EYBL Girls Nike Nationals: Five D1 Players Proving Their Worth

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The EYBL Nike Nationals in Chicago is one of the best events of the year. Top ranking players from all corners of the country, under one roof for 4 days of competition, to show which team is the best of the best. This year was no different. There was nail bitting finishes, intense personal battles between some of the top ranking players in the country, and a lot of emotion left on the floor. The players that I listed below are just some of the best that I saw this weekend. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Leah Macy - 2025 - 6'3 PF - Kentucky Premier 17U EYBL</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leah Macy was hands down a Top 5 player that I saw compete this weekend at the EYBL Nike Nationals. Macy, a 6'3 forward, was taking care of business near the basket, while knocking down several jump shots from deep behind the three point arc. In multiple contests Macy proved that she was the best player on the floor and ultimately, the deciding factor for her team in those victories. I would imagine that Macy's interest is skying rocketing as we speak and she is talking to a lot of Division 1 coaches. With her versatility, it's no question that in the right system, she will be a consistent and efficient producer at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='311381' first='Divine' last='Bourrage'] - 2025 - 6'0 CG - [program_tooltip program_id='712377' first='All' last='Iowa Attack'] 17U EYBL</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='311381' first='Divine' last='Bourrage'] proved a lot to me this weekend. She was having an AAU season to remember and this tournament really opened the worlds eyes to her ability. Bourrage is a 6FT guard with a ton of versatility. She displayed the ability to play point guard and bring up the ball against pressure or work the mid-post and in against a weaker opponent. Coming this fall it's going to be a hard choice where to rank Bourrage in the 2025 class rankings throughout the state of Iowa. Her skill and ability have always been there and she is continuing to grow. I had a chance to watch Bourrage's high school team at state last season and she was nothing like the player I saw yesterday in the National Championship. Something has clicked over these past few months and her ceiling is continuing to rise day-by-day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Aaliyah Chavez - 2025 - 5'10 PG - CY Fair 17U EYBL</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aaliyah Chavez of Cy-Fair 17U EYBL is the #1 ranked player on ESPN in the 2025 class so you know I had to stop in to see her play. Chavez was impressive. I can see why she is a player that everyone has on their radar at the Division 1 level. She controls the game and its pace, works really well with the ball in her hands as a distributor or scorer at the point, and can knock down several shots in a row from behind the arc. Not to mention that she can play some stifling defense, causing a lot of havoc for the opposing team in their backcourt. At the end of the day Chavez is going to have her choice of where she wants to play college ball. As long as she continues to get better, there is no telling where her ability could take her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jerzy Robinson - 2026 - 6'0 CG - Why Not 17U EYBL</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jerzy Robinson, the #1 player in the 2026 class nation wide, was an interesting player to see this weekend. Robinson holds herself to a high standard on the basketball court and it shows. Her mixture of skill, smarts, and size are nice for her age with the ability to grow over time. I was honestly kind of shocked by what I saw when I watched Robinsons team compete. They share the ball equally but understand that when it matters, Robinson needs the ball in her hands. She showed out several skill moves that had the crowds standing and cheering on a consistent basis this weekend. I'm interested to where Robinson will end up for her college career. It will most likely be awhile until we find out but whoever is getting her, is getting a real hooper who will have a shot at the league one day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kennedy Smith - 2024 - 6'1 - PF - Cal Sparks 17U EYBL</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kennedy Smith was a powerhouse all tournament long for her Cal Sparks 17U EYBL squad. Smith was a dominate force on the glass on both sides of the floor, while showing everyone her bag on the offensive side of things. She used her size and strength to beat her opponents at the rim at an efficient rate, while not settling for bad shots a majority of the time. She was easily one of the best producers on the floor and not just when it came to scoring the basketball. She displayed that no matter what the situation, she is going to work through the pain and come out on the other side as a winner. Some really promising stuff lies ahead for this one, there is no doubt about it. Especially while coming off of a national championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->