Saturday Standouts at Spooky Nook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first eval period of the season is here and it's SPICY! I had my head on a swivel today for over 10 hours, scouting incredible talent from all over the country, but especially from the Garden State. With loads of superstars, players on the cusp of a big breakout and hidden gems scattered around almost forty basketball courts, there was plenty of terrific basketball to get lost in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='559043' first='Katie' last='Liggio'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 3-point sniper was clicking on all cylinders today, showing off her incredible range and efficiency. To add to her scorching offense, she was a menace on defense, forcing a multitude of turnovers and racking up steals in rapid succession. Plenty of D1 coaches were on the sidelines to watch her dazzle and she did not disappoint. Every time I watch her play I feel as though she continues to elevate her skillset and take her game to even greater heights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1198655' first='Adriana' last='Bristow'] | NJ Soldiers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are certain things you just can't teach, and toughness, grit and passion are three of those. Adriana showed off all three today with a strong performance against Positive Direction. With a solid frame and great strength, she made her presence felt and would not cower to girls much taller and quicker. She not only kept up, she proved that she BELONGED. When her shots weren't falling, she turned up the heat on defense and impacted the game by putting a body on opponents and making their life rough!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='333351' first='Sidney' last='Quinn'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sidney's offense was magical today in a big win over XGEN E40 and her defense came up clutch in some key moments, with big rejections and a ton of deflections. She drained big buckets from deep and around the rim, using every bit of her length to give the defense a world of problems. With a motor that never quits, she hawked the lanes, cut off passes and was very disruptive on D.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='677601' first='Lola' last='McGonigle'] | Comets</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've said it before and I'll say it again: Lola is SO MUCH MORE than just a knockdown 3-point shooter! ... and she proved that once again today. She's the type of player any coach would want and any teammate would love to play with. She's vocal and keeps constant communication going, whether it's encouraging her girls with high-fives or calling out screens and keeping them in-the-know and aware of what's coming. With the ball in her hand, she's a total leader who exhibits impressive court vision and makes such smart decisions. She knows when to take it herself or when it's best to make the extra pass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='879764' first='Michelle' last='Steele'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Maskchelle" was in full effect today! She brings a lot of length and physicality to this Shoreshots squad and got after it on both ends of the floor today. If there's a loose ball within reach, you better believe Michelle is going to get down and scrap to gain possession. She was a commanding force on the glass, going up strong to pull down big boards and push the outlet pass ahead for sprinting teammates. Her buckets came in all sorts of ways, whether it was attacking from the wing, on put-backs around the rim or pushing the pace and getting ahead of the pack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='414237' first='Mackenzie' last='Teevan'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Irish national is an absolute FORCE. A towering 6'4" and with the guard-like quickness, Mackenzie is more than a handful to try and contain. In fact, no one was able to successfully shut her down today! She drained 3's, did damage in the low post and established herself as the ultimate matchup nightmare with her ability to comfortably stretch the floor. She was a freight train in transition as she got to the rim at will each and every time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->