Sunday Standouts at Guard from Hype Her Hoops: The Big Dance

There was no shortage of firepower in the backcourt. Certain athletes caught my eye Sunday due to their skillset and competitive nature. What did the eye test show? Plenty of shooting, playmaking, shot creation, ball handling, and elite instincts. The ladies below are certified game changers.    Leilah is a shifty lefty who is at her best creating for herself and others off-the-bounce. Arguably the top floor general at the tourney. She has NEXT-LEVEL ability to break a defense down. Leilah understands how to control tempo and play with pace. She takes care of the ball. Her tight handle and cat-like quickness make it almost impossible to stay in front. She is a threat to score inside, drive and dish, hit the floater, shoot from distance, or drive and kick to open shooters. Leilah is also a lockdown perimeter defender. She was the catalyst for a [program_tooltip program_id='713987' first='CenCal' last='Elite'] 17u squad that went 7-0 over the weekend.     As Cedar City's all-time 3 point leader, Gabby is an elite shooter AND elite scorer. She routinely made shots well beyond the 3pt line throughout the tourney. The Utah 4A 1st team All-State selection is a nifty ball handler who applies a tremendous amount of pressure on the opposing defense. Quick and confident with the ball in her hands. Gabby creates space with the best of the best. Legit 3-level scorer who knows how to get to the line. Gabby understands how to utilize the pick-n-roll to her advantage as a shooter and facilitator. Dangerous shooter off-the-dribble and the catch. She has the ability to be a one-woman wrecking crew and keep her team in the game by any means possible.     This up-and-coming prodigy is the best-kept secret in the Class of 2029. She looked comfortable and confident playing against older opponents. Amiya is a pure point guard who is a knockdown shooter with unreal court vision. She plays with poise and sets teammates up with ease. Amiya routinely made outlet passes that no one else in the gym can make. She is always a step ahead of her opponent from a mental perspective and hasn't even played a lick of high school basketball yet! Her ability to look off opponents for no-look passes, shoot the lights out, and hold her own defensively is just the beginning. [player_tooltip player_id='1278393' first='Amiya' last='Aldridge'] is an intriguing prospect going forward, and that is an understatement!     Peyton was one of the top all-around scorers throughout the tourney. She is a gifted finisher and had 1 very memorable acrobatic finish on Sunday against the talented Prodigy Athletic. Peyton has a nice frame for a point guard. She stays in attack mode and understands how to score on all 3 levels. Her scoring instincts and feel for the game are next-level. Peyton Hall is an extremely underrated talent based on the eye test.     Reese is a pure shooter off-the-catch. Her ability to space the floor did wonders for her teammates. Reese doesn't settle for jumpers and will put her head down to get to the rim and draw fouls. The intangibles stand out. Solid guard rebounder who competes hard on both ends. Her ability to play off-the-ball and with the ball is very valuable. Reese's shooting prowess makes her even more dangerous as a facilitator.     Aaliyah can do-it-all and plays three different positions: PG, SG, and SF. She lets the game come to her. High basketball IQ with comfortability playing with other great players. Elite finisher at the rim. Plays through contact. Can hit the open 3. Has the size and athleticism to guard multiple defenders. Her fundamentals and mechanics prove she has been well-coached throughout her career, which bodes well for future development. Aaliyah can pass, score, defend, rebound, you name it...     Josie was very hard to keep out of the paint for the Wyoming Select. She is crafty with the ball in her hands and knows how to initiate contact and get to the line. Wyoming Select's backcourt duo complimented each other so well. What caught my eye was Josie's relentless on-ball pressure. She was locked in and rarely got beat off-the-dribble. Fierce competitor who will have a special senior season.     Sofia helped lead the San Jose Cougars (Blue) to a perfect 7-0 record over the weekend. She is a pure shooter who sets her feet well and steps into her shot. Very few guards can contain her. She can make the 3 with a hand in her face. Defensively, she stayed in the grill of the opposing PG. Her two-way ability was evident throughout the tourney,. Very few weaknesses in her game. Sofia has faced no shortage of competition throughout her career and will have a special senior year with perennial powerhouse, Archbishop Mitty.     Amore is a versatile lefty who was unguardable from the mid-to-high post. Rarely will you see a young prospect play with this amount of confidence against older players. Amore already has an elite combination of skill and athleticism. She overpowers other guards and has the frame that screams future D1 player. Amore can run the offense AND lead the full court press. She plays a lot of forward because she has the size and physicality to do so, but her skillset suggests she has a promising future as a combo guard.     Cayla is EXTREMELY shifty off-the-bounce. She had 1 nasty snatchback stepback 3 on Sunday that had the entire gym in awe. Her quickness and ball handling caught my eye, but she impressed in other areas as well. Scrappy defender, can play off-the-ball, and solid rebounder for her size. Cayla is almost unguardable 1v1. She came off screens as a shooter and iso scorer. She can catch-and-shoot with the best, while also putting the ball on the floor like no other. Lethal combination for this prolific prodigy at PG.

There was no shortage of firepower in the backcourt. Certain athletes caught my eye Sunday due to their skillset and competitive nature. What did the eye test show? Plenty of shooting, playmaking, shot creation, ball handling, and elite instincts. The ladies below are certified game changers.