Blake earned MVP honors during the middle school session at the Headliners Invitational after putting together an impressive performance for Team Liberty. As a guard, she was extremely difficult to keep out of the paint, using her quickness, ball-handling skills and ability to change direction to consistently get past defenders. During 3v3 competition, Blake showed her ability to attack the basket with several strong takes and finishes. One of her more impressive plays came when she used a smooth hesitation dribble to get past her defender along the baseline before finishing with a beautiful reverse layup. She also displayed excellent footwork with a step-through move and showed her athleticism by catching a pass out of the pick-and-roll and converting an impressive finish. Those skills carried over into 5v5 action, where she continued using her hesitation dribble and quick crossover to blow by defenders. Her spin move in the lane was another move that made her difficult to guard. What really caught my attention was how often she turned defense into offense. Blake came away with more steals than I could count, taking the basketball coast to coast for scoring opportunities time and time again. Despite playing on the perimeter, she was also active on the offensive glass, collecting rebounds and converting putbacks. Her ability to attack the rim, create turnovers and contribute on the boards made her one of my MVP selections from the event.

Blake’s performance in the first five minutes had me shaking my head and thinking, “Wow, who is this kid?” Her elite ball-handling control, change of direction, sleight of hand, and crafty finishes blew me away during 3v3. Throughout drills, it seemed like every time I looked up, she was burying a three-pointer with flawless technique. Blake’s explosive and determined drives earned her many trips to the free-throw line, while she made an equal impact on the defensive end. Only in 7th grade, the sky is the limit. Blake took home an MVP t-shirt and is an All-Showcase First Team selection.

Blake was a top performer and MVP for Team Lynx, showcasing her all-around game. She displayed excellent ball-handling skills, including slick between-the-legs moves to get to the rim, and used a sharp hesitation dribble to create space against defenders. Aggressive and fearless, she earned frequent trips to the free-throw line, while her defense stood out with multiple steals and blocks. Offensively, she also showed off a smooth pull-up jumper, making her a true two-way threat.