City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) +
Andrew Robinson (@ADrobinson3)
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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Select Events Atlantic City Showcase took over the AC Convention Center for a live recruiting event this past weekend, bringing together teams from all over the country and into Canada for three days of competition. Each team in the mix played four games against preset opponents, with programs from the Select Events P24 and S40 circuits, the Girls Under Armour Association, the Hoop Group Showcase League and more all in the mix.

Here’s who stood out over the course of games we watched Saturday and Sunday:

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Select Events AC Showcase Coverage: Standouts | Notebook Pt. 1 | Notebook Pt. 2 | Notebook Pt. 3 

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Abigail Casper (2026 | D4S 17U)
A super-versatile 6-0 wing from Northwest Catholic (Conn.), Casper flashed all sorts of ability on Sunday during a game against Books & Basketball P24. Casper has a forward’s frame and certainly can play down low, with good footwork and hands, but was more comfortable as a point guard, playing on the perimeter with the ball in her hands, directing traffic and making plays. Casper knocked down two 3-pointers as part of a 13-point, five-rebound effort in a low-scoring contest, and also hit a pull-up mid-range jumper. 

Lily Clair (2026 | Mid-Atlantic Magic HGSL 15U)
The Magic had a grind-it-out win over an EEP Basketball squad from Staten Island (N.Y.) near the end of the weekend on Friday, with Clair playing a big part at both ends. The 5-8 wing from Lansdale Catholic, who earned a good bit of varsity time as a freshman in the PCL, plays downhill, getting to the bucket around defenders on multiple occasions, doing so with both hands to the point where it becomes tough to discern her strong hand from her “weak” one. Clair also is an active defender and rebounder; she racked up 10 points, five rebounds, and one assist, steal and block in the win. 

Alexis Eberz (2026 | Comets 17U GUAA)
It’s not really a secret at this point, but Eberz is a complete scorer. In Saturday’s win over a solid NJ Rise 17U team, the Archbishop Carroll wing was on fire in what became a running clock contest after halftime. Eberz poured in 24 points while showing off the entire arsenal in the process. She went to the line, both drawing a foul on a drive and a pair of and-ones, and of course lit it up from deep while connecting on four threes, the last a deep hit from Margate. Eberz also chalked up five rebounds and an assist in that win.

Kayla Eberz (2028 | Comets 15U GUAA)
Eberz will be spending the latter part of the coming week in Colorado competing in USA Basketball’s U16 team trials but she left college coaches plenty to think about with a strong weekend in AC. The 5-foot-11 guard out of Archbishop Carroll showed more of the same that elevated her to first team All-Catholic as a freshman. She got to the rim or drew enough contact to go to the line, she drilled threes, found teammates and ran the floor as a facilitator or finisher. 

Geren Hawthorne (2026 | Philly Legacy 17U Scott)
One of the better under-the-radar prospects in the area, Hawthorne is a talented, athletic, versatile 5-11 wing/forward, and she flashed all of that in leading one of Philly Legacy’s two equally-strong 17U teams to a big win over the Central Jersey Hawks on Saturday afternoon. The Imhotep Charter junior scored 13 points and grabbed six steals as well as three rebounds as she was a menace in the open court, reading passing lanes and then taking it the other way. Her output included an and-one, a couple driving layups and a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer as she went 5-of-7 from the floor (1-2 3PT, 2-3 FT). 

Abbie Kelly (2028 | Philly Revolution 15U)
The younger sister of SCH Academy standout Owen Kelly, Abbie is quickly garnering some momentum as a name to know on the girls’ side of the area’s hoops scene. A 5-10 guard who mostly played JV as a freshman at Archbishop Wood, she looked like she’s ready to jump into the rotation after a quality performance against Books & Basketball’s 15s on Saturday morning. Kelly racked up 15 points on 7-of-8 from the floor (1-2 3PT), adding six rebounds, three assists and three steals; she started off with a knockdown 3-pointer but then impressed by scoring her next three buckets with her left (off) hand, including a coast-to-coast take that ended right at the rim. 

