The Expo: Posts Who Controlled the Paint

The Expo gave post players plenty of opportunities to show the value they can bring around the basket on both ends of the floor. Throughout the day, I watched players battle for position, work the glass, protect the rim, and create extra possessions with their effort inside. Some showed polished footwork and strong hands on the offensive end, while others made their biggest impact with rebounding and shot blocking. Here are five post players who made their presence felt in the paint at The Expo.    Hadleigh was one of my top performers on the day and consistently established herself inside. She worked hard to seal her defender and earn position in the paint, giving her teammates a reliable target when they looked inside. Hadleigh showed good hands when receiving the ball and paired them with quality footwork around the rim. She also competed hard on the glass, rebounding well on both ends and creating additional opportunities with her work on the offensive boards. Defensively, Hadleigh provided a presence around the basket with multiple blocks. Her ability to rebound, protect the rim, and establish position made her one of the more impactful post players I watched.     Breslyn did a good job of making herself available inside by consistently working to seal her defender and establish position. Once the ball came her way, she showed good footwork around the basket and the ability to operate in the paint. Breslyn also rebounded well and stayed involved around the glass. One of the more interesting parts of her performance came away from her traditional post responsibilities. She came up with a steal and took the ball coast-to-coast herself, showing she could handle in the open floor before finishing through contact at the other end.     Kylee made her presence felt with her work on the glass and ability to create second-chance opportunities. She rebounded well throughout the day and was particularly productive on the offensive end, turning offensive rebounds into putbacks around the basket. Kylee also showed that she wasn't limited to operating with her back to the basket. She attacked from the perimeter on one possession, ripping baseline past her defender and putting the ball on the floor toward the rim. That ability to combine her interior work with some versatility off the bounce gave another dimension to her game.     Teagan showed a versatile skill set while still making a significant impact around the paint. During 3v3 play, she worked to seal her defender, established position, and finished when the ball came inside. She also protected the basket with multiple blocks. That defensive presence continued into 5v5, where Teagan added more blocks and showed her ability to turn those plays into transition opportunities. On one impressive sequence, she blocked a shot, secured the rebound herself, and immediately pushed the pace with her head up. Teagan also showed some perimeter ability by knocking down a three from the wing and made several good passes throughout the day.     Hadleigh brought a strong presence in the paint with the work she did on both ends of the floor. Offensively, she ran the floor well from the post position and worked hard to establish herself inside, sealing her defender and creating a clear target for her teammates. Her ability to rim run also allowed her to get into scoring position before the defense could fully get set. On the defensive end, Hadleigh protected the basket with multiple blocks and showed good discipline when defending the post, walling up and making finishes around the rim difficult. Her combination of positioning, rim running, and interior defense allowed her to make an impact in the paint throughout the day.

The Expo gave post players plenty of opportunities to show the value they can bring around the basket on both ends of the floor. Throughout the day, I watched players battle for position, work the glass, protect the rim, and create extra possessions with their effort inside. Some showed polished footwork and strong hands on the offensive end, while others made their biggest impact with rebounding and shot blocking. Here are five post players who made their presence felt in the paint at The Expo.