P2W Headliners Invitational: HS Team Liberty

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Headliners Invitational Showcase made its return this year after taking a break in 2024. Originally created by Evan Bell and Ray Kimball in November 2023, the event was designed to bring together some of the best elements of traditional showcases, college elite camps and prospect camps while keeping player development and recruiting exposure at the forefront. The goal behind the Headliners Invitational is to provide girls basketball players with an opportunity to showcase their skills, compete against talented players and gain valuable exposure to college coaches. With a format focused on helping players get noticed and take steps toward the next level, the return of the Headliners Invitational is an exciting addition to the Michigan girls basketball showcase scene.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1963356,"width":"995px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1.885864897681168","sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/10/image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1963356" style="aspect-ratio:1.885864897681168;width:995px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Headliners Invitational was designed to give players more than just another opportunity to compete in games. The event focused on helping prospects gain exposure to college coaches, work directly with coaches who could potentially recruit them and receive coverage from Prep Girls Hoops scouts. With every player bringing different strengths to the floor, the format provided several ways for them to showcase their abilities through skill-specific drills, 3v3 competition and 5v5 games. Each participant wore a numbered reversible jersey that matched the information provided to college coaches, making it easier for them to identify and evaluate players throughout the event. Programs from the Division II, Division III, NAIA, NCCAA and JUCO levels across Michigan, along with several from neighboring states, were invited to attend. Players also had time to connect with college coaches following their sessions. Another great addition this year was a shooting workout led by Make Shots trainer Mike Soukup, who worked with both the high school and middle school participants. The combination of instruction, competition and recruiting opportunities gave players multiple ways to display their skills throughout the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1963358,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/10/image_d23adc.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1963358" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My coverage at the Headliners Invitational Showcase focused on Team Liberty and Team Fever during the high school session. In this first article, I'll take a closer look at the players representing Team Liberty and highlight what I saw from each of them throughout the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1036775"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9b36"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Taylor earned my MVP honors at the Headliners Invitational after putting together an impressive all-around performance for Team Liberty that showcased her scoring ability, playmaking and defensive instincts. She was a tough matchup offensively, using her quick first step, shifty handles and a smooth hesitation dribble to consistently blow by defenders and get to the basket. Taylor also showed off her perimeter game, knocking down threes from the wing and top of the key, including an impressive step-back three with excellent footwork. What I really liked was her ability to create for others. She consistently played with her head up, displayed excellent court vision and delivered some beautiful passes in transition, along with smart post-entry passes and drive-and-kick opportunities. Defensively, Taylor was just as impressive, using her quick hands to strip the ball, jump passing lanes and create steals. She turned one steal into a coast-to-coast bucket and another into a beautiful spin move finish. Her ability to impact the game in so many different ways made her my top performer of the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1838471"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9bcb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Oakley showed some nice offensive skills while competing with Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational. One of the things I liked most about her game was how well she moved without the basketball. She did a good job finding open space, getting to her spots on the floor and making sure her feet were set and ready to shoot when the ball came her way. Oakley has a good-looking perimeter shot, and her footwork allows her to get into her shooting motion smoothly and with good balance. She showed that shooting ability during 3v3 competition, knocking down a nice three-pointer. Oakley also demonstrated that she isn't limited to scoring from the outside, making a nice slash to the basket and showing her ability to attack when an opportunity presented itself. Her awareness away from the ball, shooting mechanics and ability to get herself into good scoring positions were some of the things that caught my attention throughout the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1308076"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9c29"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Payton brought good energy to Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational, particularly with her ability to get up and down the floor in transition. She consistently ran the floor hard, putting herself in great positions to receive the basketball and convert scoring opportunities. On multiple occasions, her effort to get ahead of the defense resulted in easy buckets. Payton also showed toughness around the basket, absorbing contact while maintaining her balance and finishing at the rim. Another play that caught my attention came when she secured a defensive rebound and immediately looked up the floor, delivering a nice pass in transition to help create an offensive opportunity. Her willingness to run, compete around the basket and make plays that helped her team push the pace made her a valuable contributor throughout the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1237336"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9c7e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sophie made her presence felt on both ends of the floor while competing with Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational. Her defensive activity was particularly impressive, as she consistently anticipated passes, jumped passing lanes and came away with multiple steals throughout the day. What I liked was how quickly she turned those defensive plays into offensive opportunities, keeping her head up and delivering nice passes ahead to teammates in transition. Sophie also showed good court awareness during 3v3 competition, delivering a nice pass out of the pick-and-roll action to create an opportunity for a teammate. She did a great job running the floor herself, getting out ahead of the defense and converting multiple baskets in transition. She showed her ability to stretch the floor by knocking down a three-pointer from the corner, adding another dimension to her offensive game. Sophie also