P2W Headliners Invitational: MS Team Fever

Ray Kimball and I joined forces to offer the first-ever Headliners Invitational back in November of 2023. After taking a sabbatical in 2024, our conviction became undeniably strong that the Headliners needed to come back and become a staple showcase in the community. The inspiration for the Headliners Invitational Showcase came after observing elite camps and prospect camps across the state. There were pieces of traditional showcase formats (games/scrimmaging), college elite camps, and prospect camps that I liked, but something was missing from the equation. The ideal format became apparent as I reflected upon my goal for joining Prep Girls Hoops in the first place: to identify and help girls basketball prospects be recruited by college coaches.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-140306-crop-1045x686-1761588322.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351452" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Headliners Invitational, HS Session, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025. </figcaption></figure>   An event where girls would have the opportunity to: 1) Work with college coaches who want to recruit them, 2) Be evaluated by college coaches who fit their level of ability, and 3) Receive comprehensive media coverage by Prep Girls Hoops scouts, was clearly needed for prospects in the community. Every prospect is unique, and the traditional showcase format may not be the best fit for everyone. Those girls need opportunities to demonstrate their skills through small-sided games and drills in front of college coaches--not just games. That's exactly why drills emphasizing different skill areas, 3v3, and 5v5 games were all included at the Headliners Invitational. The format was chosen to set prospects up for success in front of the college coaches. Every prospect had a reversible jersey with a number that corresponded to the information in the college coaches' event packets. Every D2, NAIA, D3, NCCAA, and D3 college program in the state received an invitation to this event. 20 colleges pre-registered to recruit at the showcase, and time was built into the event for prospects to speak with college coaches after their session. Every girl had their picture taken by a PGH scout and will be included in a post-event write-up that highlights their strengths.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-135918-crop-953x626-1761588529.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351454" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Headliners Invitational, MS Session, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025.</figcaption></figure>   Additionally, there were no middle school showcases offered in the state, so it became clear that we had a great opportunity to provide an exceptional first experience for middle schoolers. Since college coaches are recruiting/evaluating high schoolers and our PGH coverage prioritizes high school prospects during their AAU and high school seasons, having a middle school session became very important. Middle schoolers not only worked with college coaches, but had the opportunity to train with former WNBA player Jennifer Smith (GLCC Head Coach) and Northwood Women's Basketball sharpshooter Makenzie Todd (LCC Assistant). Every middle schooler is on the Prep Girls Hoops radar ahead of their high school career and will be promoted on our platform. By experiencing a showcase ahead of their freshman year, the middle schoolers will be better prepared for high-stakes environments in front of college coaches in the future.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-140015-crop-1080x710-1761588944.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351456" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pre-Event talk with Ray Kimball, Headliners Invitational, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025. </figcaption></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-140031-crop-1080x710-1761589141.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351458" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pre-Event talk with Evan Bell, Headliners Invitational, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025.</figcaption></figure>   My coverage focused primarily on teams Liberty and Fever during the showcase. Here are evaluations for middle schoolers representing Team Fever during session two at the [program_tooltip program_id='923712' first='Prepare' last='2 Win Basketball'] Headliners Invitational!    Kendall was a high-energy guard who sprinted all over the court to make an impact for Team Fever at the Headliners Invitational. She drove towards the basket with a burst, splitting defenders, and made a quick transfer to shoot a floater in traffic. Kendall made a smart backdoor cut to the basket, snagged the pass, caused a foul, and knocked down her free throw with confidence. She played hard on both ends and is a promising player in the Portland program.     Audri is a playmaker from Lake Fenton who has a bright future ahead of her. I was excited to watch her again at the Headliners Invitational. Her ability to facilitate and make smart reads without the ball was a difference maker for Team Fever. Audri sprinted up the court and finished with a transition layup. Her ball screens created open looks for teammates, and Audri converted layups with good footwork during the drills. She's a three-point threat and handles the ball confidently with both hands. Audri made a fast backdoor cut to the basket and converted the layup going full speed.     