New York, New York,….New England

Only EXPLOSION can prevent Big Apple Sweep:
New England Explosion thwarts elite NYC Programs from Sweeping 2006 GIRL’S GymRat CHALLENGE

NJ-NorthstarsAlbany, N.Y. — Epiphany Prince and her teammates with the New Height Exodus AAU basketball program made an incredible impression during their run to the 16-and-under division championship at the inaugural GIRL’S GymRat CHALLENGE in April 2005. The old saying that “talent follows talent” clearly held true in the 2006 edition of the event as some of the eastern seaboard’s best, including top New York City rivals, converged on Albany, NY to attempt to take what New Heights Exodus had claimed.

In fact, 104 teams and nearly 1,500 players descended on New York’s Capital Region to kick off the national AAU circuit and compete for titles at the 16U, 15U and 14U age levels. The competition once again proved to be top notch, not only producing three worthy team champions, but several memorable individual performances from some of the premier talent on the East Coast.

While Prince, who set a national scholastic single-game scoring record for Murray Bergtraum High School with an amazing 113 points, watched courtside sporting her McDonald’s All-American ring and playing the role of female LeBron James, signing autographs and taking pictures with admiring spectators both young and old alike, her former Exodus teammates fought their way back to the title game and proceeded to jump all over the New Jersey Northstars in the final before settling for a 48-34 championship victory. Ultra-tough guard Anjale Barrett emerged from the talented Exodus roster to lay claim to Most Valuable GymRat honors by delivering a superlative tournament capped by an amazing effort in the championship triumph.

From an outstanding and memorable basketball weekend, here now is a more in-depth breakdown of each age group, along with listing of the MVG (Most Valuable GymRat), All-GymRat CHALLENGE selections and Honorable Mention picks.

16-U Age Division

The path to the championship game proved to be an exhaustive journey for New Heights Exodus and the New Jersey Northstars. Both squads expended so much energy surviving pool play and then working through difficult playoff showdowns, the title game suffered a bit. New Heights Exodus made the Northstars suffer more by opening up leads of 11-0 and 17-4 to seize command early and never look back.

Shots that normally dropped through the basket suddenly found iron instead. The Exodus guard trio of Anjale Barrett, Erica Morrow and Samantha Pharalis took turns dicing through the normally-stingy Northstars defense to lead their team to a 48-34 title victory. Barrett and Morrow authored some of the finest ballhandling sequences and best passes at the event — with the main benefactor often being forward Shenneika Smith (team-high 14 points), while Pharalis showed off her long-range shooting prowess. “We figured if we could come out with high intensity, it would be the key for us,” Barrett said. “It is easier to play from ahead than it is from behind.”

The gutsy Northstars would not go quietly, however, as point guard Alyssa May and power forward Catherine Carr continued to fight to the final whistle to complete impressive showings at the 2006 GIRL’S GymRat CHALLENGE.

16-U GymRat CHALLENGE Most Valuable GymRat

Anjale Barrett (5-9 PG/SG, New Heights Exodus-APACHE):

This show-stopping lefty guard played well throughout the tournament, yet saved her finest all-around performance for the championship game. Barrett always knew what was needed for her team to win. When the Exodus needed a steal, there was Barrett to make the theft and finish at the other end. She partnered with Erica Morrow to complete countless 2-on-1 breaks over the two-day event. “Erica and I have a lot of fun together,” Barrett explained. Barrett’s body-control in the lane — and her ability to take contact and still finish — is as good as it gets, yet when asked if she enjoyed defense more than offense, Barrett sheepishly grinned as if her secret had just been revealed, “I love shutting people down and taking away things they want to do.”

Before arriving in Albany, Barrett was receiving interest from schools like 2006 National Champion Maryland, Duke, Rutgers and Temple. Barrett’s showing at the 2006 GymRat CHALLENGE only enhances her status as one of the elite guards in the country.