contributed on the glass, coming away with offensive rebounds to create extra possessions, and showed good timing defensively with a block. Her activity, effort and ability to make plays in several different areas helped her put together a strong performance for Team Liberty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1309296"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9cd2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Savannah brought a strong defensive presence to Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational, showing the ability to make opposing ball handlers uncomfortable with her on-ball pressure. She was a pesky defender who stayed engaged, challenged her matchup and made it difficult for opponents to find clean looks. One of her more impressive defensive plays came when she timed her contest perfectly to come away with a block on the perimeter. Savannah also showed some nice offensive ability, knocking down a three-pointer during 3v3 competition to demonstrate her ability to score from the outside. She wasn't limited to perimeter scoring, either, making a great slash to the basket and finishing at the rim. Her willingness to attack when she saw an opening was a nice complement to the effort she brought defensively. Savannah's ability to apply pressure on the perimeter while also contributing offensively from both inside and outside made her a valuable contributor for Team Liberty throughout the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1353550"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9d7b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Selia was a strong presence around the basket for Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational, making an impact with her rebounding, footwork and ability to finish inside. She competed hard on the offensive glass, coming away with multiple rebounds and turning those extra opportunities into putback baskets. Selia also did a nice job running the floor, getting into position near the rim and making herself available as a scoring option in transition. I liked her footwork around the basket, as she showed the ability to create good angles and finish when she got the ball inside. She also displayed good hands on a pick-and-roll opportunity, securing the pass and putting herself in position to make a play. Selia wasn't afraid to battle for rebounds, consistently working to establish position and keep possessions alive. She also showed some versatility offensively with a nice slash to the basket and finish. Her effort on the glass and ability to convert opportunities around the rim made her a valuable contributor for Team Liberty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1278242"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9dd7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Tayla showed her ability to contribute in several areas of the game while competing with Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational. Offensively, she displayed a nice perimeter touch, knocking down three-pointers from both the corner and the wing. She also made an impact around the basket, coming away with an offensive rebound and converting the putback for a second-chance bucket. Tayla did a good job competing on the glass throughout the event, showing her willingness to battle for rebounds and help her team secure possessions. Defensively, she demonstrated good anticipation by reading a passing lane and coming away with a steal. What I really liked about that play was how she immediately looked to create an opportunity for a teammate, delivering a nice pass ahead in transition. Her combination of outside shooting, rebounding and defensive awareness gave Team Liberty contributions on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1849739"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ade8bc8b9e81"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ella brought a nice combination of playmaking, defensive instincts and scoring ability to Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational. One of the things that impressed me most was her ability to see the floor in transition. On multiple occasions, she pushed the pace with her head up and delivered excellent passes ahead to teammates, helping create scoring opportunities. Ella also showed that she could get downhill and attack the basket herself. She came away with a steal and took it coast to coast, finishing strong off two feet at the rim. She later turned another steal into a coast-to-coast opportunity, showing her ability to quickly turn defense into offense. Ella also displayed some touch around the basket with a nice floater. Defensively, she was active throughout the event, collecting several steals, including one that she followed with another well-placed pass ahead in transition. Her ability to create turnovers, push the pace and make good decisions with the basketball was impressive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["980262"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6adfe4ffa7c65"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ally showed a nice ability to attack the basket and finish around the rim while competing with Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational. She was effective when putting the ball on the floor, making a strong baseline drive to get past her defender and create a scoring opportunity. Another play that caught my attention came when she caught the ball near the free-throw line, quickly ripped through her defender and made her way to the hoop. Ally also showed some creativity around the basket during 3v3 competition, converting a nice reverse layup. She did a good job running the floor, getting ahead of the defense and putting herself in position to receive the basketball for a transition bucket. She was active on the offensive glass as well, securing a rebound and converting the putback for a second-chance basket. Throughout the event, Ally demonstrated good touch around the rim and the ability to finish when she got into the paint. Her combination of strong drives, transition scoring and work on the offensive boards made her an effective presence inside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1067668"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6adfe4ffa7c84"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Nadia displayed a well-rounded offensive game while competing with Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational, showing her ability to score from different areas of the floor while also creating opportunities for her teammates. She showed a nice touch on her pull-up jumper and demonstrated her perimeter shooting ability by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers. Nadia was also crafty when attacking the basket, using her ability to maneuver around defenders to create good scoring opportunities. One finish that caught my attention was a nice inside-hand layup that showed her touch and creativity around the rim. Beyond her scoring, I really liked her court vision and willingness to share the basketball. She delivered a great pass in transition, showing her ability to keep her head up and recognize opportunities developing ahead of her. Nadia's combination of outside shooting, creative finishing and playmaking made her an effective offensive contributor for Team Liberty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->