Run 4 Roses Championship: Day-1 Standouts

The featured image is a throwback from 2022 of [player_tooltip player_id='479613' first='Alyson' last='Powers'] (2026) of Greensburg H.S. and [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100']-Wright Black.   Sunday in Louisville began the annual Run 4 Roses Championship tournament. Slightly smaller than the Run 4 Roses Classic, it still welcomed several teams to the Bluegrass State. Below is a look at eight ladies who stood out with their play when I was able to see them.   .    Brinley is long & wiry, tough, and she plays with a great motor. She is one of those players who hurts opponents a little bit at a time, but in different ways as well. First, she will grab an offensive rebound and lay it in. Then, she will take a charge. A couple of possessions later she'll bury a 3-pointer off of a post kick-out pass. Then she will get to the line after a steal, and suddenly she has 7 points. She is just well-rounded skillfully and an intelligent ballplayer.     Da'Niyah kind of reminds me of a good middle linebacker. She has those broad shoulders, long arms, she's quick-footed, and she has her head up aware of any opponent about to cut into her area when on defense. She is physical, will rebound, plus she can defend guards & wings. Offensively, she is a nice downhill attacker, but she is improving as a perimeter shooter and facilitator as well. I feel like she has gotten better each weekend this Spring/Summer.     Aly is one of my favorite players to watch in this 2026 class, and I feel like she's one of the most under-recruited prospects in the class as well. Consistency is the big thing for her, but she has length, speed, and bounce, and she makes plays that other ladies just can't. Sunday, on a 2-on-1, she made a great fake-pass-layup that got the defender off-balance, and she finished a tough-angled shot. She plays with great effort, and she seems to enjoy defending.     Aleia is a ball of energy who loves to play on attack. The lefty is always looking to drive it aggressively to the rim, but she will also take mid-range pull-ups, as well as the occasional 3-pointer. I like her motor, but if she can learn to change speeds a little better, I think it would help her offensive game. Defensively, she has some toughness to her, she can battle inside and will rebound, plus she can sit down and defend the ball off the dribble.     Trinity has continued to improve as the Spring & Summer has moved on, and she looks like herself again following a number of significant injuries she's had to overcome. She is explosive, creative off the dribble, back to being the pesky on-ball defender she was, but most importantly, she's healthy! She is learning how to change speeds effectively and pick her spots to attack, so the next step is to continue making her perimeter shot a little more consistent.     Tatum seems to have really found her niche with this DistinXion (17U) program. She moves around in the offense like she's been with the group for years, and when she's able to get any rhythm at all, she's burying 3-pointer after 3-pointer. She is extremely long, fluidly athletic, and she should only add to the weapons Bloomington South has returning to the fold in 2025-2026. I also like Tatum's quiet toughness, her motor, and her willingness to be physical.     McKenzi is a broad-shouldered, strong, physical frontline presence who likes to seek contact. She plays with a really nice motor and some urgency, and she runs the floor hard as well. She has really good hands, but she's also very nimble on her feet and possesses balance & nice footwork around the paint. She is able to establish herself early, catch the ball cleanly, and finish a variety of odd-angled scores around, over, and through taller, longer athletes.     Sunday was my first opportunity to see Nola in-person, and I am very intrigued by her college potential. She has a strong, long, and athletic frame. She has really nice end-to-end speed, and she will explode in bursts. Right now, she's probably most comfortable in the mid-post where she can shoot it from 15-feet or attack from there, but I think long-term she has the athleticism to stretch full-time to the wing with a little more skill and situation awareness.

The featured image is a throwback from 2022 of Alyson Powers Alyson Powers 5'10" | SG/SF Greensburg | 2026 State IN (2026) of Greensburg H.S. and Always 100 -Wright Black.