Florida Brawl: Standout Juniors

In this article, we look at some of the top performing Juniors at the Florida Brawl. Each player on this list had a unique skill set. Some were shooters, some were defensive standouts, and others stood out with their overall play.    Alyssa Donahue was one of the more polished 26 players in the building. The young guard is a well rounded player who plays on both sides of the court and standouts in the transition game. Donohue has the ability to get into the paint and shoot the short jumper or the left handed floater. At the Florida Brawl, she also knocked down a few from the perimeter. Donohue was tenacious on defense and secured a few steals on her way to a standout weekend.     [player_tooltip player_id='514544' first='Narissa' last='Blocton'] showed versatility in her game and was very impressive in the transition game. Blocton has the ability to go coast to coast after grabbing a rebound. She also advanced the ball with the vertical pass and did a good job of sharing the ball with teammates. Blocton defended well on the perimeter, especially on the ball. She has the length in quickness to cover guards and forwards. On offense, she has some impressive drives to the rim. She knows how to play through contact and has the ability to use her body to keep the defender away.     [player_tooltip player_id='514627' first='Yamise' last='Haygood'] (cover) was a beast on the floor, especially on the defensive end. She consistently baited the opponent and intercepted the pass at least 5 to 6 times in the game. Her on-ball defense was as disruptive as ever. She turned steals into instant buckets and showed the ability to get to the rim and with a lot of craftiness to her game, including a euro step finish that brought the house down. Haygood played with a lot of confidence and that combined with her speed, craftiness, and athleticism made for an impressive outing.     [player_tooltip player_id='864101' first='Jayda' last='Parker'] had some splashes on the court, showing the ability to score in the paint and knock down the three at a fifty percent rate. Parker's defense was at an elite level. She was strong and did a good job of protecting the paint with some impressive blocks, especially in the second half. Parker also runs the floor well and can score in the transition game.     [player_tooltip player_id='981281' first='Ya'Zuri' last='Hollie'] was one of the most dominant players in the building on the offensive end. She showed the ability to shoot from the perimeter, but it was her ability to get to the rim and score through contact that made her a standout player. When she wasn't converting the shot, she was getting to the free-throw line consistently. Hollie was also strong on the defensive end and has the strength to play against power forwards and the quickness to contend with players on the perimeter.     [player_tooltip player_id='514527' first='Arianna' last='Walker']'s defensive ability stood out throughout the contest. Every time she re-entered the game, her team's defensive intensity was raised. Her physicality and ability to cut off angles allows her to prevent players from getting to the rim. She also has the quickness to punch the ball away and disrupt the offensive player's path to the rim. On the offensive end, Walker is a play-maker who shares the ball. She also has the ability to get to the rim and score the ball (going right or left).     [player_tooltip player_id='1245797' first='Mariah' last='Cox']   [player_tooltip player_id='1245797' first='Mariah' last='Cox'] played well and her athleticism and ability to make plays all over the court were impressive. Cox brought the energy and played that way throughout the entire game. Cox didn't dominate one particular area, but she was always around the ball, and had an ability to score in transition and also score on offense. Cox has a lot of potential and will only get better. She is a hidden gem type of player who will be fun to watch over the next year.     [player_tooltip player_id='513239' first='Michelle' last='Shields'] was very impressive on Day 1 of the Florida Brawl. She goes about her business and just makes the basketball play. She shot the ball extremely well from the perimeter, and was deadly from behind the three point line. Shields was also an exciting player to watch in the transition game. One play that comes to mind was a fast break where she faked the pass and finished the layup with a little flare. Shields plays tough defense and has good quickness on the floor. She has a natural feel for the game and stands out in all phases of the game.

In this article, we look at some of the top performing Juniors at the Florida Brawl. Each player on this list had a unique skill set. Some were shooters, some were defensive standouts, and others stood out with their overall play.