I’m often asked what it is I’m looking for in a particular player when watching games. This is such an interesting question that I never know just quite how to answer. First and foremost, I’m a lifelong basketball head. I hear the word “evaluator” as the definition of what I do and sometimes chuckle because I’m more of a fan than anything else. I LOVE the game, l LOVE the lifelong opportunities the game represents & presents to so many young kids, and I LOVE the people that are as passionate about the growth of women’s basketball from the grassroots to professional levels as I am. When “evaluating”, the truth is I am watching to find out a player’s measurables (they DO matter), their athleticism (it DOES matter), their skillset (OF COURSE it matters), their IQ (the most underrated aspect of any player), and lastly their competitive feel for the game – which I probably value more than most. I’m watching to get a real feel for who a particular player truly is at their basketball “core”. The truly competitive players who value winning/competing with their team over individual stats and accolades invariably become the most productive collegiate and professional players. I also greatly value context – meaning whom a player is playing with and against, what (if anything) is on the line - it all matters to me. Please don’t take that as meaning I only value “high level” club games. I value a true leader attempting to overcome the odds while playing with an overmatched team just as much if not more. I certainly value High School basketball production more than most. Something Shane Laflin said to me years ago that always sticks with me and explains my basketball “values” the best in one phrase – “The game is played in fives, not ones”.  The players that play the games in “fives” particularly stand out to me.