16-U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Erica Morrow (5-8 SG/PG, New Heights Exodus-APACHE): A lock-down defender with a myriad of offensive firepower at her disposal, Morrow is disruptive in all the right ways. A repeat member of the 16-U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team, Morrow does everything well. She effortlessly creates space for her outside shot or effective junkets to the basket, plus Morrow is a spectacular passer. Defensively, Morrow wants and gets the difficult assignments. Morrow’s quiet intensity and force of will is one of the main reasons why the Exodus won the team title for the second straight spring.

Alyssa May (6-0 PG, New Jersey Northstars): Smooth yet deadly, May is a big point guard with an enormous array of quality skills. A lethal outside shooter with beautiful form, May knows when to push to the tempo, slow things down or isolate a hot teammate. Defense is also a strong element in May’s game and she really makes the Northstars go. Drained six clutch 3-pointers in the semifinals, willing the Northstars to a 55-52 victory over the CAS Douglass Panthers.

Catherine Carr (5-11 PF/SF, New Jersey Northstars): Rugged and unrelenting at both ends of the floor, Carr competes from the opening tip to the final horn — no matter what the score is. Polished around the basket and a potent rebounder, Carr runs the floor extremely well, passes better than most guards and her will to win is easily evident. The term ‘gamer’ fits Carr well.

Shenise Johnson (5-10 SF/PF, Empire Dragons): A joy to watch at each end of the floor, Johnson once again put on an incredible two-way show to earn her second straight selection to the 16-U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team. An extremely physical player with the ability to put the ball on the deck and go, Johnson scores points in bunches, rebounds the ball and defends her position.

Vionca Murray (6-1 PF/C, CAS Douglass Panthers): Murray’s jumping ability is off the chart. She punishes players in the paint on offense and defense. A lightning-quick release or an incredible fake are about the only ways to get a shot off against Murray, while her skills inside are difficult to match. Players not willing to play at Murray’s high-octane level just get embarrassed.

Bria Jackson (5-4 PG, Empire Dragons): ‘By-You’ Bria is a handful to contain because of her exceptional combination of speed, quickness and instincts. The 5-foot-4 listing my be a bit generous, but that does not diminish Jackson’s skills or her ability to handle the game. Extraordinary vision and shooting range make Jackson a tough cover. Creates a great deal on offense and defense.

Valarie Blackwood (6-4 C, Exodus BABC): Rugged post player who understands the concept of ‘seal and finish.’ Blackwood blocks shots with ease, can grab 20 boards in any contest she plays in and is plenty physical. She can take over and punish teams, yet sometimes gets easily frustrated when the ball doesn’t come her way and carries it to the other end of the floor. When things are going right, however, few post players around the country can dominate the way Blackwood can.

Tania Walters (5-3 PG, Exodus BABC): Unquestionably the fastest guard in the 16-U classification, Walters is the ultimate pest. The diminutive point guard challenges every pass and every dribble attempt made by the opposition, and no player caused more turnovers. On offense, Walters explodes to the basket and showed off a nice pull-up jumper.

Samantha Pharalis (5-7 PG/SG, New Heights Exodus-APACHE): Pick your poison: give Pharalis any space to operate and she is gliding to the basket, or respect her driving ability and watch her hoist up a deadly 20-foot jumper that ultimately rips through the net. Opponents often picked wrong at the 2006 Gym CHALLENGE and Pharalis put on quite an enjoyable display. Navigates traffic with ease and rarely makes a mistake in any aspect of the game.

Shenneika Smith (6-1 SF, New Heights Exodus-APACHE): A young, athletic wing with a soft shooting touch and endless ‘wingspan.’ Smith gets to everything in the passing lanes and is a potent finisher in transition. She hurt the New Jersey Northstars badly in the title game with her strength on the glass and on the break — showing one final time why Smith is such a difficult player to contain.

