AAU Team Preview: The Swaggin’ Dragons Pink 17U

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the more underrated AAU squads in the state is the Swaggin' Dragons Pink '27 team. They feature some solid up-and-coming players throughout the Southwest and Western areas of Arkansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/raylie-walston/"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1091177' first='Raylie' last='Walston']</strong></a>- Dierks is a very young team, but they have a lot of talent. One of those talented youngsters is [player_tooltip player_id='1091177' first='Raylie' last='Walston']. Compared to some of her teammates, she might be seen as a veteran, considering she is entering her junior season. Walston is a solid two-way player who helps Dierks stretch the floor with her outside scoring ability. Her release is quick and flexible, able to hit open and contested shots with ease. When she is not scoring, she is forcing turnovers on the defensive end and making the extra pass on the opposite end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kenzie Monfee</strong>- Pottsville also has a fair number of young players on their roster, with one of them being incoming junior Kenzie Monfee. Monfee is an outstanding shooter who is capable of hitting threes from well beyond the 3-point line. She was more of a role player this past season, but she flashed some great perimeter ability. She had 11 points in a season sweep over Mena and then had 3 triples in an earlier meeting with their conference opponent. With the Swaggin' Dragons, she can contribute right away with her sharp outside shooting. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aubrey May</strong>- Atkins has lost some talent over the last couple of seasons, but they bring back a talented 2027 player in Aubrey May. May is a fantastic defender who prides herself on that end of the floor. She found time on the floor with Atkins this past season because of her effort and hustle. That will easily translate to her play with the Swaggin' Dragons and in her junior season in 2025/26.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jasmine-garcia/"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1093254' first='Jasmine' last='Garcia']</strong></a>- Russellville had to rely a lot on [player_tooltip player_id='1093254' first='Jasmine' last='Garcia'] this past season. Though just a sophomore, she stepped up to the plate, showing out as an excellent two-way guard. She played against some tough opponents this season, playing against the 5A state champs, Farmington. Against that powerhouse, Garcia put up 12 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal. She was lucky to have a lightly contested look, but she made some tough jumpers, including a step-back three over a taller defender. On the defensive end, Garcia has had several games with 4 or more steals. She did so against Siloam Springs, Mountain Home, and Alma, all in February. Garcia will be a great player to keep an eye on this summer and during the 2025/26 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kyah-simmons/"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='883555' first='Kyah' last='Simmons']</strong></a>- Wonderview was one of the top teams in the 1A classification thanks to the play of [player_tooltip player_id='883555' first='Kyah' last='Simmons']. The sophomore has already performed well with the Swaggin' Dragons, putting up 35 points in her first game at the Border Wars in Northwest Arkansas, including hitting 5 3-pointers. Simmons averaged 24 points for the weekend, along with making great plays in a facilitator role and driving hard to the basket. She is doing all of this against E40 teams, and I cannot wait to see how she performs during the rest of the AAU season and her junior season with the Lady Daredevils.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1260210' first='Savannah' last='Tedford']</strong>- Another up-and-comer on the Dierks roster is 2029 athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1260210' first='Savannah' last='Tedford']. She is the youngest player on this Swaggin' Dragon roster, but she has a lot of potential. Again, Dierks is a young team, and I would suspect that after her season in the AAU circuits, Tedford will get some time on the floor next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brooklynne Fields</strong>- Veteran talent headlined Pottsville this season, but Brooklynne Fields got some chances to contribute in her freshman year. She had 13 points against Harrison towards the end of the conference slate. Fields is a solid 3-point shooter who is automatic off the catch. On the defensive end, she makes a living stripping the ball from the other team and deflecting passes. Her two-way play will be an important weapon for the Swaggin' Dragons this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/taytum-vire/"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1190630' first='Taytum' last='Vire']</strong></a>- Incoming junior [player_tooltip player_id='1190630' first='Taytum' last='Vire'] emerged as a solid post player this past season for Maumelle Charter. What was even better was her ability to stretch the floor at the center and power forward positions. One of Vire's best performances of the season was against Conway St. Joseph in February when she posted 20 points on 6 made triples. Her floor-stretching is important for both her high school squad and for the Swaggin' Dragons, along with her solid post defense impact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Swaggin' Dragons are an underrated AAU team who have a lot of young talent. Keep an eye on this squad as they look to perform well through the rest of the spring and summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->