PGH Great Lakes Region Finals: Eight 17U Sunday WI Standouts

The Badger State was well represented at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. Many of its best and brightest prospects showed off their next-level abilities, and here are eight prospects from Wisconsin who specifically grabbed my attention on Sunday.    Yana caught my eye on day one when she dished out a sweet no-look bounce pass to a teammate and switched hands in the lane to score a stretch layup in traffic. She continued to impress in the Gold Championship Game for [program_tooltip program_id='1824595' first='Team' last='Prime Nation'] 17U on Sunday. Yana attacked downhill on a determined drive to the basket, absorbed contact, then finished the and-one layup with her left. She knocked down the free throw to complete the three-point play. Yana handled the ball well under pressure and continued to attack, using a quick pocket dribble before slashing to the basket and earning another trip to the free-throw line. Her length and sharp instincts on the defensive end produced multiple steals. Yana was an effective facilitator, active on the boards, aggressive, competitive, and her confidence showed in the toughest matchup.     Kylee attacked with a burst down the baseline, using a quick rip move to beat her defender off the dribble, then transferred the ball back to her shooting hand to drop in a soft floater off two feet straight through the net over the help. She shot the ball well from the corner throughout the weekend and swished the corner three with a confident stroke on Sunday. Kylee used a shifty pocket dribble crossover combo move to penetrate the defense and stayed active on the opposite end of the floor. She swiped the ball away and fired a lead pass on a rope to a sprinting teammate in transition for the assist. Kylee is a talented and versatile prospect who stood out with [program_tooltip program_id='713043' first='Wisconsin' last='Impact'] 17U EYCL at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Hayden wreaked havoc for [program_tooltip program_id='713043' first='Wisconsin' last='Impact'] 17U EYCL at the top of their press and used her shifty handles to weave past defenders. She swiped the ball away in the backcourt and changed directions with a quick crossover to beat the final defender for a layup, then stole the ball away for another layup in the full-court press. Hayden continued to pester opposing ball-handlers and rack up steals down the stretch. She penetrated off the dribble, kicked the ball out to open shooters spotting up in the corner, and scored a strong layup through contact, then completed the three-point play at the line. Hayden stood out as a two-way playmaker on Sunday at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Lilah competed with an endless supply of effort and hustle on the court. She's physical and plays with a relentless style that grabs your attention. Lilah competed hard at all times, sprinted in to secure offensive rebounds, and knocked down a smooth corner jumper. She scored a layup with ease, knocked down consecutive free throws at the line, and generated steals with her active presence in the passing lanes. I noted that Lilah doesn't quit on a play, and she closed out the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals with a strong performance for 24 UP 17U on Sunday.     Kardyn delivered a knockout performance for [program_tooltip program_id='1824595' first='Team' last='Prime Nation'] 17U in the Gold Bracket semifinals. She was unguardable in the game and it started right from the opening tip. Kardyn threw the first punch with a deep wing three that found nylon, sprinted back to deflect a pass in transition, dropped in a contested floater off two feet, used crafty inside-out dribbles with both hands to escape pressure, then shifted gears to score a full speed layup with her left before the help could arrive. Kardyn swiped the ball away to score a bucket off two and dished out and assist to an open teammate on the perimeter. That all happened in the first 3.5 minutes. Kardyn continued to dominate the first half, draining a quick baseline pull-up jumper off an inside-out dribble, scoring a smooth reverse finish, and anticipating a pass to snatch another steal. Her quickness, talent, high motor, and all-around impact blew me away at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Ella provided [program_tooltip program_id='1824595' first='Team' last='Prime Nation'] 17U with consistency and accuracy from the perimeter. She swished threes from the corner and up top, stretching the defense with her range. Ella stayed active on the defensive end to create steals and moved her feet while maintaining excellent balance to force misses without fouling. She threw lob entry passes into the post with great touch, dished out assists, and attacked downhill with a full head of steam to score a hard-nosed layup. Ella was a key contributor to her team's Gold bracket finals appearance at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Ava's high motor, length, toughness, and skill in the post made her one of the most impactful players on the court for Team Prime 17U at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. Ava was very effective in screen and roll actions. She caught passes with strong hands in the paint, finished well off two feet, and earned trips to the free-throw line. Ava competed with fierce determination in the Gold Championship Game against an elite opponent. She dove on the floor for 50/50 balls, battled for position in the post, intercepted passes, drove hard to the basket to cause fouls, scored a strong layup off two feet, and stepped outside to hit a corner three. Ava finished layups well with her right and left hands throughout the weekend, made opponents earn every inch, and used her length to disrupt passes on the defensive end.     Layla turned in an impactful performance for [program_tooltip program_id='713043' first='Wisconsin' last='Impact'] 17U EYCL on Sunday, including some impressive highlights. She was active on the boards. After working for inside position to grab an offensive rebound, she reached around the defender to score a contested left-handed layup from a difficult angle. Layla showed her range from beyond the arc, draining a deep mid-corner triple. She sprinted up the court in top gear, snatched the lead pass in transition, and finished the full-speed layup in stride without missing a step. Layla was a difference-maker in the backcourt, and she stood out at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.

The Badger State was well represented at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. Many of its best and brightest prospects showed off their next-level abilities, and here are eight prospects from Wisconsin who specifically grabbed my attention on Sunday.