City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The 2025 edition of the Philly Girls’ High School live event was a major step forward over last year’s inaugural edition, with more than 40 high school teams — including several dozen featuring at least one Division I prospect — making their way to Jefferson University from Thursday through Saturday for three days of high-level hoops in front of college coaches of all levels.

CoBL had numerous reporters checking in over the course of the event, watching as many of the games as we could. Here’s Pt. 3 of four notebooks from the event focused on individual players and their recruitments: 

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Philly HS Girls Live Coverage
Standouts (A-L) | Standouts (M-Z)
Recruiting Notebook Pt. 1 | Pt 2. | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4
Team Coverage Pt. 1 | Pt. 2

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Ava Kopetski (2026 | Liberty)

Ava Kopetskie knows things will be different this year.

She started to see some of the change during her junior season, opposing defenses shifting more attention her way in what was a breakout year for her individually and for the Hurricanes. With Liberty’s roster undergoing a revamp around her, the rising senior is preparing for even more changes to come.

“I have to be a leader,” Kopetskie said. “Whether it’s telling them where to go or showing them the ropes, many of them don’t have varsity experience so me as the three-year varsity player, I’m trying to help them and I think that’s something that will help me in college too.”

Kopetskie went into her junior season with lofty goals and put the work in to help realize them. She switched travel programs last summer, joining Team Northeast, then went on to average 20.3 ppg, had a 40-point game, scored her 1,000th point and helped the Hurricanes to their first state playoff win since 2012.

She gave up her fall sport, volleyball, and put the time into getting stronger and better conditioned, which the 5-foot-9 guard felt like parlayed into her best high school season so far.

“It was awesome for us, we got our first state win in 12 years so for us to be that team that got it, it was great to be a part of,” Kopetskie said. “Our seniors, they wanted it since they were freshmen and I had wanted it since I was a freshman so the fact we came together and did it was a great feeling.”

Kopetskie is back with Team Northeast again this summer playing on the P24 circuit and brimming with confidence off a standout junior year that saw her set several program records including a Liberty single-game record with that 40-point outing. 

Kopetskie is a big fan of Steph Curry – she fittingly wears No. 30 at Liberty – and her game has some flashes of the Golden State Warriors superstar with quick-trigger threes, some deft handles and a lot of movement on the offensive end. She’s also got a knack for big plays late in games, always a good sign, but Kopetskie said she wants to show that she can do it in quarters one through three as well while also bringing it on the other side of the ball.

“My defense,” Kopetskie said. “I’m trying to get better with that so I can defend at a high level and consistency on my shots. Sometimes, I’m a fourth quarter player or I can turn it on in the fourth quarter and I want to be able to start like that and finish like that, just keep my intensity high.”

Kopetskie knows she’ll have a lot on her shoulders on the court this winter, so she’s hoping to have her college decision figured out by the end of the fall. The guard had an offer from Army, although Kopetskie noted it was from previous coach Missy Traversi and she hasn’t had a chance to talk with new West Point coach Katie Kuesters yet.

She also has a few visits planned in the next few weeks including Loyola (Md.) and Colgate and there are a handful of other programs that have been checking in.

“It’s definitely become easier,” Kopetskie said. “I’m getting better on the phone calls, getting a little less nervous talking to coaches and know what to ask them now.

“I’m hoping I’ll be able to commit before the end of September, I want to get it done with before the start of high school so I can just play and have fun.” — Andrew Robinson

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Talia Shumate (2026 | Gloucester Catholic, N.J.)

It’s been a good spring for Shumate. 

The 6-foot-1 wing forward has been pulling in multiple Division I offers throughout April and May thanks to her play with Books & Basketball Academy (BBA) on the Select Events circuit; UMBC offered in late April, followed by Northeastern, Manhattan, Lafayette, Loyola (Md.) and Iona. 

Her most recent offer, from American, seems to have especially caught her attention. Former Penn assistant Kelly Killion, who starred at Holy Family, took over at AU in April and offered Shumate at the end of May, has already made a positive impression.

“It was nice to hear someone else talking and being real, and being real with the conversation about how it is going from one school to another,” Shumate said. “It was good, I feel a connection already.”

When asked about what schools she wanted to visit, Shumate said “American, for sure,” then added “I’m just exploring my options.”

Watching Shumate with Gloucester Catholic this weekend, it was easy to see why she’s pulled in a string of scholarship opportunities. She’s got great length and a good combination of strength and athleticism, and her positional versatility helps her play any of the three frontcourt positions. 

Shumate contributed nine points, three rebounds and three steals in a big win over South River (Md.) on Saturday, one where the Rams forced 26 steals as a team as they overwhelmed their opponents defensively. Currently more of a post with Gloucester Catholic, she plays more on the wing with BBA, where she can work on her skill set with the ball in her hands.

Her biggest focus this summer, she said, is working on stretching the floor, in order to become more of a combo ‘3’ and ‘4’ rather than more of a ‘4’ and ‘5’ by the time she gets to college.

“That goes with putting the ball on the ground, having to have my defenders guard me and make it hard for the defense, because it’s easy to sit from block to block, short-corner to short corner,” she said. “When you start from there and stretch out the floor, expand, you’re stretching out the defense, forcing them to make decisions.” — Josh Verlin

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Jordan Dennis (2026 | Chester)

The 5-foot-6 rising senior was a difference-maker in both games that she played for the Clippers on Saturday. Dennis is coming off a season in which she averaged 12 points, three rebounds and two assists a game. 

