Native Junior Nationals Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On <strong>June 27th-29th</strong>, the <strong>6th Annual Native American Junior Nationals</strong>, also known as <strong>Natty's 2025</strong>, were held at the <strong>Arizona Athletic Grounds</strong> in<strong> Mesa</strong>. The event drew over 450 Indigenous teams from all over the country. I was able to take in some games in the 9th/10th grade division as well as the 11th/12th grade divisions.<br><br><strong>Here are some of the standouts that I viewed</strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1196214' first='Sunshine' last='Begoody'] <strong>(Team X)</strong> – Sunshine played at a very high level during the event. She was equally effective as a passer and as a scorer. She did a good job of drawing the defense in and finding open teammates. She did an excellent job of protecting the ball and minimizing turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='979540' first='Teriise' last='Lancaster']<strong> (Team X)</strong>- Risi was probably the most outstanding player in the 9th/10th grade division. She was constantly putting pressure on the defense, which created opportunities for herself and for her teammates. She capped off a stellar weekend by hitting the game-winning shot in the championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='921161' first='Tylaiah' last='Wily'] <strong>(GC3 Stars)</strong> - I was very impressed with Wilys' performance throughout the weekend. She did an excellent job of pushing the tempo while also making good decisions with the ball. She had runs during the event when she was carrying her squad single-handedly. On defense, she was locking up and making ballhandlers uncomfortable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='673100' first='Tamia' last='Pietila'] <strong>(Team Stronghold)</strong> - Tamia continued to show why she is among the best players in her class. She repeatedly used her strength and quickness to get past defenders. On the defensive end, she was hounding opposing guards, utilizing her quick hands and good foot speed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='605124' first='Kylee' last='Juan'] <strong>(Team Stronghold)</strong> – Kylee's feel and court vision are among the best in the state, regardless of class. She was facilitating from her post position and dropping some beautiful dimes. If you're open near the basket, she will definitely find you. She also rebounded very well and blocked a handful of shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1068188' first='Kaiyah' last='Benally'] <strong>(Rezbombers)</strong> – Kaiyah's pick and roll game was a thing of beauty to watch. She has a tight handle, so it was tough for defenders to guess which way she would go. Her ability to finish with either hand was also on display. She was most likely the most outstanding player of the 11th/12th grade division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='920324' first='Omoye' last='Aguebor'] <strong>(Regulators)</strong> – Omoye was a major force despite being double-teamed and having defenders draped all over her. She showed a nice inside/outside game. She was a beast in the paint and also demonstrated the ability to step out and hit three-pointers. The opposing defenses struggled to defend her, as she was able to move wherever she wanted on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='579811' first='Nevaeh' last='Parrish'] <strong>(Legendary Elite)</strong> – Parrish left her mark at the event with some excellent all-around play. She's a good ball handler, and once she got into the lane, she finished in a variety of ways. She didn't just score, she also dished out some nice assists in traffic. She shot the ball well from the perimeter and has range well past the three-point line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='648195' first='Kjani' last='Anitielu'] <strong>(Rezbombers)</strong> - Anitielu is a nice guard who was effective whether she was on the ball or off the ball. She displayed good ball-handling ability and never got sped up by the defense. She is very patient on offense and showed the ability to finish with either hand while slashing to the basket. She operated very well from the mid-range. She showed why she is among the top players in New Mexico.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->