P2W Headliners Invitational: HS Team Liberty

Ray Kimball and I joined forces to offer the first-ever Headliners Invitational Showcase back in November of 2023. After taking a sabbatical in 2024, our conviction became undeniably strong that the Headliners needed to return 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/4/2026/03/746-crop-3979x2613-1774227273.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1811067" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">HS Session, Headliners Invitational Showcase by [program_tooltip program_id='923712' first='Prepare' last='2 Win Basketball'], Summit Academy North, March 22nd, 2026.</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 college program in the state received an invitation to this event. Nearly 20 colleges pre-registered to recruit at the showcase, and the event included time for prospects to speak with college coaches after their sessions. 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/4/2026/03/PXL_20260322_171427145-crop-3264x2144-1774227498.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1811071" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">MS Session, Headliners Invitational Showcase by [program_tooltip program_id='923712' first='Prepare' last='2 Win Basketball'], Summit Academy North, March 22nd, 2026.</figcaption></figure>   Additionally, there were no middle school showcases offered in the state at the time, 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 also had the opportunity to train with former Evergreen State women's basketball collegiate player Angela Sikora (Adrian College Assistant Coach). 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, these middle schoolers will be better prepared for high-stakes environments in front of college coaches in the future.   My coverage focused primarily on Team Wings, Team Liberty, and Team Fever during the high school session. Here are evaluations for high schoolers representing the Liberty during session one at the <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/">[program_tooltip program_id='923712' first='Prepare' last='2 Win Basketball']</a> Headliners Invitational!    Katelyn has length and instincts in the post that will make her a very impactful forward for the Hartland basketball program. They have a history of cranking out 6-foot prospects, and Katelyn looks like the next one coming through the pipeline. She shuffled well on defense, creating a turnover, and walled up to force missed shots on drives without fouling. Katelyn demonstrated good passing instincts and vision out of the high post. She was active on the boards and had a solid day for Team Liberty at the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase.     La'toria worked hard on both ends to make an impact for Team Liberty. She grabbed a rebound and fired a lead pass on the money to a teammate for a transition bucket. La'toria chased down her shot for an offensive rebound and stepped into a smooth three-pointer. La'toria had a confident mid-range pull-up jumper and changed directions quickly with her behind-the-back dribble combinations. She had a solid day at the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase and will be a key member of the Summit Academy North backcourt over the coming years.     Mallory put her multidimensional talent on full display at the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase. She anticipated backdoor cuts on defense during drills, deflected entry passes, and absorbed contact to score a nice finish with her left hand on a drive. In games, Mallory continued to play well for Team Liberty. She penetrated gaps with her dribble and fired accurate kickout passes to open teammates on the perimeter. Mallory shot the ball confidently from beyond the arc with good balance off the catch or the bounce. She has deep range and buried back-to-back triples up top off the dribble, then drilled another from the wing after a kick out. Mallory moved quickly laterally to cut off drives and made a noticeable impact with her scrappy defense. She kept her eyes up to find open teammates while pushing the ball with both hands in transition, and looked comfortable running the one or the two.     Kelsey showed good balance on her perimeter jumpers during stations at the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase. She makes smart reads and has good instincts off the ball. Kelsey scored a nice catch and finish layup with a smooth ball transfer. Her quick feet, strength, and high motor are an advantage against traditional forwards. She can pop out to the perimeter and shoot or attack off the dribble. Kelsey never stops working on the court, and her two-way impact made a difference for Team Liberty.     Sophia had a strong showing at the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase in October, and she took it up another notch in her second appearance. Her jump stop step-throughs were among the best during drills, and she was outright dominant for Team Liberty in the games. Sophia scored several layups during the games. She finished in transition, penetrated off the dribble, and scored through contact. Sophia converted a tough and-one layup with her left hand going full speed and made smooth ball-transfers to score with both hands at the rim. One of her highlight reel plays was when she created space using an inside-out step back combination dribble, then swished a quick-release corner three in the face of a defender. Sophia buried another smooth wing three off the dribble, picked off passes on defense, pushed the tempo, and grabbed rebounds. She separated herself and earned recognition as my MVP at the showcase.     Ava fit right in with Team Liberty at the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase. She showed good awareness on the defensive end, maintaining effective help-side positioning, which resulted in steals. Ava handles the ball comfortably with both hands, and her selfless passing instincts give teammates high-percentage scoring opportunities.     Valeria came into the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase ready to make a splash, and she turned in an All-Showcase First Team performance. Valeria was on fire right from the start, drilling a corner three during 3v3 and ripping the nets from beyond the arc during the shooting drills. That continued during games for Team Liberty. Valeria split the gap on a determined downhill drive to score with her left and kept her eyes up in transition, firing skip passes ahead to open teammates. She buried a three in the corner, up top, from the wing, and showed off her range. Valeria used her length to disrupt ball-handlers on the perimeter, creating multiple steals, and made a great kick-out pass to an open teammate for an assist. She slashed to the basket with a burst, switched hands, then finished with her left at the rim. Valeria was aggressive off the dribble, accurate from three, an effective facilitator, active on the boards, and disruptive on the defensive end.     AnnMarie had a great day for Team Liberty at the P2W Headliners Invitational Showcase. She crashed the glass to secure offensive rebounds, swiped multiple steals on defense, and finished layups in traffic. AnnMarie handled the ball confidently with both hands, creating space from defenders with effective crossovers and pivot dribbles. She maintains good balance and footwork, which makes her a constant threat from beyond the arc. AnnMarie drained a smooth step-back three off a dribble handoff during 3v3 and swished a corner three during 5v5. She's an impactful two-way guard who facilitates well and scores at all three levels.     Kahlan demonstrated good pivoting footwork and touch around the basket during the finishing station. She made the right plays, was fundamentally sound, had sharp instincts on both ends, and contributed in multiple categories for Team Liberty. Kahlan scored a smooth reverse layup, used textbook box-out technique to secure a defensive rebound, and moved her feet quickly on defense to stop dribble penetration. She was a good on-ball, gap, and help side defender, making smart reads and rotations. Kahlan anticipated passes to generate steals and facilitated the ball well on the offensive end. She'll be a guard to pay attention to over the next few years at Summit Academy North.

Ray Kimball and I joined forces to offer the first-ever Headliners Invitational Showcase back in November of 2023. After taking a sabbatical in 2024, our conviction became undeniably strong that the Headliners needed to return 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.