Jori Davis (6-0 PF/C, SRAP): An outstanding scorer and rebounder, Davis proved to be a difficult player to contain. She runs the floor well, uses her body effectively to get position to score or rebound, plus Davis knows how to finish with authority.

Megan Shoniker (5-8 PG, Crystal City Stars): Dynamic point guard with a keen scoring sense and flare for making the perfect pass. Shoniker knows exactly when to accelerate by defenders, and her excellent ball-handling skills and ability to create off the dribble made the slick point guard a very difficult matchup. Does not neglect her duties at the defensive end and is an excellent on the offensive glass.

Amelia Horton (5-9 SG, CAS Douglass Panthers): Getting to the basket has never been a problem for Horton. One-on-one coverage is not enough and she will toast anything less than a totally-active zone with dribble-penetration. Finishes around the basket and is a true force on the glass. Defensively, Horton has few equals: moves her feet, uses her body and is relentless.

Kim Brennan (5-9 SG, Long Island Lightning-SPARACIA): This young lady loves to score, and she can do so in huge chunks. Brennan knows how to get separation and uses the dribble effectively to create ample space to operate.

Sharee Daniels (5-8 SF/SG, American Eagles): It is hard for the opposition to get a handle on Daniels’ game because she is so unorthodox, yet is remarkably effective in everything she does. Deceptively quick with jump-out-of-the-gym hops, Daniels discovers what the opposition can’t do against her and proceeds to exploit that advantage. A quiet leader with quality skills as a passer, defender and rebounder, Daniels needs only to develop more consistency with her jumper to take her game to new heights.

Alisa Apo (5-8 PG/SG, Central Jersey Hawks-TALBOT): A deadly shooting wiz and fearless leader, Apo led the way as the Hawks soare all the way to the semifinals. Displayed a quick release, exceptional shooting form and rotation on her jumper, Apo also set up her teammates for quality scoring chances and displayed tremendous competitive nature.

Jackie Ward (5-8 SG/SF, Crystal City Stars): There are times when Ward has the ball in her hands where it seems she is transmitting the following message: “Stop me if you can, because I’m going through you, around you or over you.” Easily one of the most determined players at this event, Ward is a multiple offensive threat as she can bomb from the outside, crash the glass for easy buckets or simply blows by her defender. Ward is also effective passing the ball and is not afraid to mix it up on the defensive end of the floor.

Katelyn Agan (6-1 PF, Elmira Lady Express Blue): Relentless post player who is always fighting to get the upper hand on the opposition. Moves well without the basketball, establishes position quickly and knows how to maintain the upper hand. Agan displayed a solid baseline jumper and shows a true desire to soak up instruction.

Michelle Kirk (6-0 SG/SF, Elmira Lady Express Blue): Kirk has enormous scoring skills and is not afraid to use them. She not only has big-time shooting range, but a potent mid-range game and an ability to find her way to the basket. Kirk is already an accomplished player, but it appears there are more improvements still to come.

Katherine Mary Goodwin (5-6 PG, New England Lady Panthers): Known as ‘Squish’, Goodwin tortured the opposition with a healthy array of 3-pointers, acrobatic drives and pinpoint passes. Goodwin also registered a ton of steals and never backed down from a physical challenge.

