Taji came through in the clutch for Chicago Hoops Express 17U on Saturday at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. She swiped the ball away for a steal and took it the other way for a bucket with her off hand. Taji knocked down cold-blooded threes from the corner and the wing down the stretch, then added a tough finish in traffic with her left on a backdoor cut. Taji kept the ball protected in the backcourt as the opposing team implemented a trap to try and create a turnover, then zipped a strong pass up the court to start the fast break. She’s a versatile prospect who stays calm under pressure and impacts the game on both ends of the court.

The potential in Taji’s game can’t be ignored. She could be impactful in multiple positions. As a one guard, she has the vision to run the show, as a two guard, she has no hesitation stepping outside the arc to shoot or being aggressive and getting to the rim. As a forward, she usually uses her strength and athleticism to put others at a disadvantage. She showed that in today’s matchups. Whether it was getting hot from beyond the arc, or attacking the rim and putting pressure on the defense. Coaches will see a player who is very versatile.

The consensus on Taji is how coachable and versatile she is. She has a ton of strength, but still plays with speed and smoothness. From a skillset standpoint, she has grown in all facets of the game. Her touch around the rim is soft, the footwork is solid, she has the confidence to step behind the arc and knock down the three ball, and she can slide in as a playmaker with the ball in her hands as well. Strong upside.

The perfect blend of strength and agility.. Taji’s skillset as a point forward is sharp and aggressive. She can hurt you from all over the court, and she knows when to play small and when to use her frame to get where she needs to. She has gotten better each year.. and remains a key focal and dominant piece for McAuley.

I had the opportunity to watch Taji Alexa Taji Alexa 5'10" | SF Mother McAuley | 2027 State IL of Mac Irvin Fire multiple times throughout the weekend and each time she was doing something positive to help out her team. Alexa is listed as a SF at 5’10 but I see her more as a CG/SG with how well and how much she like shoot the basketball from the outside. When Alexa has space, she isn’t afraid to let it fly and she makes a good amount of her attempts too. There are times that if she is overplayed on her shot, she will put it on the ground and get to the bucket for a finish through contact or for a hard take leading into free throw attempts. Alexa has a well rounded skill-set. If she continues to work, who knows where she might be able to take things in the future.

Alexa had me thinking about asking Alexa how good Alexa was, yet I don’t need a virtual assistant to tell me what I saw. She’s a “long and athletic” guard, which is the base, and does a good job scoring off the dribble and finishing after contact, body control played a part in that. She uses her athleticism on both ends, her “on the ball” pressure was solid, and she played the passing lane

Alexa seamlessly gets better and better every time I see her play. The athleticism and energy have been there from the beginning, but now with her having more body control and a stronger feel around the rim, there is no doubt she is one of the top forwards in this class.

There’s reasons why Taji is one of the top ballers in Illinois! For starters, she has fantastic court vision who can go coast to coast with ease! She makes it look easy. Great delivery, nice spin on the ball, beautiful dribble penetration!

Taji has been a name that has been in a ton of conversations about top talent in Illinois in this class. When coaches see her, they might see a tweener and not a true guard, but her offensive ability and athleticism has never been questioned. She is a true athlete who has solid skills in almost every area.

Taji has a strong shot at securing a D1 offer over the next couple of years. The only thing that might put a hold on that is her being a “tweener.” However, I could see her becoming a focal point for a high-major D2 program. Her skillset is guard-like, and she has the physical attributes to play the 3/4 position if needed. From every angle and spot, she can hurt you on the offensive end, and she’s been doing that plus more. She will be a name to watch over the next couple of years.