Jakayla Palmer Jakayla Palmer 5'8" | CG Southern Durham | 2027 State NC showed off her spin moves getting to the rim and making an old fashioned three point play giving her team some life in the first half.  She continued to catch her defenders off guard going coast to coast with the ball.  Her smoothness with the ball spinning her way in the paint running full speed and still being able to make the adjustment hitting the shot was fun to watch.  She knocked the ball away from guards trying to get by her creating a turnover to take the other direction.  She stepped outside the perimeter to show off her range, too.

A winner on the court. Jakayla finds ways to make winning plays. She is shifty with the ball in her hands. She has a mean crossover and hesitation move that leaves the defenders two steps behind. She does a great job of changing speed and direction with the ball in her hands. Plamer is also a knock down spot up shooter from beyond the arc.

Jakayla Palmer Jakayla Palmer 5'8" | CG Southern Durham | 2027 State NC was all over the court hustling back to deflect some passes and even block shots using her length to protect the basket.  She was patient letting plays develop and waiting for her teammates to get open before hitting them in stride.  She was tough on defense and scoring off of these turnovers taking the ball the other direction.

Jakayla Palmer Jakayla Palmer 5'8" | CG Southern Durham | 2027 State NC had four points in a row attacking the basket making some nice adjustments at the rim.  She can use her handles to create space and put up her shot.  She created her own old fashioned three point play attacking the basket.

Southern SES also was the beneficiary of solid minutes from another of those five juniors. Palmer is a backcourt stalwart for the Spartans and contributed seven points to the Spartans’ cause. She was true on three of her six tries from the field and also grabbed five rebounds. Palmer also blocked a shot and collected a steal. She understands the art of attacking the rim and her fearless attitude will lead to many occasions where she draws contact to give her team opportunities at the free throw line. Out of the seven points she put on the board, she added four to the Southern SES total in the first 16 minutes of play.

A guard that is a difference maker and can make game winning plays. She is athletic and can really elevate high up over her defenders to knock down a nice mid-range jumper. Jakayla has several one on one moves in her repertoire that include spin moves, cross overs and behind the back dribbles. Palmer creates havoc on the defensive end as well that results in points.

Jakayla Palmer Jakayla Palmer 5'8" | CG Southern Durham | 2027 State NC was handling the ball well finding her open teammates, and she used steals to push the tempo the other direction.  She elevates up and over her opponents making her shot count, and she’s explosive getting up the court going the other direction.  She had a nice spin move for two points easily losing her defender, and she turned right around to grab the steal for two more points.  She had a big three point play scoring through contact and finishing from the free throw line to bring her team within one point on a big comeback.

Jakayla Palmer Jakayla Palmer 5'8" | CG Southern Durham | 2027 State NC was playing well on both ends stripping the ball away from her opponents and facilitating offensive plays on the other end.  She made sure to show how she can score on multiple levels using her moves to create the open look.  She hustled back on defense getting her hands in the way preventing fast breaks.

Jakayla simply makes plays on both sides of the ball. She’s quick and has really good court vision that got her teammates involved with some easy buckets for them. JP was one of the best passers this weekend, but she can also hit it from behind the arc at a nice clip. Her passes are crisp, she’s active in the passing lanes on defense, and she’s so unselfish with the ball in her hands making that extra pass.

Jakayla’s passing ability and unselfishness caught my eye early on. She was making the extra pass for a better look, dishing dimes in transition or in the half-court, and had some of the best court vision I saw in the gym with at least 5 assists in the first half. JP can get to the rim with her dribble and score it on her own if she wants, too. I liked how she controlled the pace and also how she moved without the ball on a back cut that led to a bucket.