Lily King (2026 | Lady Runnin’ Rebels HGSL 17U)
The Runnin’ Rebels had a tough game against Southeast United (Fl.) on Sunday afternoon, both teams playing extremely physical defense in a game that took nearly 90 minutes, the Rebels winning by two points (36-34). During the hectic contest, King’s motor helped her stand out as she was constantly around the ball, coming up with four steals and seven rebounds (five offensive) along with eight points. An athletic 5-10 guard with good length, King has great defensive versatility as well and does a great job keeping her feet moving and her hands active to disrupt opponents’ offensive plans. 

Taylor Linton (2028 | Philly Legacy Peterson 16U)
The only current freshman playing on this one of the Legacy’s two equally-balanced 16U squads, Linton absolutely filled it up in the final set of games on Sunday afternoon in a loss to a talented Team Museum (D.C.) squad. A Germantown Friends freshman, Linton came out playing physical, getting to the line three times in a row to get her day started, but then the shots started falling. In a high-tempo, high-possession game, Linton eventually racked up 30 points, making three 3-pointers while going 17-of-22 from the foul line, grabbing six of her 10 rebounds on the offensive end. 

Grace Maloney (2028 | Delco Goats 16U HGSL)
A starter as a freshman at Haverford High, Maloney certainly isn’t fazed by playing up a year on the grassroots circuit, something she’s been doing since her elementary school days. The 5-3 point guard is strong with the ball in her hands as she has a tight handle and doesn’t get sped up even facing pressure; she’s also a quality mover without the ball, constantly cutting and working to get free or help her teammates do so. She led the way in a Saturday afternoon win over 717 Hoop Dreams, racking up 13 points, five rebounds and four assists as she was 5-of-7 from the floor (1-1 3PT, 2-2 FT). 

Emily McDonald (2026 | Team Northeast P24 17U)
The No. 41 prospect in the Class of 2026 according to ESPN, McDonald showed why in helping Team Northeast to a win over the Bay State Jaguars GUAA 17s on Sunday morning. A 6-foot-tall wing who attends powerhouse Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.), McDonald has a gorgeous outside shot, with smooth mechanics and a high-arcing flight path that looks dead on with every release; she knocked down five of them (on 12 attempts) to propel her to a 20-point outing. But she’s more than just an elite shooter; McDonald showed her playmaking skills with some impressive passes as she racked up three assists, and flashed her athleticism and fluidity as she grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot.

Abbie McFillin (2027 | Comets 16U GUAA)
For her sophomore season at Archbishop Carroll, her first as a starter, McFillin was more of a facilitator but she showed plenty of flashes of being a scorer. Against NEPA Elite’s 17U team on Satuday, McFillin showed more than a flash as she took over offensively. The 5-foot-9 guard put up 17 points, nailing a trio of three-pointers in the second half while also attacking the rim for a couple baskets. McFillin also dished out a couple assists and as she was all season at Carroll, just put up a consistently strong effort all-around.

Zariah Ottley (2027 | Bay State Jaguars GUAA 17U)
A 5-9 point guard, Ottley has a versatile game due to a strong frame, which allows her to hang with forwards physically down in the post while still having the handles and deftness to play on the ball and run the offense. The Northfield Mt. Hermon sophomore looked plenty comfortable playing up an age group with the Jags as she scored 14 points on just eight shots (5-8 FG, 3-4 FT) in a high-level game against Team Northeast, showing off some nifty finishing abilities and throwing in a floater and a couple mid-range jumpers and playing quality defense against Northeast’s cadre of quick guards. 

Mayala Presser-Palmer (2026 | WPA Bruins GUAA 17U)
A tone-setter for the Pittsburgh-area power Bruins, Presser-Palmer is a dynamic 5-foot-11 wing who makes her presence felt. In a matchup against Empire State Blue Flames’ talented 17U team on Saturday, Presser-Palmer - who hails from Erie - was a force inside on both ends, bringing a physical toughness and battling inside all game while hitting the glass emphatically and earning her way to the free throw line. She broke Northwestern High School’s career girls’ scoring record this past season and already has several Division I offers to her name.