16:U Honorable Mention Selections

Lauren Hayes (5-4 PG, American Eagles)
Lyndsey Moore (5-6 PG/SG, American Eagles)
Kaleigh Lussier (5-11 PF/C, American Eagles)
Brianna Jones (5-6 PG/SG, Team ROC Stingers-Red)
Brianna Wilson (6-3 C, New England Lady Panthers)
Kendrea Renea Oliver (5-10 PF/SF, New England Lady Panthers)
Melissa Alwardt (5-11 PF, WNY Lady Lakers)
Rylie Day (6-3 C, WNY Lady Lakers)
Tesia Kaczynski (5-6 PG/SG, Elmira Lady Express Blue)
Nicole Jones (6-2 C, Crystal City Stars)
Alyssa Fenyn (5-9 SF/SG, Crystal City Stars)
Tareka Cesar (5-7 PG/SG, Rockland Rockets)
Marshay White (5-5 SG, Empire Dragons)
Eva Riddick (6-3 C, Empire Dragons)
Nikki Carroll (5-10 PF/C, UNITY Wildcats)
Julia Tupper (5-8 SF/SG, UNITY Wildcats)
Katie Edgerton (5-9 SG, Next Level Athletics)
Kelsey Beynnon (6-1 C, Next Level Athletics)
Yvette Hunter (5-10 PF/C, Lady Shooting Stars)
Lauren Hazel (5-7 SG, Exodus BABC)
Christine Lesane (5-10 PF, Exodus BABC)
Brianna Peterson (6-0 PF, NY Pride)
Lindsay Cassinis (5-9 SG, New Jersey Northstars)
Danielle Rich (5-5 PG, STNY Flyers-BRADLEY)
Courtney Williams (6-0 C, South Coast Magic)
Erin Baldwin (5-8 SF/SG, South Coast Magic)
Alexa Roche (6-0 PF, New Heights Exodus-APACHE)
Adrian Randall (6-2 C, New Heights Exodus-APACHE)
Brittany Wilson (5-11 PF/C, Rochester Warriors)
Casey Wright (6-2 C, New York Scorpions)
Jodie Plikus (5-9 SF/SG, Connecticut Storm Black)
Chelsea Davis (6-2 C, CAS Douglass Panthers)
Tasha Bartlett (5-10 SF/PF, CAS Douglass Panthers)
Sara Borthwick (5-8 PG, American Eagles)
Sara Child (6-0 C/PF, American Eagles)
Sarah Paulus (5-9 SG/PG, SRAP)
Kendra Brim (6-0 SF/PF, SRAP)
Jill McDonald (6-2 C, Lone Wolf Athletics)
Kelli Hier (6-0 SG, Lone Wolf Athletics)

15-U Age Division

The New England Explosion showed winning the 14-U tournament at the 2005 GymRat CHALLENGE was not an accident by working their way to the team title. Led by Genn Roy and Brighid Courtney, the Explosion played together and preserved through the difficult stretches and fatigue that come with playing multiple games in one day. The team ultimately prevailed in the title game against New Height Exodus because of their defensive prowess.

The Explosion blew up what the Exodus wanted to do and used a big run down the stretch to register a 52-45 title victory.

15-U GymRat CHALLENGE Most Valuable GymRat

Genn Roy (5-9 PG/SG, New England Explosion)

15U-Championship-Game The mark of a great player is the ability to make others around them better. Roy possesses the trait of elevating the play of the four players on the court with her. Roy’s scoring, passing, defense and all-around court savvy is the major reason why the Explosion claimed the 15-U GymRat CHALLENGE title. Quick, fluid and decisive with her play, Roy capped a brilliant tournament by scoring 16 points in a 52-45 championship victory over New Heights Exodus of New York City. Roy, who landed on the 14-U honorable mention list in 2005 when the Explosion captured the team title, is the type of performer who adds positive layers to the game with each outing. How good will Roy be when she returns in 2007? Stay tuned.

15-U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Carissa Reed (6-0 PG/SG/SF, United Wildcats): A multi-dimensional performer, Reed can take over a game in a variety of ways — yet still allows the game to come to her. An outstanding long-range shooter with impeccable passing skills, Reed’s feel for the game is what separates her from the rest. Fundamentally sound and capable of playing point, shooting guard or wing forward, Reed’s upside is tremendous.

Brighid Courtney (5-11 C/PF, New England Explosion): The 14-U MVG at the 2005 GymRat CHALLENGE did nothing to diminish her status by helping lead the Explosion to the championship. An accomplished finisher around the basket, the hard-working Courtney finds the basketball in traffic and closes the deal quickly. An excellent rebounder and defender who does not shy away from physical player, Courtney is relentless and the type of player teams desire to have around because of her winning traits.