She is a two-time all-Del-Val League selection and she has not received any college offers, though is getting interest from Penn State Brandywine, Lincoln, and Bowie State. She has a sweet shooting touch, and she is far more athletic this spring than she was a year ago. She carries a 3.0 GPA and will be the heart and soul of the Clippers this coming season.

“I want to keep getting better and I’m looking to average 17 points a game this season,” Dennis said. “It’s a little frustrating not getting college attention, but I feel I can get an offer from some schools. My biggest priority has been working on my conditioning. We like to press the whole game. It takes a lot out of you, but I’m in way better condition than I was last year.”

In the Clippers’ opening 46-21 victory over West Philly, Dennis was easily the best player on the court. She’s smart, plays to win, and directs the offense and defense on the court, and while she’s on the bench. She’s shown great leadership qualities, and as the daughter of a coach, she knows the game exceptionally well.  

In the second game against Shawnee, it was a much tighter contest. This is where Dennis shined. After losing a large lead, Dennis made three consecutive plays in which she scored on a contested layup, went down and stole the ball on Shawnee’s next possession, which she converted into another layup, and stole the ball again on Shawnee’s next trip. She scored six points in about 20 seconds, and her play gave Chester some cushion on what was shaping into a close game.

Though she has a good shot, and is not afraid to drive the lane, what really set her apart was her tenacious defense. She has a good sense of the game, and knew when, and when not to, take chances on steals. — Joseph Santoliquito

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Kaila Francis (2026 | Cedar Crest)

The 6-foot-2 rising senior has received offers from Colgate, George Washington and New Hampshire, and will be looking to make a decision sometime in July or August. She is being projected to play the four or five.

“I’m working on my outside shot, and since my high school team is young, I want to work on being a better leader than I was last year,” said Francis, who carries a 4.0 GPA and averaged 13 points and 9.5 rebounds a game her junior season. “I want to step up and fill the shoes previous leaders had at Cedar Crest. I’m a little shy, but on the basketball court, I’m learning to speak up. I’m getting stronger.”

Cedar Crest is in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Falcons finished 13-11 overall last season, losing to Wilson in the first round of the PIAA District 3 Class 6A playoffs.

“I want to keep building on what we did last year,” Francis said. “I like how we’re playing and can see us doing some things in the league.”

In her opening game on Saturday against Shawnee, Francis displayed good hands, great court awareness and a nice, soft shooting touch for a big. She also showed she can be physical, not afraid to let anyone around her know they will be boxed out, or if they try driving on her, their shot will be swatted.

She has nimble feet, and knows how to position herself around the basket. There were a couple of spinning spins she displayed inside that had a few college scouts watching on the sideline nodding their heads. — Joseph Santoliquito

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Leah Kearney (2027 | St. Thomas Aquinas)

Leah Kearney wants to say there isn’t anything she can’t do on a basketball court.

The 6-foot-1 forward is a good athlete and was a consistent contributor for a Trojans team that went 23-7 and reached the NJISAA Non-Public Section A quarterfinals last season. With two years of varsity experience to her name, Kearney is looking to take the next steps as she heads into her junior year.

“I’ve been focusing on my handle, getting my handle there so I’m able to take people off the dribble,” Kearney said. “My shooting, I’m also trying to expand my range. I think that will expand my game, make me a three-level scorer and harder to guard.”

While Kearney feels like she can still expand her game even more, what she’s already shown was enough to bring in her first college opportunity when Siena extended an offer to the forward this past season. Kearney said the best part wasn’t that she got it, but that it came at the same time Siena also offered classmate Lauryn Downing, allowing the friends to celebrate their first offer together.

With June 1 having rolled around and college coaches now able to contact rising juniors directly without needing to go through a coach or parent, Kearney said she’s received an influx of communication. 

“It felt good to get the same offer and to finally get recognized for how hard I work,” Kearney said. “After June 1, I got a lot of text messages from coaches and it’s good to see I’m finally getting there.”

Kearney credited her travel organizations – United NJ last summer and Team Sharp this year – for allotting her the flexibility to try different things on the offensive end and find comfort in areas like handling the ball or shooting from the outside.

“It gave me a lot more confidence in being able to do what I want,” Kearney said. “I think they both have really helped me become more of a scorer.”

With the skill and versatility St. Thomas Aquinas has, Kearney said there’s a lot of flexibility in the way they play. Downing and Kayla Navarro can both play point guard or off the ball while Kearney and Jordan Barnes are interchangeable in the front court and Trista Whitney is an adaptable wing, all five of them stepping up at various times in their games on Saturday.

“We don’t really play positions, you’re allowed to do what you’re good at,” Kearney said. “By practicing a lot, it expanded my game and made me comfortable to go do what I wanted.”

In an entertaining game with St. John’s College on Saturday morning, Kearney showed off a fair amount of her expanded game. The forward had an early block, turned one of her three steals into a fastbreak layup, grabbed six rebounds and swished a three in rhythm for good measure.

Later in the day, she winged a nice assist from the high block to the opposite corner to set up a three.

“I’m just going to keep expanding my game while also being more consistent,” Kearney said. — Andrew Robinson