NJ Jam Fest: Noteworthy Performances from Day 1

This year's Jam Fest brought together teams from multiple circuits all competing in bracket style play for the chance to be crowned 2024 champs! The competition inside was at hot as the blazing temperature outside! These hoopers really caught my eye today and had me jotting down notes at a furious pace!   [player_tooltip player_id='559135' first='Stella' last='Lockhart'] | Jersey Gemz   From the jump, Stella made an impact. Literally. Once the first whistle blew and the ball was tipped against the Riverside Hawks, she intercepted the pass and got downhill with the quickness! The aggressiveness never wavered and her foot was on gas the entire duration, working hard on both sides of the ball. She played tough in the post, putting a body on defenders and going up strong to tally points for her team. She drew the double in the high post and smartly kicked out to the perimeter. Her relentlessness on defense made a statement as if Stella was telling the opponent DON'T TRY ME!   [player_tooltip player_id='870560' first='Priyanka' last='Ponnam'] | Jersey Gemz   Pri's versatility was on full display this morning. She showed off her handles and ability to run the floor effortlessly, dashing past true guards in the process. With a straight-away 3-point bomb in the first half against the Hawks, she proved that there's so much more to her game than being an interior force. She locked down on defense, blocking shots up near the perimeter and denying anybody down low who dared enter her space. She was absolutely stellar today!   [player_tooltip player_id='414292' first='Sarah' last='Dahl'] | CJ Hawks   She played with patience and poise as the primary ball-handler with her play-making and execution. From carving paths to the hoop, to sinking deep 3's, Sarah was efficient and smart in her decision-making. She distributed the rock and got everybody involved, from the perimeter to the interior. In transition defense, she set up quickly and tried her best to prevent quick-hitting buckets.   [player_tooltip player_id='601337' first='Aletha' last='Reynolds'] | CJ Hawks   With a nice balance of inside-out scoring, Aletha tallied points at multiple levels against the Diamonds of Staten Island. She moved well without the ball to lose the defender and get to the basket where she converted the feed into an easy lay-in. She proved dangerous from the wing where she buried 3-point baskets through high pressure D.   [player_tooltip player_id='414395' first='Reese' last='Downey'] | NJ Soldiers   Reese put on a masterclass in 3-point scoring (which she does often) on Court 1 against New Heights NYC. With a sweet stroke, she buried deep range daggers from multiple spots around the arc, making it look easy in the process. She played with a lot of belief and full trust in her game even when the defense threw the double-team at her to try and contain her hot hand. She also made great efforts on defense in applying pesky perimeter pressure.   [player_tooltip player_id='835904' first='Brielle' last='Smith'] | Jersey Shore Elite   What I loved most about Brielle's game today was her positive approach and the "shooter's shoot" mindset. Although a lot of her 3's weren't dropping this afternoon against the Gauchos (who applied tremendous pressure D), she stuck with it and if a good look presented itself, she didn't hesitate to let it fly. She was equal parts scorer and facilitator as she kept her head up on the dribble and dished out some sweet passes to open teammates, including one impressive shovel pass underneath the rim. Impressive will-power and grit!   Nylah Mitchell | HUrban Legends   She came out of the gates swinging against NY Grit Elite! She pushed the pace and kept high intensity while battling for boards and fighting through contact on the put-back. She complimented Twin BackCourt well with her undeniable tenacity and loaded skillset, giving her team yet another threat on both sides of the ball. Her energy was infectious and when she made a big play, everyone got riled up and in on the fun!   [player_tooltip player_id='902241' first='Adhara' last='Blanc'] | United NJ   It almost seemed that there were mutiples of her out there, the way she covered so much ground from offense to defense. Her quickness was on full display as she got downhill with aggressive takes to the basket. She imposed her will and made a statement early, totally unafraid to take it right at the defense, no matter how much bigger the opponent.   [player_tooltip player_id='601332' first='Annie' last='Conover'] | United NJ   She left it all out there vs the HUrban Legends of New Jersey! Undeniably tough, she got difficult buckets to drop around the rim and did so with acrobatic finishes on layups. Her motor was undying as she sped from one end of the floor to the other, converting defense to offense in blitzing fashion. She was a spark for her team and anything they needed, she provided.   [player_tooltip player_id='559032' first='Kamaria' last='Bowens'] | HUrban Legends   Athletic and light on her feet, she was more than a handful for United NJ. Strong shake-and-bake handles staggered defenders at the top of the key allowing her to penetrate and get easy buckets inside. She drained deep 2's even with a hand pressed squarely in her face! She remained committed defensively and capitalized on turnovers with her speed in transition.   [player_tooltip player_id='414234' first='Azanah' last='Campbell'] | Jersey Gemz   My notes watching Azanah play against the Riverside Hawks went something like this: Pull-up J in traffic. Corner 3. Another corner 3. Straightaway 18-foot pop… and they kept on going! She was on fire from the first whistle to the last as there was no cooling her off! She goes out there and dominates while radiating positivity and joy for the game she so dearly loves!   [player_tooltip player_id='583947' first='Kiera' last='McKown'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']   With great reach and strong, broad shoulders, she commanded the paint on both ends of the court. Her length, at times, was too much for the Runnin Rebels to handle. She powered in for rebounds, disrupted passing lanes & protected the rim. On one play, she denied the opponent near the rim, grabbed her own block in mid-air and sprinted the other way for an easy lay-in. Her stock continues to rise this summer!

This year's Jam Fest brought together teams from multiple circuits all competing in bracket style play for the chance to be crowned 2024 champs! The competition inside was at hot as the blazing temperature outside! These hoopers really caught my eye today and had me jotting down notes at a furious pace!