Charlotte Dream Elite 17U Preview

This 17U team from Charlotte Dream Elite has all the right pieces for success this year. <img class=" wp-image-211697 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/3096BB2A-D31D-4BEC-BE73-A882C684F362.jpeg" alt="" width="269" height="202" />Ashley Farmer | Clover | 2022 Farmer is posed to help her high school team in the 5A state championship in South Carolina. She is a true floor general controlling the tempo of the game directing her teammates where to go. She also facilitates plays, and she can drive into the paint in order to score against contact or dish the ball to her teammates. She doesn’t hesitate to show off her shot from behind the arc. She’s a tenacious defender on the other end of the court grabbing steals easily to push in the other direction. [player_tooltip player_id="219895" first="Imelda" last="McMenamin"] | Charlotte Catholic | 2022<img class="size-medium wp-image-262144 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Imelda-McMenamin-crop-828x544-1615503863-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> McMenamin is an excellent shooter from beyond the arc. She has a quick release that she is always ready to show off. She can handle the ball well, too, and she does a great job passing and cutting constantly finding the gaps in the defense. She even has some nice footwork with post moves that she uses to score near the basket. <img class="size-medium wp-image-262146 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/IoAnna-Giannopoulou-crop-828x544-1615503916-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />[player_tooltip player_id="219884" first="IoAnna" last="Giannopoulou"] | Myers Park | 2022 Her teammates typically shorten her name to Anna, but there is nothing short about her. She uses her length to block shots and shoot over her opponents. She has a nice step back jump shot that she can show off, too, in order to score her points. She can handle the ball well driving to the basket, and she makes nice cuts in the gap of defenses even without the ball making sure she can grab the pass to score. Samantha Louthan | Hough | 2022<img class="size-medium wp-image-262150 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Samantha-Louthan-crop-828x544-1615503972-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Louthan moves well on defense and uses her IQ to anticipate what opposing offenses are going to do, so she can disrupt their plans. She stays ready to catch and shoot, but she can also move well with the ball creating some space between her and her defender. She follows shots on both ends of the court grabbing rebounds for her team. <img class="size-medium wp-image-262153 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Lilly-Davis-crop-828x544-1615504119-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />Lilly Davis | Mooresville | 2022 Davis does well running plays for her team knowing exactly where to move her body and making sure the timing is right to be effective. She can stay at the top of the key to show off her three point shooting ability, or she can move inside off of a pick and roll to score. She has a nice power dribble that she uses when she is posting up near the basket as well. Khalia King | Kings Mountain | 2023<img class="size-medium wp-image-262155 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Khalia-King-crop-828x544-1615504170-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> King is effective on the floor in many different ways. She can shoot from beyond the perimeter. She also handles the ball well, and she does a great job driving to the basket to penetrate the defense finding her open teammate for the assist. She follows shots as well grabbing rebounds making sure she is preventing her opponents from having another chance. <img class="size-medium wp-image-262157 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Grace-Rinaldo-crop-828x544-1615504224-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />Grace Rinaldo | Bradford Prep | 2023 Rinaldo has some good height about her that she uses to grab rebounds. Her ability to follow shots on the offensive side of the ball allows her to put the shots back up for her own points off of second chance opportunities. Her points don’t only come close to the basket, though, as she can certainly shoot from behind the arc. She does a nice job moving with the ball finding her open teammates or moving towards the basket herself. Valeria Batista | Victory Christian | 2023 Batista is a great addition for the team as she is a force no matter where she is on the court. She knows how to seal off her opponent, and she can move around the offensive side of the court finding the gaps in order to get the entry pass. As a high post, she is a great asset when running pick and rolls as she again shows how to best position her body to get the pass and score. She is exceptional at blocking shots even showing her speed by blocking shots in transition. [player_tooltip player_id="221942" first="Zion" last="Duncan"] | Victory Christian | 2023 Duncan is rehabbing her knee from a torn ACL, but she is certainly gearing up to be back on the court as soon as she can to help her teammates. She brings with her strength and length in the paint making it difficult for opponents to score anywhere near the basket. She is aggressive with her post moves protecting the possession and using her nice footwork to face the basket in order to get her points. She fights for every rebound, too. Ashlee Shaw | West Cabarrus | 2024<img class="size-medium wp-image-262159 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Ashlee-Shaw-crop-828x544-1615504322-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Even at such a young age, Shaw plays well beyond her years. She can score from behind the arc, or she can drive the ball all the way to the basket. She does an excellent job playing a give and go offense always moving around to make sure she can contribute in some way for her team. She has great vision of the court finding her open teammates and understanding how to best get the ball to them whether she is drawing defenders towards her or waiting for them to make the right cut. On defense, she closes out quickly on shooters making them think twice before putting their shots up.