Moriyah Maury (5-7 PG/SG, Jersey Pioneers): Armed with tremendous speed and quickness, Maury gets to the basket with relative ease. Excellent vision and timing with her passes, Maury also takes pride in defensive work. With an improved jump shot, Maury has the potential to become an unstoppable package.

Michelle Kurewski (5-10 SF/PF, Long Island Lightning-Slater): Aggressive and relentless in the paint, Kurewski can also knock down the mid-range jumper — drawing defenders away from the basket and opening up the lane for teammates.

Megan Martel (5-9 PG, Connecticut Shamrocks): Fundamentally-sound in every aspect of the game, Martel is smooth around the hoop and is a tenacious rebounding force. Extremely athletic, the ‘winner’ tag definitely applies to Martel.

Aubrey Hoyt (5-9 SF, Connecticut Shamrocks): A quality defender and rebounder, Hoyt is potent finishing on the break or cleaning up on the offensive glass. Does not try to do too much. The upside potential here is real.

Briana Dunton (5-7 PG, Western NY Lady Lakers): Dunton spent much of her stay in Albany breaking ankles with a potent hesitation dribble before exploding to the hoop. A hard-working player at both ends of the floor, Dunton is the type of point guard who is equally adept at passing, scoring or creating havoc with her defensive skills.

Shannon Seager (6-2 C, Elmira Lady Express-Blue): Flashed a potent turn-around jumper in the paint, Seager is also adept with both hands. Seager runs the floor extremely well. With increased strength, Seager can become a powerful force.

Meredith Hafer (5-8 SF, Elmira Lady Express-Blue): Hafer appears to crave the toughest defensive assignment as much as she does flashing her jump-shooting skills. An extremely intelligent player, Hafer’s positive attitude rubs off on teammates.

Calli Coffee (5-7 SG, Connecticut Storm Black): No DECAF here. A lefty sniper with limitless range, Coffee is the type of player who can reel off 10 to 12 points in a 90-second span. Coffee seemingly is involved in every aspect of the game and can demoralize with her scoring and passing. Coffee is highly-entertaining, yet lethal.

Paige Venson (5-9 PG, Firm AC): Blessed with exceptional vision and ball-handling skills, Venson is devastating in transition — getting to the rim with ease or smoking unsuspecting defenders with a pull-up jumper. Defensive intensity is not always present. If that changes, Venson can truly consume a game at both ends — given her skill set.

Kiley Evans (5-9 SF/SG, UNITY Wildcats): Impactful player in many regards, Evans confounds the opposition with relentless work on defense, excellent passing skills and a polished all-around offensive game. Teams found out leaving Evans room beyond the three-point arc is a big mistake. Evans is tenacious in everything she does and ‘team’ always comes first.

Nicole Karam (5-9 SG/SF, UNITY Wildcats): A potent left-handed shooter from long range, Karam is not afraid to mix it up in the paint or create shots off the dribble. While she is the definition of the term ‘scorer’, Karam is not selfish.

Janne Aldridge (5-11 PF/SF, Long Island Lightning-Slater): While Aldrdige displays well-rounded skills around the basket, her ability to pop out to the three-point line and convert is what sets her apart. Defense, rebounding and passing skills are also solid.

Janae Aiken (5-9 SG/SF, New Heights Exodus): Her junkets from one end of the floor to the other opened eyes at this event. Aiken ‘hurt’ opponents with her crossover dribble, slashing to the basket, ability to consistently knock down jumpers and overall defensive prowess. The future is bright for this standout.

Jelleah Sidney (6-1 PF, New Heights Exodus): All-around abilities shined through as Sidney blocked shots, rebounded, passed and scored with equal effectiveness. Teams often were intimidated to attack Sidney after she blocked or altered shots early in games.