Roniah demonstrated a versatile set of skills at the Headliners Invitational that will make her an immediate difference-maker at the high school level. She secured rebounds on both ends and scanned the court in transition to find open teammates. Roniah handled the ball confidently with both hands and dished a jump pass to a teammate for an assist. Roniah had a smooth shot from beyond the arc. She swished a triple from the wing after a crossover dribble and took a defensive rebound coast-to-coast for two points. Roniah had a very effective day for Team Fever.     Cassy was one of the most athletic and skilled players in the gym. She separated herself as one of the top prospects at the Headliners Invitational. Cassy buried a smooth triple from the slot and dominated the boards during 3v3. She drained a jumper after a reverse pivot during drills and continued to impress during games with Team Fever. Cassy drove hard downhill to cause a foul and converted her free throw. She muscled her way into position to secure many offensive rebounds and finished strong put-backs off two feet. Cassy drained a triple in the slot and added another from way downtown. She earned recognition as a Top Performer and will be a name to remember.     Londyn started strong right from the beginning at the Headliners Invitational. She changed directions with a quick inside-out dribble and drained a triple up top during 3v3. Londyn attacked with a burst and drove by defenders for a layup. During drills, Londyn showed good hands and finished layups efficiently with her left, while adding a smooth triple from the slot. She continued to impress during games with Team Fever. Londyn scored several layups off the dribble and off backdoor cuts. She anticipated passes to create steals on defense and took it the other way quickly for two points. Londyn kept her eyes up and dished out accurate passes to open teammates. She secured rebounds and contributed in every statistical category. Londyn has a polished game, high motor, and the athleticism to be an elite guard prospect. She was a Top Performer and MVP.     Jordyn demonstrated skills and basketball IQ at the Headliners Invitational that will make her an immediate impact player at the high school level. She buried a corner three and added a confident left-handed layup during 3v3. Jordyn continued to stand out during games with Team Fever. She caused turnovers on defense with her ball pressure and attacked gaps to score layups off the dribble. Jordyn made smart kick-out passes to the perimeter when the defense collapsed and dished out multiple assists to cutters. She took the ball hard to the basket and converted a tough, contested layup off the glass. Jordyn drilled a silky smooth step-back three off the bounce and secured an offensive board to score the put-back. She earned recognition as a Top Performer and was one of the most complete prospects on the court.     Riley worked hard on both ends and contributed to Team Fever's success by making all the effort plays. She sprinted into the paint to grab rebounds and ran the floor well in transition. Riley made great backdoor cuts to create open passing lanes and stayed active on the defensive end.     Autumn was an impressive prospect to watch at [program_tooltip program_id='944011' first='Team' last='Synergy'] practice during the spring, and she separated herself as an elite prospect again during the Headliners Invitational. Autumn maintained excellent balance and finished effectively with both hands during the drills. She turned in a complete performance during games with Team Fever. Autumn used a lightning-quick double-crossover move to create space from her defender and then blew by for the layup. Her relentless rebounding effort resulted in several offensive rebound put-backs. Autumn buried a filthy step-back wing three and another triple up top. She finished well off two feet and scored layups off of backdoor cuts. Autumn kept her hands active to create turnovers on defense and stood out in every category. Autumn was a Top Performer and MVP. She has the athleticism and polished skills to be a special guard in this class.     Gwendolyn had length and versatility that grabbed my attention. She was very productive for Team Fever at the Headliners Invitational. One of her highlight plays came when she snagged a pass inside, used a quick spin move, and finished the layup. She banked in a mid-corner jumper and buried a smooth triple up top off on the move. Gwendolyn worked hard to secure rebounds and dished out assists to open teammates. She handled the ball confidently and beat her defender on a hard baseline drive to earn a trip to the line--knocked down the free throw. Gwendolyn earned recognition as a Top Performer, and looks like an immediate difference maker in the Adams program.

Ray Kimball and I joined forces to offer the first-ever Headliners Invitational back in November of 2023. After taking a sabbatical in 2024, our conviction became undeniably strong that the Headliners needed to come back and become a staple showcase in the community. The inspiration for the Headliners Invitational Showcase came after observing elite camps and prospect camps across the state. There were pieces of traditional showcase formats (games/scrimmaging), college elite camps, and prospect camps that I liked, but something was missing from the equation. The ideal format became apparent as I reflected upon my goal for joining Prep Girls Hoops in the first place: to identify and help girls basketball prospects be recruited by college coaches.