the day. She also showed that she could score the ball by hitting a 3-pointer and a couple of mid-range jumpers.  I look forward to watching Payton’s game develop even more over the next few years!

#8 Karsyn Smith Karsyn Smith 5’3″ | PG East Jackson | 2028 MI had a big offensive day at the Headliners Invitational!  She connected on multiple shots from downtown on Sunday. She also demonstrated her defensive prowess with tenacious on-ball pressure and several steals. With Karsyn at the helm, East Jackson is in safe hands for years to come.

#1 Kennedy Haid was on fire at the Headliners Invitational!  She had four 3-pointers in one game!  She not only is a shooter, she scored at all three levels.  She displayed some slyness in maneuvering to the lane and executing clever finishes.  Portland will be in good hands with Haid coming in a couple years.

#47 Brooklyn Holm did a little bit of everything for her team at the Headliners Invitational!  She played both inside and out for her team.  She handled the ball and made the pass ahead for easy transition buckets. She presented with great footwork around the rim and showed off her range by knocking down a shot from behind the arc.  Holm will be a player to keep an eye on for years to come!

#14 Andi Vincent was a firecracker at the Headliners Invitational!  She is a scrappy player constantly getting her hands on the ball on defense. She has exceptional ball-handling skills and always had her head up ready to make the pass up court for easy transition buckets.  She connected on a triple and a few mid-range jumpers.  She will be a fun one to watch at White Cloud for years to come.

#9 Ava Pedigo had some impressive moves at the Headliners Invitational! When I see younger girls with advanced skills like Pedigo, you know they have been in the gym working.  She had a sweet up-and & under move to get a bucket for her team and then showed off a spin move to get by her player for another bucket. Her impressive finishes at the rim weren’t all she could do; she showed her range from behind the arc. Pedigo is a player to watch in the upcoming years.

#23 Lyla Pohl had to be the most unselfish player at the Headliners Invitational! She worked extremely hard on the offensive glass to get extra scoring opportunities for her team.  She would pass up a good shot to get her teammate an even better shot. All of her shots were smart, and she successfully made a few mid-range jumpers.  I’m excited to watch the development of Lyla over the next few years!

#83 Nuray Fricke dominated the competition at the Headliners Invitational!  She was the unanimous MVP winner of Session 3.  She is a lengthy guard that scored at ease on Sunday.  She had College coaches shaking their heads with her abilities in the best possible way!  She has exceptional ball-handling and displayed an impressive inside-out dribble to get past her defender.  She will be a top prospect for the Michigan class of 2028.