Rachel Coffee (5-7 PG, Kingston Vipers): Only an eighth-grader, Coffee is remarkably advanced already and has the potential to be a great, great player. Gets to the basket with ease and is potent shooting off the dribble, yet Coffee does not always work hard at the defensive end. With added maturity, Coffee has the potential to become a truly dominating force for years to come.

15:U Honorable Mention

Katherine Pearce (5-8 G/F, Connecticut Storm-White)
Victoria Wiseman (5-9 F, Snowdon)
Rachael Israel (5-7 SG, Snowdon)
Ericka Sagay (6-2 C, Connecticut Shamrocks)
Alex Redetsky (5-9 SF/PF, Hoop Zone Gym Ratz)
Colleen Ahearn (6-1 C, Hoop Zone Gym Ratz)
Ranait Griff (New Jersey Panthers)
Tracey Borsinger (New Jersey Panthers)
Christy Jacoski (6-0 PF/C, Elmira Lady Express Blue)
Sarah Joseph (5-1 PG, Connecticut Storm Black)
Keyokah Mars-Garrick (6-0 C, Connecticut Storm Black)
Taylor Leonard (5-4 PG, Kingston Vipers)
Brittany Capoziello (5-10 PF/C, Connecticut Breeze)
Molly Yardley (5-7 SF/SG, Connecticut Breeze)
Jacqueline Shinall (5-0 PG/SG, Connecticut Breeze)
Jennifer Shinall (5-0 PG/SG, Connecticut Breeze)
Jamie Messer (5-6 SG, New England Explosion)
Essence Townsend (6-5 C, Jersey Pioneers)
Sofia Malone (6-3 C, New Heights Exodus)

14-U Age Division

Shereen-Lightbourne-CAS While another New York City powerhouse established themselves as the early favorites to win the 14U Age Division, it was the CAS Douglass Panthers and Long Island Lightning that survived and advanced their way to the Championship Game.

The Championship Style format of the GymRat CHALLENGE has been known to cause powerful teams that breeze through Pool Play to gain a false sense of security entering the highly competitive Championship Round. If you snooze, even for only a moment, you can loose. While the size, speed, athleticism, and work ethic of the New York Gauchos allowed them to impress all on-lookers and advance into the Championship Round as the #1 seed, an upset was lurking. Russ Ferri’s #8 seed Rhode Island Thunder turned in the team performance of the weekend by employing a 3-2 zone, tenacious rebounding, and timely guard play to send the favorites heading south on the New York State Thruway. Not stopping to shed any tears, two other New York Metropolitan giants marched forward for a head on collision.

While the final score said otherwise, the championship game between the CAS Douglass Panthers and the Long Island Lightning featured ample intrigue. There were several sizeable runs and enough emotional turmoil to last 10 games. In the end, the Panthers’ unrelenting pressure finally proved to be the Lightning’s undoing. Led by Katrina Blackman, Naderah McKennth, Alicia Cropper and Shereen Lightbourne, the Panthers claimed the title with a hard-fought 63-51 decision over a quality Lightning contingent.

14-U GymRat CHALLENGE MVG: Most Valuable GymRat

Katrina Blackman (5-8 SF/PF, CAS Douglass Panthers)

With her team down by 14 points in the title game against the Long Island Lightning, Blackman’s defensive work on the press turned the game in the Panthers’ favor. Blackman’s energy, emotion and positive vibe fueled a dramatic turnaround as the Panthers claimed the title with a 63-51 verdict. Exceptionally quick and forceful with her moves, Blackman is capable of scoring points in bunches.

While Blackman loves to perform on defense, she managed to score 18 points in the championship victory to earn MVG honors.

14-U All-GymRat CHALLENGE TEAM

Takima Lucky (5-6 PG/SG/SF, Gauchos): Did not get much of a chance to see an outside shooting game because Lucky kept blowing by anyone unfortunate enough to guard this cat-quick dynamo. Best rebounder in the 14-U Division, without question. Dangerous in the passing lanes and a player capable of creating havoc at both ends of the floor, Lucky possesses an excellent feel for what her teams needs at all times.

