Concluding the NXT LVL Hoopfest from Nashville, Tennessee

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It'll be a short recap from Nashville, where I watched nine games over three days. There were plenty of kids to talk about, so let's get right into it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209879' first='Trista' last='Fayta']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I could talk forever about how much I adore Fayta's game. In its simplest terms, if I needed a guard to win one game for my team in Wisconsin, I'd take Fayta ten times out of ten. She's not necessarily the flashiest or the one that'll capture the imagination of kids around the state, but everything she does wins games. She can score 25+ in a game if she has to, dish out ten assists, grab five rebounds, record five steals, or anything else you'd want a point guard to do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338948' first='Peyton' last='Musial']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What I've loved about Musial since being inserted into the starting lineup as a sophomore was how well she's found ways to help her team when her shot isn't falling. I don't remember her making one three last weekend, but she attacked the rim whenever she wanted. Musial had double-digit points in every game and earned at least one-and-one in all three games. She's a legitimate two-way talent who can win this team a matchup late in the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Malaya Woullard</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small guards will get overlooked all the time, but the one thing that they can do to stand out is create space and open shots for themselves and their teammates, which Woullard did. I haven't seen anyone create as much space as her with her side-step threes, and she made a lot to open the tournament. She's as quick as any guard you'll find, and she nearly led her team to an improbable win when her team had to play four-on-five basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816658' first='Anna' last='Hellums']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woullard's teammate was also impressive. Although she's only listed at 5-9 and might be 5-10, she had to guard up in each of their two games. She was available for her guards to make easy passes for open shots, and she paid them off. I also loved her effort rebounding the ball even though she gave up size around the basket. Hellums is a kid coaches would want on their team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Issie Hodge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What I loved about Hodge the most was the creativity. She has the confidence to beat anyone off the dribble. Nothing seemed to rattle her, which I loved, even though Siegel got run out of the gym on Wednesday. She came back on Friday and played an excellent game. Hodge got her teammate's open shots and got into the paint off the dribble. She's resilient, if nothing else, which can take her a long way. I love how she plays the game from the lead guard spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->