PGH Great Lakes Kick Off: Notable Performers

Brady Peterson March 30, 2026 @ 10:49 PM

My first AAU event of the season is over, and there are a handful of players I'd like to highlight from the two-day event down in Illinois. Today, we will look at some of the players who made an impression in what is likely their first AAU tournament of the season as we inch closer to the first live period, coming up in a few weeks. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about some players.   [player_tooltip player_id='824200' first='Leigha' last='Wardlow']   The St. Thomas More guard looked excellent off the dribble when I watched her play Saturday morning. Wardlow has an explosive first step and can get by her initial defender, putting pressure on the defense, getting downhill. I thought she was aggressive when I watched her play, and she still showed a willingness to move the ball and get her teammates involved offensively. I liked the version of her I got to see this past weekend.   [player_tooltip player_id='914260' first='Maddie' last='Locke']   I don't see Locke during the high school season, and the last time I'd seen her play was last May. However, the work she put in was evident, with the muscle she put on her frame over the last 11 months. Based on that alone, it's easy to see how much work she's put into herself and working on her game, and I liked what she brought last year, but she's a different type of player this summer. She is a versatile guard/wing who can exploit any weaknesses in defenses, and she makes the game look easy when she's playing well.   [player_tooltip player_id='838113' first='Avery' last='Werfal']   During the high school season, Werfal is an offensive-minded wing who is a high-usage offensive player for her Appleton North team. However, I enjoyed seeing her in the role she has with her [program_tooltip program_id='712778' first='Purple' last='Aces'] team, and making effort plays off the ball to help her team win. Among all the players I saw from the event this past weekend, I feel I learned the most about what Werfal can do beyond what my perceptions of her game were, and that's the sort of thing I love learning in those types of settings.   [player_tooltip player_id='1228818' first='Rianna' last='Dye']   The Platteville native was playing her first games with her [program_tooltip program_id='713038' first='Wisconsin' last='Blaze'] 17u Inferno group, and she did a lot of the things I love about her game. She didn't get many post touches, but she doesn't need to. Dye works hard around the basket and is a physical presence as a rebounder on both ends of the floor. She may not have gotten many opportunities to play in the post, but she can still be a double-double threat based on her effort.

My first AAU event of the season is over, and there are a handful of players I'd like to highlight from the two-day event down in Illinois. Today, we will look at some of the players who made an impression in what is likely their first AAU tournament of the season as we inch closer to the first live period, coming up in a few weeks. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about some players.