Tiffany Connor (5-9 SG/SF/PF, Gauchos): An irritant on defense, Connor proved to an unstoppable force in the Gauchos’ press tactics. A dynamic finisher in transition and a terror on the glass, Connor’s only ‘flaw’ is perhaps she is too unselfish. Her scoring, rebounding, passing, defense and all-around heady play makes the Gauchos a ‘must-see’ attraction.

Doris Ortega (5-8 SF/PF, CAS Douglass-Chez): Whether it was posting-up, taking her defender off the dribble or draining a 3-pointer, Ortega proved to a total matchup nightmare for opponents. An explosive leaper who attacks the basketball, Ortega fills the stat sheet in all the right places.

Ka-Deidre Simmons (5-3 PG, CAS Douglass-Chez): Quick, quicker and quickest: Simmons is all three. Torched many a defender before they even knew what happened. Gets to the basket easily and finishes. Creates any shot she wants — for her teammates or herself. Possessing unbelievable hands, reflexes and court sense, Simmons is a two-way terror not be missed.

Lauren Clarke (PG/SG, Central Jersey Hawks): Throw something lazy or slow in the passing lanes and watch Clark go to work. A deflection-machine, Clarke is an intuitive player with a deadly outside shot, quality decision-making skills and a undeniable will to win. If Clarke can become a more forceful leader, the package will be complete.

Kristen Doherty (5-7 SF, Long Island Xtreme): This lefty sharpshooter foils the opposition with long-range exploits and positive excursions to the basket. With a quick-first step and knack for knowing how to break down a defender, Doherty is also remarkably polished as a passer and defender. A growth spurt should be coming.

Naderah McKennth (5-4 PG, CAS Douglass-Jenkins): True definition of a point guard: McKennth handles the ball without difficulty, sees the floor extremely well, makes passes at the most opportune time, scores when she has to and is a complete defensive force. Anticipation is a major attribute for McKennth. She flashed a quality outside shot when defenders grew wary of McKennth blowing past them off the dribble.

Milan Germany (5-10 SG/PG, Exodus): How to stop Germany? This is not a World Cup Soccer problem, but a basketball equation that might not have a solution. Big, physical and able to play a variety of positions, Germany is adept at point, shooting guard and both forward slots. Germany often surprises foes with her speed and fluidly gets to the rim. Needs to push herself harder to elevate to elite status.

Caitlin Costello (5-10 SG/SF/PG, Long Island Lightning): Costello always hustles and impressed with her all-around skills. She can handle the ball well with her left or right hand, thread the needle with a glorious pass or simply finish on the bounce. Adept at playing the power and/or finesse game. Costello is a quality team leader that other players want to follow.

Tara Lonergan (5-11 SF/PF, Long Island Lightning): Not afraid to bang around in the paint, Lonergan has exceptional speed for her size. Fills the lane on the break and can handle the rock herself. Lonergan loves to rebound and is a true finisher inside. When the double-team comes, she is also is an excellent passer. A fun, yet relentless, player to watch.

14:U Honorable Mention Selections

Alexa Ryan (SF/PF, Central Jersey Hawks)
Shannon Flynn (5-4 PG, Long Island Xtreme)
Jocelyn Cummings (CAS Douglass-Chez)
Alicia Cropper (5-6 SG, CAS Douglass-Jenkins)
Jameilia Dillon (5-11 PF/C, Rhode Island Thunder)
Laura Neff (5-5 PG, Rhode Island Thunder)
Christine Hiltunen (5-4 PG, Brooklyn Saints)
Tiana Taylor (5-2 PG, Rockland Royals)
Lisa Rufer (5-6 PG, American Eagles)
Kat Woods (5-5 PG/SG, Connecticut Shamrocks)