Five 2028’s Ready to Rock This Weekend

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These rising sophomores are poised for a breakout and it could very well come this weekend at the Spring Classic. With one year of varsity hoops behind them, they've sharpened their skills and enter their first AAU season as established high schoolers ready to make waves. If I were you, I'd keep close tabs on the following Jersey girls:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913907' first='Alexa' last='Racobaldo'] | BBA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexa has poise beyond her years. Highly skilled at the wing position, she does a great job handling the ball and both scoring and defending inside &amp; out. At 6'0" (and growing), she is able to catch in the post and deliver off the feed. With disciplined footwork and effective use of her off-arm, she's able to create some separation from the defender and impose her will in the low block. Alexa also does a nice job escaping traps and stretching out to the perimeter when establishing position down low isn't an option. Very versatile hooper!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913890' first='Damiya' last='Carter'] | BBA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Her freshman season at Wildwood Catholic was just a glimpse of things to come! Damiya showcases her combo skills effortlessly, running the point with confidence and putting those shifty handles on full display for all to see! She loves to break down a defender at half court and slice through multiple levels of defense for buckets at the rim. Her handles play a big role in executing set plays because once she loses the primary defender, she has options and the freedom to deliver in so many ways; 3 ball, mid-range pop, floater in the lane, drive-and-kick. She's also an underrated rebounder who doesn't fear bigs and isn't afraid to battle for boards. She uses every bit of her 5'9" frame to make an impact rebounding from the guard spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913941' first='Malaya' last='Jones'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Malaya brings the smoke every time she touches the floor! One of the best parts of her game is her punishing dribble penetration and ability to finish through contact. Shifty handles shake and bake the defender up top, creating space for her to slash to the hoop and get buckets off a hesi or pretty Euro. She has laudable strength to maintain control and absorb contact to still be able to finish for the hoop and harm. Lay also has an impressive pull-up 3 ball in her arsenal and uses her size at 5'9" to make an impact on the glass. She can play and defend 1-3 at a high level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913937' first='Emma' last='Burke'] | NJ Rise</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Emma does the bulk of her scoring around the rim, she has looked more and more comfortable popping from outside (18+) as time has passed. She was rock solid at The Tune Up in Philly last month and showed off confidence from long-range at Spooky. She does a great job finding gaps in coverage to expose the defense and make them pay. That forward-thinking sees her dash out ahead of the pack in transition to convert outlet passes while showing off her mobility in the process. She approaches each games with a quiet, composed demeanor and let's her game do all the talking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='921262' first='Suhaani' last='Swaroop'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714664' first='Team' last='Sharp']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Energy! You can expect a ton of it when Suhaani is in the game! She has a nice pop from 3-point range and can do some damage if given too much space. There's no hesitation in her shot selection off the catch; quick release which is smart, given that she's 5'4" and is more susceptible to getting her shot blocked. Su plays team-first basketball, always looking to make the extra pass and create for others. Sometimes the extra pass makes its way back to her around the perimeter and sometimes it results in a dime on the entry pass or kick. She's all heart and all hustle, two things that coaches will surely notice as the May and July live periods approach. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->