Morning Mentions: July 24th Action
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The featured image is of Natalie Potts Natalie Potts 6'2" | PF Incarnate Word | 2023 State MO (2023) of the Incarnate Word Academy (MO) and BlueStar St. Louis 16U. Throughout the course of this month, I have been providing…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Natalie Potts Natalie Potts 6'2" | PF Incarnate Word | 2023 State MO (2023) of the Incarnate Word Academy (MO) and BlueStar St. Louis 16U.
Throughout the course of this month, I have been providing daily updates on players I’ve seen the previous day. Some articles will include strictly Indiana prospects, while others might include other Midwestern or National prospects. Below is a look at six additional young ladies who I felt stood out with their play in the games I was able to see Saturday at the All-Iowa Attack Summer Finale in Des Moines, Iowa. This adds to my final event for the second “live” period of the Summer of 2021.
Evyn Carrier
Evyn
Carrier
6'4" | PF
Sycamore | 2023
State
IL
, 2023, 6-4 C, Sycamore H.S. (IL)
Evyn stands out from the moment she steps onto the court because of her height and her frame. She has great length, a strong but athletic frame, and she moves fairly well for a post in most directions. She is more of a traditional back-to-the-basket “big” and doesn’t do much more than ball-screen around the perimeter, however she does a solid job of establishing position on the low-block, she catches it well, and she knows what to do with it once she gets it. She had a nice weekend and should be on several college lists.
Olivia Hahn
Olivia
Hahn
5'9" | CG
Incarnate Word Academy | 2023
State
MO
, 2023, 5-9 PG, Incarnate Word Academy (MO)
I first saw Olivia back in mid-May, and she stood out then as much as this past weekend. She is an extremely long, fast, and fluidly athletic guard. She runs the show for her team, has some pizazz in her game, but she’s also highly skilled and sees the floor very well. She can shoot it from the perimeter, and with range, but she can also glide by defenders, absorb contact, and finish inside. I feel like without her on the floor, they just don’t play the same, as she just has a poise and a savvy to her game that keep her teammates calm.
Layla Henderson
Layla
Henderson
5'10" | CG
Naperville North | 2023
State
IL
, 2023, 5-10 PG, Naperville North H.S. (IL)
I didn’t hear much about Layla over the weekend, but I felt like she was a really nice talent who did some things when I was able to see her. She has an athletic frame, tremendous length, and she’s extremely quick/fast at her height. She was probably one of the better on-ball defenders I saw, and she used that length and quickness to gain an advantage. But she was also a blur at times in transition, she got to the rim and finished or found teammates, and if she continues working on switching gears, she can be a matchup problem.
Natalie Potts
Natalie
Potts
6'2" | PF
Incarnate Word | 2023
State
MO
, 2023, 6-2 F, Incarnate Word Academy (MO)
Natalie creates problems for opponents all by herself, and she was one of the best 2023 prospects on hand over the weekend. She is extremely long, wiry-strong, fluid, and somewhat bouncy. In matchups where she’s the taller kid on the floor, she gets into pick-and-roll situations and uses her length to catch it high and finish around the basket. She is also strong enough to go to the low-block and abuse shorter defenders. But, when she is defended by pure posts, she has the skill outside to play like a wing and hit shots or drive by them.
Finley Blackmore, 2025, 5-10 F, Ankeny Centennial H.S. (IA)
On a loaded grassroots team, Finley was a real bright spot in one of their games. She has nice length, fluid athleticism, and wiry strength. She appears to maybe have another couple of inches of growth left in her, and she is skilled at multiple levels. She is probably best in the mid-post and short-corners, as she has really nice touch from there, but she can also step out and knock down the occasional 3-pointer or drive it to the basket. She plays hard, battles inside, and is a nice pursuing rebounder and versatile defender.
Jaeden Pratt, 2025, 5-9 W, Ankeny Centennial H.S. (IA)
Jaeden is a multisport athlete who I didn’t get a chance to see in Minnesota, but she returned over the weekend. She is long, wiry-strong, fluidly athletic, and bouncy. She also does a nice job of sensing tempo and changing speeds. She can play on the ball like a point forward and create for herself or others, but she’s also solid coming off of screens and attacking the basket. She can knock down the occasional perimeter jumper, but I think she’s best going to the rim. She is also a solid wing rebounder and an effortful defender.