Bella is another dangerous perimeter threat that opposing defenses must account for. If left unchecked from beyond the arc, she has the ability to make teams pay in a hurry. Beyond her shooting, she uses her strength effectively in the paint to draw contact and finish through it, while also holding strong defensive positioning on the other end.

Baez brings a steady presence to Milton’s backcourt. She has a strong handle and plays with a good feel for the game. She’s effective getting into the paint using pace and her frame, where she can either create for herself or make the next pass. She does a nice job setting the tempo and keeping her team organized. On the defensive end, she competes and stays engaged. As an underclassman, she shows real upside and will continue to be a player to watch.

Bella Baez Bella Baez 5'4" | PG Milton Academy | 2028 State New E (2028) | 5’4 PG | Milton Academy

Beaz has been controlling the tempo and facilitating in excellent fashion. She has great ball control and is a decisive decision maker. She can operate in tight spaces without risk of excessive turnovers plus Bella has demonstrated that she can knock down shots on the bounce if asked to create. Expect to see her name featured more in the upcoming year.

Bella is a great guard for Milton. She has a very good handle and IQ. She was able to get to get into the lane to make things happen for her team. A point guard who facilitates well and sets her teams pace.

Bella Baez Bella Baez 5'4" | PG Milton Academy | 2028 State New E (2028) | 5’4 PG | Milton Academy

Beaz takes advantage of the mismatch when she’s filling the scoring role, but it’s her natural ability to make plays for others that stands out. The defense is required to pay Bella special attention as she probes after pick & rolls as well as dribble handoff options. The pressure she puts on the help allows for things to open up for teammates.

Bella uses her strong frame to shoulder past defenders and get into the paint, where she plays through contact effectively, drawing fouls and finishing through and-ones. When defenses collapse on her, she does a great job recognizing it and kicking the ball out to open teammates. On the defensive end, Bella positions herself well in passing lanes, making it difficult for opponents to move the ball cleanly and setting herself up to disrupt plays.

Bella Baez Bella Baez 5'4" | PG Milton Academy | 2028 State New E (2028) | 5’4 PG | Milton Academy

Although Bella has dealt with some injury in AAU, there’s no excuse for her to be slept on coming into the year. The assertive young guard has been making noise in the region for some time. She understands how to be effective in the right times, sports a reliable 3-point shot, plus Baez can control the tempo of the game. Bella has no problem functioning in transitionary play or running halfcourt sets. She’s a natural playmaker that’s pretty clever.

Bella Baez Bella Baez 5'4" | PG Milton Academy | 2028 State New E (2028) | 5’4 PG | Milton Academy

Bella showed exactly why she was a top 10 player in the class throughout the showcase. She can play at an elite level no matter the pace of the game. While slowing down and letting the offense develop, she extended the defense to create open space for her to operate. A great pick & roll prodigy that made a living creating mismatches off pulling defenders out of position and then attacking the rim. While attacking, Bella displayed the ability to contort her body after the contact to finish tough angled finishes. She slows her body down while getting to the lane while drawing contact to get a quality attempt every time at the rim. Baez was able to speed up the pace a bit in open court with dazzling cross court passes or dumps to open players under the rim. She had no problem advancing the ball when lanes were filled on secondary breaks. Bella showed impressive shooting skills on the day. She moved without the ball in her hand and was able to find open spaces on the wing for open 3-pointers. She has a consistent form that was falling for her. On defense she was an agitator that got under weaker ballhandlers trying to get steals. Baez can burst out of defensive slides quickly which allowed her to stay aligned with the best of the ballhandlers. Altoghter, Bella is an elite point guard in the class. The creation for herself and others was second to none.

Bella Baez Bella Baez 5'4" | PG Milton Academy | 2028 State New E (2028) | 5’4 PG | Milton Academy

Bella is the #2 ranked point guard in the class. She comes in as a very astute floor general with exceptional facilitation skills. Baez has a well-rounded game that packs a punch both offensively and defensively. She can shoot the ball well in various situations, but is just as much of a threat driving into the lane. The Milton Academy point works well with others, but especially potent when surrounded by scorers. Baez shows great patience and tends to be able to operate in high intensity situations while still being able to make impactful plays. Bella rarely seems flustered no matter the capability of a defender. On the defensive end, Bella can stay in front of just about anyone. She takes calculated risks and gets rewarded with steals that convert to easy points. When Baez is at point, the team is in good hands. Milton will be an intriguing team to watch with Bella running as their facilitator.

Bella Baez is a facilitator who does an excellent job of running offense along with racking up assists. A point guard first, but she also shows some creation skills off the dribble. Baez loves to get others involved while running the 1. Her awareness is a skill that can be overlooked at times. Bella understands the game and plays her position accordingly. A stocky guard that gets to her spots with an excellent cadence. Her dribbles and steps are all in conjunction while pushing the pace to get penetration. Baez also has a nice handle that further assists her in getting anywhere on the court, despite the traffic. As a defender, Bella is engaged and offers a sense of feistiness. Bella is on pace to follow a similar path as fellow Shooting Touch star Christina Pham Christina Pham 5'7" | PG Noble & Greenough | 2025 State New E . Beaz is already highly skilled for her position, she is someone to watch for at Milton next year.