2016 She Got Game Classic

In what has grown to become one of the most
anticipated events of the scholastic season, the
2016 She Got Game Classic did not disappoint.
It was held in the greater DMV area at eight
different locations with multiple courts. The eighth annual event hosted over 100 teams from the United States and eight teams also joined from Canada and brought some of our northern neighbor’s best high school players.
 




The weather was cold and brisk and it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Washington, DC. This event is an east coast and Holiday Hoops staple and is a wonderful stage for these players and teams to display their gifts and talents. The matchups pitted quality opponents against each other and highlighted the different styles of play, coaching philosophies and game plans, and skills of many of the elite from all over the country, but especially the east.
 
USA Today #1 team Paul VI (VA) is as deep with high caliber talent as there is in the country. They have elite guard play (2018 Honesty Scott-Grayson and 2019 Ashley Owusu) and athleticism, size, and grit in their forwards and posts (2018 Tennessee commit Amira Collins and 2017 Notre Dame signee Mikayla Vaughn). They share the ball, take good shots, and put a lot of points on the board. They put a lot of pressure on their opponents with their pressing and really get on the glass on both ends.  
 
Long Island Lutheran has big guards and high level athleticism in their forwards and also has a bench that provides them with nice substitution options. The quality of the basketball in their game vs Archbishop Wood (PA) was outstanding as Wood runs like a well-oiled machine with their passing, movement without the ball, and their defensive rotations.
 
Good Counsel (MD) vs Neumann-Goretti (PA) was a heated contest full of D1 signees and certain future D1 signees. It should be mentioned that 2019 PG Chloe Chapman did not participate this weekend for Good Counsel due to an injury. 
 
Rufus King (WI) vs Ursuline (DE) was a battle of contrasting styles. Ursuline has quality young guard play in 2018 Maggie Connally and 2019 Alisha Lewis and Rufus King is anchored down low by true post player, 2019 Sydnee Roby. Ursuline got a good win on Saturday vs a talented Mary Louis Academy team out of New York who has super guard Jordan Nixon and Notre Dame signee Danielle Patterson.
 
St. Frances (MD) is a very talented bunch and led by smooth 2018 guard Nia Clouden and complemented by a very athletic 2020 Angel Reese and 2020 guard Delicia Pinnick. They play an uptempo style and their pieces compliment each other very well.
 

The Canadian guests brought several good teams and numerous quality players. The RISE Centre Academy is deep and has all the desired pieces for a well rounded basketball team. Their guard play led by 2019 Aerial Wilson and 2018 Taya Hansen is excellent. Both of them can play on the ball or off and do a nice job of distributing and being shooting and scoring threats. True post players are a premium and they have one in 2018 Kate Moran. She has a solid back to the basket game coupled with a nice touch out to 15 feet in which she showed the ability to knock down shots off the move and in the trail. They subbed frequently and did not drop off. 2020 guard Aaliyah Arab-Smith showed a foundation of skills and did a variety of things to display her talent and potential.
 
King’s Christian Collegiate is another notable team from Canada. In 2019 do-everything forward Laeticia Amihere, they had one of the best players in the entire event. She finishes at or ON the rim when she attacks the paint, plays the point of the press and is just relentless, eats on the glass, drops dimes in transition, and has a soft touch extending out to the three-point line. Her outstanding fundamental foundation of skills will only continue to be refined and I look for her to make a major impact at any level she plays at in the future. She teams with highly sought after 2018 power forward Christina Morra and is complemented with quality guards and wings in 2019’s Tienna Neal and Mide Oriyomi and 2018 Lauren Boers.
 
A couple young Canadian players deserve mention from the Crestwood Lions. 2021’s Latasha Lattimore (4/5) and PG Shayeann Day-Wilson showed some real promise and made some very good plays. Lattimore is a long and lanky young forward whose effort really impressed me. Day-Wilson is a crafty guard with nice shake and froze multiple defenders as she played very well out of the ball-screen actions they were running. These young players are coached well and made adjustments during the game as guided by their coach that were well beyond their years.

Another impressive guard was 2018 Keishana Washsington of Durham Elite. She is a smart PG that really pushed the tempo. She showed all around game and toughness. 
 

