The 2026 PGH Louisiana Expo All-Defensive Second Team Selection

The 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana Expo featured plenty of offensive talent. Players displayed their shooting, scoring, passing and ability to create opportunities throughout the event. However, offense was only part of the story.   Defense was just as important.   Several athletes separated themselves by applying pressure, staying active, competing through every possession and making things difficult for the players they were assigned to guard. Their defensive effort helped raise the event's competitive level and proved that players can make a major impact without scoring the basketball.   After reviewing the performances from the Louisiana Expo, five players earned recognition on the 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana Expo All-Defensive Second Team.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">All-Defensive Second Team</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='895599' first='Shakyra' last='Hawkins'] — Point Guard/Shooting Guard | North Webster | Class of 2028</li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1585758' first='Cymphoni' last='Short'] — Shooting Guard/Point Guard | Terrebonne | Class of 2029</li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1878597' first='Tilley' last='Rueda'] — Shooting Guard/Small Forward | Reeves | Class of 2028</li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1858675' first='Adalyn' last='Galloway'] — Point Guard/Shooting Guard | Kinder | Class of 2029</li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1864785' first='Ryleight' last='Larry'] — Center/Power Forward | Airline | Class of 2029</li> </ul>   This group represents multiple positions and two different graduating classes. Hawkins, Short, Rueda and Galloway give the team several guards and wings capable of competing on the perimeter, while Larry provides the group with size in the frontcourt.   The Louisiana Expo gave players opportunities to showcase their complete games. Scoring may receive much of the attention, but defense creates stops, changes momentum and helps teams win. The willingness to communicate, compete and remain engaged on that end of the floor deserves recognition.   Congratulations to [player_tooltip player_id='895599' first='Shakyra' last='Hawkins'], [player_tooltip player_id='1585758' first='Cymphoni' last='Short'], [player_tooltip player_id='1878597' first='Tilley' last='Rueda'], [player_tooltip player_id='1858675' first='Adalyn' last='Galloway'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1864785' first='Ryleight' last='Larry'] on earning 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana Expo All-Defensive Second Team honors!   The Second Team has officially been announced, but the defensive recognition is not finished.   Coming next will be the highly anticipated 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana Expo All-Defensive First Team, featuring the players who delivered the event's most impactful defensive performances.   Want complete access to our Louisiana girls basketball coverage? Subscribe to Prep Girls Hoops for prospect rankings, recruiting information, event coverage and exclusive articles highlighting talented athletes from across the state.   Subscribe today and stay connected with Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana—the All-Defensive First Team is coming next!   Subscribe today and stay connected with Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana as we continue highlighting the state's next generation of talent!   Did you miss my most recent article?   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2026/08/the-2026-prep-girls-hoops-louisiana-all-expo-third-team/">The 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana All-Expo Third Team | Prep Girls Hoops</a>   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2026/08/the-2026-prep-girls-hoops-louisiana-all-expo-second-team/">The 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana All-Expo Second Team | Prep Girls Hoops</a>   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2026/08/the-2026-prep-girls-hoops-louisiana-all-expo-first-team/">The 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana All-Expo First Team | Prep Girls Hoops</a>   Follow me on Instagram or X: @CoachLathan    [player_tooltip player_id='1585758' first='Cymphoni' last='Short'] performed well offensively at the Louisiana Expo, but defense is where she truly took over. The 5-foot-9 guard accepted difficult assignments against some of Louisiana's best players and consistently held her own. She pressured ballhandlers, stayed attached through drives and used her length to contest or block shots. It was the extra work—fighting through traffic, recovering after getting beat and refusing to take possessions off—that separated her.   Short's defensive impact matches the tools listed in her Prep Girls Hoops profile, which highlights her long wingspan, vertical athleticism and ability to create steals. Her size and versatility allow her to defend multiple perimeter positions while turning stops into offensive opportunities. She didn't simply participate defensively at the Expo—she embraced the challenge and made opponents work for everything. Short earned her All-Defensive recognition by showing that she can score the ball and lock things down on the other end.     [player_tooltip player_id='895599' first='Shakyra' last='Hawkins'] had a rough start at the Louisiana Expo, but she refused to let it define her day. Once the 5-foot-6 combo guard settled in, her confidence began to rise—and her defense completely changed her performance.   Hawkins became more aggressive at the point of attack, pressured ballhandlers and made every possession difficult. She competed hard, remained active in the passing lanes and used her length to defend multiple positions.   As the day continued, Hawkins' offensive game began heating up as well. Her ability to recover from a slow start and finish the Expo playing with confidence showed toughness and maturity.   The Louisiana Expo became a major confidence-building performance for Hawkins. She found her rhythm through defense, competed with purpose and finished the day showing exactly why she is a 2028 guard worth watching.     [player_tooltip player_id='1878597' first='Tilley' last='Rueda'] put together a strong two-way performance at the Louisiana Expo. Offensively, she played with tight handles, controlled the basketball under pressure and confidently knocked down shots. She remained composed with the ball and showed that she could create space despite standing just 5-foot-3.   Her size made little difference defensively. Rueda stayed in her opponents' faces, applied constant pressure and used quick hands to disrupt possessions. She forced turnovers, picked pockets and refused to give ballhandlers room to operate. Her effort and competitiveness allowed her to hold her own against bigger players throughout the event.   Rueda proved that defensive impact is built on toughness, effort and timing—not height. Her ball control, shooting and relentless on-ball pressure made her one of the Louisiana Expo's most impressive two-way competitors     [player_tooltip player_id='1858675' first='Adalyn' last='Galloway'] was one of the Louisiana Expo's top performers and made her presence felt on both ends of the floor. Offensively, she created opportunities, attacked with confidence and converted defensive stops into easy baskets for herself or her teammates.   Defensively, Galloway was clamps. Her quick hands allowed her to pick pockets, disrupt passing lanes and force turnovers. She played with nonstop energy, covered the entire floor and competed for rebounds despite standing 5-foot-4. She was rarely out of a possession and constantly found ways to affect the game.   Galloway's combination of offensive production, defensive pressure and all-around effort made her one of the Expo's most complete performers. She didn't just score—she created chaos, generated extra possessions and helped turn defense into instant offense.     [player_tooltip player_id='1886280' first='Ryleigh' last='Larry'] showed up and showed out at the Louisiana Expo. The 5-foot-11 post prospect was physical around the basket, attacked the glass and created hard-earned putback opportunities. She embraced contact, battled underneath the rim and consistently used her size to establish a strong interior presence.   What made Larry especially impressive was her defensive versatility. Despite being a post player, she displayed smooth hands and quick reactions, picking opponents' pockets and creating turnovers—even against guards. She protected the painted area with blocks, controlled the boards and refused to allow easy opportunities around the basket.   Larry was balling and banging in the paint while also making plays outside of it. Her combination of rebounding, rim protection, physicality and surprising ability to generate steals made her one of the Louisiana Expo's most impressive defensive performers.

The 2026 Prep Girls Hoops Louisiana Expo featured plenty of offensive talent. Players displayed their shooting, scoring, passing and ability to create opportunities throughout the event. However, offense was only part of the story.