2024 AAU Preview: NJ Rise 16U E40

<p>I'm calling it now. I think this team wins the E40 16U Championship. Like a lot of other teams, they have size, talent and versatility. What this team has that is refreshing and rare these days is continuity. 8 of the 9 girls on this roster are back from last year and many have been playing together for multiple years. This is evident when they play. They execute at a high level, and you can see the trust when they play.</p>   <p><strong>LIVE PERIOD SCHEDULE:</strong></p>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Date</strong></td><td><strong>Event</strong></td></tr><tr><td>April 19-21</td><td>Live at the Nook- Manheim, PA</td></tr><tr><td>May 17-19</td><td>E40 Clash of the Clubs - Houston, TX</td></tr><tr><td>July 12-13</td><td>New Jersey LIVE - Manalapan, NJ</td></tr><tr><td>July 14-16</td><td>E40 Run 4 Roses - Louisville, KY</td></tr><tr><td>July 19</td><td>The Splash - Louisville, KY</td></tr><tr><td>July 20-22</td><td>E40 Finals - Louisville, KY</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1 – [player_tooltip player_id='559040' first='Lola' last='Giordano'] – 2026</h2>   <p>Lola continues to be the motor for this team. She plays fast in transition. She is equally adept at running the break or filling a lane and finishing at the rim. She uses good angles and low dribble to get in the lane and has a nice floater game and a very strong mid-range game. She is a tough, relentless on the ball defender and gets her hands on a lot of balls that turn into easy baskets. Her 3-point confidence continues to improve. She averaged 5+ppg, 3+rpg, 2+apg and 1+spg for the Non-Public A Champion Red Bank Catholic Caseys.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5 – [player_tooltip player_id='559073' first='Grace' last='Feeney'] – 2026</h2>   <p>Grace can shoot it. With her length and release point, she has the ability to get her shot off against close outs. She is very comfortable spotting up in corners and getting a quick catch and release of drive and kick situations. Her length allows her to contest shots in the paint and get after the boards. She was 2nd on her Trinity Hall team to Harvard commit [player_tooltip player_id='406947' first='Nina' last='Emnace'] with 9ppg and 38 3-pointers. She was also 4th on the team with 3+rpg.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#8 – [player_tooltip player_id='601517' first='Ava' last='Coyle'] – 2026</h2>   <p>A new addition to this squad, but she will fit right in because she plays the game the right way. She is a very capable PG and knows how to dictate pace. She can get out and go in transition and is a good distributor. A confident 3-point shooter who can also get in the lane and make good decisions. Defensively, she has very good footwork and excellent anticipation as evidenced by her 100+ steals as a sophomore. She averaged 8+ppg, 3+rpg, 3+spg and 1+apg for her Shore HS team that finished the year as the Group 1 State Runner-up. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#13 – [player_tooltip player_id='559069' first='Jordyn' last='Hollawell'] – 2026</h2>   <p>Jordyn does a little bit of everything, and she does it all well. Very active on the offensive end, she is at her best getting downhill to the rim. She has a reliable jumper as well. Defensively she can guard 1-3 and gets a lot of steals. She is a good rebounder and can distribute the ball to teammates in scoring position. She averaged 5+ppg, 2+rpg, 2+apg and 1+spg for the Group 2 State Champs of Manasquan HS.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#20 – [player_tooltip player_id='559086' first='Niamh' last='Stapleton'] – 2026</h2>   <p>Another Trinity Hall player who brings size and length to NJ Rise. She is physical on the interior and rebounds the ball well. She can guard the post with her strength and positions herself well. She drives the ball hard to the rim and gets a lot of offensive rebounds and put backs on the inside. Her jumper is consistent, but she is at her best inside attacking the glass or driving the ball off the 3-point line. She averaged 3+ppg and 3rpg for Trinity Hall as a sophomore.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#21 – [player_tooltip player_id='559824' first='Charlotte' last='Bradley'] – 2026</h2>   <p>Charlotte is another versatile player for this team. She has a quick release at the 3-point line with very good range. With her strong frame, she can get downhill and score through contact. She is an excellent distributor in transition and her strength and IQ allow her to guard multiple positions. A strong frame and good footwork allow her to guard multiple positions, and she is physical with opponents when she has to guard the post. Playing at St. John Vianney, she averaged 3+ppg, 2+rpg, 2+apg and 1+spg as a sophomore.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#22 – [player_tooltip player_id='559074' first='Riley' last='Wheeler'] – 2026</h2>   <p>A guard who can play multiple roles, Riley, is a great offensive facilitator. She does an excellent job not just moving the ball but getting it to players in position to score. When playing off the ball, she can spot up and stick the 3 and is not afraid to get her shot off. She plays very hard at both ends and was 2nd on her Red Bank Regional team with 25 3-pointers. Her unselfishness fits in with the NJ Rise team first mentality. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#23 – [player_tooltip player_id='559031' first='Daniela' last='Maletsky'] – 2026</h2>   <p>A lefty with a ton of talent and length. She is quick off the bounce and plays with a physical downhill style. Daniela can stick the mid-range jumper and step out to the 3-point line. Defensively, her length is an issue for opposing teams and she creates chaos on and off the ball. She was 3rd on the team in steals and rebounds as a sophomore for Red Bank Catholic, the Non-Public A State Champs. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#30 – [player_tooltip player_id='559044' first='Synai' last='Blychanton'] – 2026</h2>   <p>Synai and [player_tooltip player_id='559040' first='Lola' last='Giordano'] form one of the toughest perimeter defensive tandems in NJ AAU. Synai is a physical kid with good footwork making it very hard to get downhill. While consistently keeping the ball in front she can go for and get steals leading to transition buckets. Her defensive abilities are on full display when NJ Rise presses their opponents. Offensively, she uses her strength and speed to attack the rim very well, but her 3-point range continues to develop making her a multi-level scoring threat. She averaged 8+ppg, 4+rpg, 3+apg and 1+spg in her 1st season at Red Bank Regional. </p>

I'm calling it now. I think this team wins the E40 16U Championship. Like a lot of other teams, they have size, talent and versatility. What this team has that is refreshing and rare these days is continuity. 8 of the 9 girls on this roster are back from last year and many have been playing together for multiple years. This is evident when they play. They execute at a high level, and you can see the trust when they play.