It is seemingly impossible to see all the teams in these events, but the following are more players that we saw that deserve some recognition (2018 and higher):
 
CANADA
 
2021
 
LaTasha Lattimore (Crestwood Lions)
Shayeann Day-Wilson (Crestwood Lions)
Schymera Samuels (Crestwood Lions)
 
2020
 
Jada Grannum (Guelph)
Aaliyah Arab-Smith (RISE)
 
2019
 
Laeticia Amihere (King’s Christian Collegiate)
Mide Oriyomi (King’s Christian Collegiate)
Tienna Neal (King’s Christian Collegiate)
Aerial Wilson (RISE)
 
2018
 
Keishanna Washington (Durham Elite)
Julia Chadwick (Durham Elite)
Naomi Ganpo (Guelph)
Mackenzie Obermeyer (Guelph)
Christina Morra (King’s Christian Collegiate)
Lauren Boers (King’s Christian Collegiate)
Xianna Joseph (RISE)
Kate Moran (RISE)
Taya Hansen (RISE)
 
 
UNITED STATES
 
2020
 
Delicia Pinnick (St. Frances – MD)
Liatu King (Bishop McNamara - MD)
Madison Scott (Bishop McNamara - MD)
Kelsi Mingo (Baco Raton –FL )
Elizabeth Martino (National Christian - MD)
Phinette Edwards (Paul Robeson - NY)
Mir McLean (Roland Park Country - MD)
Angel Reese (St. Frances – MD)
 
2019
 
Sydnee Roby (Rufus King)
Vanessa Woodfolk (St. Anne’s Belfield)
Rejon Hawkins (TPLS)
Alisha Lewis (Ursuline)
Celeste Taylor (Long Island Lutheran)
Ashley Owusu (Paul VI)
Jayla James (Paul VI)
Jakia Brown-Turner (Bishop McNamara – MD)
Aliyah Matharu (Bishop McNamara – MD)
Rayne Tucker (Good Counsel – MD)
Gabriella Zapata-Smalls (Life Center Academy – NJ)
Jaida Patrick (Long Island Lutheran)
Tatianna Jones (Neumann-Goretti - PA)
Elizabeth Kitley (Northwest Guilford - NC)
Cayla King (Northwest Guilford - NC)
Kelsy Villanueava (Paul Robeson - NY)
Jennifer Ezeh (Riverdale Baptist - MD)
Cali Konek (Riverdale Baptist - MD)
Anissa Riveria (Rock Creek Christian - MD)
Ja’Niah Henson (Roland Park - MD)
Tamia Lawhorne (St. Anthony’s - NY)
 
2018
 
Natalie Stralkus (Peddie School)
Lauren Ebo (Paul VI)
Rachel Stoval (TPLS)
Abigail Eads (TPLS)
Maggie Connally (Ursuline)
Nia Clouden (St. Frances – MD)
Chanel Wilson (McEachern)
Grace Stone (Long Island Lutheran)
Destiny Samuels (Long Island Lutheran)
Amani Free (Long Island Lutheran)
Bridget Arcidiocono (Archbishop Wood)
Jordan Nixon (Mary Louis)
Honesty Scott-Grayson (Paul VI)
Amira Collins (Paul VI)
Asia McCalla (Eleanor Roosevelt – MD)
Meggie Burgess (Good Counsel – MD)
Madison Hardy (Good Counsel – MD)
Imani Lewis (Life Center Academy – NJ)
Vanerlie Valcourt (Mary Louis – NY)
Rochelle Norris (Riverdale Baptist – MD)
Taleah Washington (Rock Creek Christian – MD)
Earlette Scott (South Shore – NY)
Destiny Philoxy (South Shore – NY)
Kayla Robinson (St. Anthony’s – NY)
Lauren Hackett (St. Anthony’s – NY)
 
2017
 
Grace Marko (Boca Raton – FL) – Boston College
Rachel Levy (Boca Raton - FL) - Harvard
Cara Judkins (Good Counsel - MD) - Pitt
Breonna Mayfield (Good Counsel - MD) - Georgetown
Lindsey Pulliam (Good Counsel - MD) – Northwestern
Danielle Patterson (The Mary Louis Academy - NY) – Notre Dame
Que Morrison (McEachern GA) - Georgia
Lyndsey Whilby (McEachern - GA) – Texas Tech
Megan Walker (Monacan) – UCONN
Mykea Gray (National Christian - MD) - Miami
Jaala Henry (National Christian - MD) - Pitt
Ashley Jones (Neumann-Goretti - PA) – West Virginia
Chyna Nixon (Neumann-Goretti - PA) – Ole Miss
Mia Davis (St. Frances- MD) - Temple
Jalynn Holmes (Riverdale Baptist - MD) – Towson
Selena Philoxy (South Shore - NY) – Seton Hall
Abby Meyers (Whitman - MD) – Princeton
Olivia Meyers (Whitman - MD)