Shifty 16U Guards Who Impressed at Brawl at the Palms

This weekend marked my first trip to the beautiful new Wellington Sports Academy for Prep Girls Hoops Brawl at the Palms, and one thing that immediately stood out throughout the 16U division was the amount of talented guards in the building. With seven courts running all weekend and programs from across Florida and Georgia competing, there was no shortage of quick, shifty guards capable of breaking defenders down off the bounce and changing the pace of a game. From explosive downhill attackers to crafty playmakers with deep bags and pull-up games, the event featured several guards who consistently collapsed defenses and made plays despite not always having the biggest frames on the court. Here are some of the guards who stood out to me at Brawl at the Palms:    Myka continued to show noticeable improvement every time I have seen her play, and this weekend was another strong step forward in her development. She impacted the defensive end with her ability to block shots at her size and show effort on that side of the court. Offensively, her three-point shot looked very good with nice rotation, repeatable mechanics, and strong elbow alignment throughout her release. The continued progress in her game is easy to see, especially with the confidence and consistency she is beginning to show on both ends of the floor.     Jaiceona is a young middle school prospect playing up who showed impressive confidence and skill throughout the weekend. She knocked down a deep three-pointer, converted an and-one floater, and consistently looked comfortable creating offense against older competition. Her handle and change of direction stood out, allowing her to create space and get to her spots effectively. She also showed encouraging shot-making ability with clean footwork and a nice step-back jumper while competing hard defensively throughout the event.     Madalyn is a guard with a real burner offensively, and she shot the ball very well during the games I watched. She played with strong defensive intensity throughout the weekend and consistently competed on both ends of the floor. Offensively, she did a great job getting to her spots and showed touch finishing around the basket, including a nice runner in the lane. She also created space effectively with a shot fake side step and showed good shooter's bounce on one of her made threes.     Rayna continued to show her ability as a prolific offensive player throughout the weekend. She knocked down multiple three-pointer's and even connected on some deep three's that really highlighted her shooting range and confidence from beyond the arc. In addition to her scoring ability, she competed defensively and stayed active on that end of the floor. She also showed good court vision and feel as a passer, consistently seeing the floor well and making smart reads offensively.     Anaiyaa impacted the game with her playmaking ability and creativity off the bounce. She used her handle and shiftiness well to break down defenders and get into the paint, where she made quality reads and created opportunities for others. She also showed touch finishing around the rim with a strong left-handed finish and looked comfortable making sharp passes in tight spaces throughout the weekend.

This weekend marked my first trip to the beautiful new Wellington Sports Academy for Prep Girls Hoops Brawl at the Palms, and one thing that immediately stood out throughout the 16U division was the amount of talented guards in the building. With seven courts running all weekend and programs from across Florida and Georgia competing, there was no shortage of quick, shifty guards capable of breaking defenders down off the bounce and changing the pace of a game. From explosive downhill attackers to crafty playmakers with deep bags and pull-up games, the event featured several guards who consistently collapsed defenses and made plays despite not always having the biggest frames on the court. Here are some of the guards who stood out to me at Brawl at the Palms: