We Ball in the Fall Week 1: Top Performers

The We Ball in the Fall league tipped off Sunday afternoon at Northview High School, bringing together high school teams along with house teams made up of players from different schools. Week 1 gave players an opportunity to get on the court, compete, and continue preparing for the upcoming high school season. I spent the afternoon watching players across the gym, and several put together impressive performances with their ability to impact the game in multiple ways. From scoring at different levels to creating for teammates and making plays defensively, these five players were among my top performers from Week 1.    Addison put together one of the most complete performances I watched during Week 1. She consistently used her quick first step to get downhill in a hurry and showed good body control once she reached the lane. When the defense collapsed, Addison kept her head up and created for her teammates with drive-and-kicks and several impressive passes. She was equally dangerous from the perimeter, knocking down multiple threes, including a smooth step-back, while showing the ability to connect from well beyond the arc. Addison also stayed involved on the offensive glass and made plays defensively with active hands, including a steal that she took coast-to-coast. Her combination of scoring, playmaking, and defensive activity made her one of the more impactful players I watched Sunday.     Jaydah's length and athleticism were noticeable throughout the afternoon, and she found several different ways to impact the game. She consistently attacked downhill and put pressure on the defense at the rim, earning repeated trips to the free-throw line. Jaydah also showed her perimeter game by knocking down multiple threes, making her difficult to defend when combined with her ability to attack off the bounce. She competed on the offensive glass and used her length defensively to jump passing lanes and create turnovers. On one of those steals, she immediately took the ball coast-to-coast. Jaydah's ability to impact possessions on both ends made her one of my top performers from Week 1.     Brooke showed an impressive combination of perimeter shooting and the ability to attack the basket. She knocked down multiple threes but was just as effective when putting the ball on the floor, using a quick first step to get downhill. Around the rim, Brooke displayed good body control and the strength to finish through contact. One of her better finishes came after attacking off two feet and converting an and-one. She also contributed defensively with active hands and a block, showing that her impact wasn't limited to scoring. Brooke's ability to threaten the defense from behind the arc and then attack closeouts gave her multiple ways to create offense.     Jana displayed a versatile offensive game throughout the afternoon. She knocked down a three from the wing, showed touch in the mid-range with a stop-and-pop jumper, and consistently found ways to finish around the basket. She had an impressive fake-pass finish at the rim and also used her ability to slash to get into the lane, where she finished through contact and converted and-one opportunities. Jana wasn't limited to the offensive end, either. She rebounded well and protected the rim with blocks, allowing her to impact possessions on both ends. Her ability to score from different areas of the floor while contributing on the glass and defensively made for a strong Week 1 showing.     Logyn played with good pace and control while showing the ability to create both for herself and her teammates. She used a hesitation move to get by her defender before finishing at the rim and later showed impressive footwork on a smooth step-back three. Logyn consistently played with her head up and made quality passes while using her handle to navigate traffic and create opportunities. She was also effective without the ball, running the floor hard in transition and getting rewarded with scoring opportunities. Around the basket, she showed creativity with a slash into a reverse layup and consistently finished well at the rim. Logyn also contributed defensively with active hands, rounding out a strong all-around performance in Week 1.

The We Ball in the Fall league tipped off Sunday afternoon at Northview High School, bringing together high school teams along with house teams made up of players from different schools. Week 1 gave players an opportunity to get on the court, compete, and continue preparing for the upcoming high school season. I spent the afternoon watching players across the gym, and several put together impressive performances with their ability to impact the game in multiple ways. From scoring at different levels to creating for teammates and making plays defensively, these five players were among my top performers from Week 1.