Ayanna Quintero (2027 | Team Museum 16U)
Standing only about 5-3, Quintero ducked and wove her way through the Philly Legacy defense en route to a quality two-way performance in Team Museum’s Sunday win. The sophomore at Wise (Md.) went for 16 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists as she showed off an outstanding handle, quick feet and deft balance, allowing her to split defenders and get through double-teams, then either get to the hoop and finish, throw up a floater or find a teammate on the perimeter. She only took one 3-pointer, and she nailed it from straightaway.

Ava Redmond (2027 | Team Museum 16U)
A 5-9 wing from Charles Herbert Flowers (Md.), Redmond was proficient in multiple areas as Team Museum beat Philly Legacy on Sunday afternoon. Physical and athletic, she was strong on the glass with six rebounds, making an initial impression for her defensive work inside, but then she bounced out offensively and played point guard, dishing out seven dimes and grabbing two assists as she could dribble and pass equally well with both hands, doing a good job of getting past a first defender and finding a cutting teammate or someone open on the perimeter. The eight points she added, including an and-one layup, seemed like an afterthought. 

Kendyl Stoner (2028 | Sideline Cancer S40 15U)
Stoner showed a pretty solid offensive game in a loss Saturday morning to the Runnin’ Rebels HGSL team. A 5-foot-11 forward from James Buchanan, Stoner put up 15 points and it was the way she found those points that stood out. She sank a pair of threes, drew an and-one and got herself to the foul line three other times. Stoner also had a presence on defense, altering a couple shots and she was very mobile on both ends of the court.

Gabby & Jules Tropea (2026 | Total Skills 17U)
A 49-34 Total Skills win over Team DAPA Blue on Saturday morning was no doubt powered by the Tropea twins, who combined for 30 points and 17 rebounds as they both stood out equally in the contest. A pair of 6-0 forwards Gabby (15 points, eight rebounds) and Jules (15 points, nine rebounds) almost equally split their production as both had plenty of strong moments. Jules grabbed five of her rebounds on the offensive end, muscling through defenders on multiple occasions to get a clear look at the rim; Gabby knocked down two 3-pointers and a mid-range jumper as she flashed her offensive versatility. 

Penny Wolf (2028 | Lady Runnin Rebels 15U)
Wolf spent most of Saturday morning’s win over Sideline Cancer’s S40 15U team slinging the ball to teammates for easy baskets. The Methacton freshman racked up an impressive eight assists by mixing in long outlets with simple bounce passes and was excellent in a game the Rebels took control of in the second half. Wolf, a 5-foot-5 guard, did also find her way to eight points with one basket off a putback and another following a crafty spin-move off the catch. Wolf just tries to bring energy whenever she’s on the court and it definitely shows up in her play.

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Honorable Mention
Reginna Baker (2027 | Philly Legacy DeShields 17U), Alexa Braslow (2026 | Philly Roots 17U Black), Damiya Carter (2028 | Books & Basketball S40 15U), Cora Castellani (2027 | NEPA Elite Clark 17U), Naomi Crispin (2026 | Sideline Cancer Day 17U), Jennifer Fox (2026 | Philly Roots 17U Black), Eve Helsel (2028 | Sideline Cancer S40 15U), Jordyn Hollawell (2025 | NJ Rise Masonius 17U), Analyse Intenzo (2026 | Philly Legacy DeShields 17U), Marleigh Jackson (2026 | Philly Legacy Scott 17U), Kiyari King (2028 | Books & Basketball S40 15U), Aubrey Mobley (2026 | Philly Legacy 17U Scott), Angelina Pena (2027 | Philly Legacy Peterson 16U), Priyanka Ponnam (2026 | Team Northeast P24 17U), Julia Scott (2026 | Empire State Blue Flames), Halie Staub (2026 | PA Royals 17U), London Sutton (2026 | Team DAPA Blue 17U), Khloe Thomas (2027 | Team Museum 16U, Olivia Watkins (2026 | United NJ National 17U), Faith Watson (2028 | Books & Basketball P24 17U), Maggie Warpus (2026 | NEPA Elite Clark 17U) Raegan Wells-Bradley (2028 | Books & Basketball P24 17U), Nyah Yao (2026 | Philly Roots Black 17U)