IE Memorial Day Classic: Local players who stood out Monday
WEST VIRGINIA THUNDER Haylen Cook Haylen Cook 5'9" | PG Linsly | 2025 State WV , W.Va. Thunder 15u Gold, G, 5-8 – If you’re a coach in the market for a 2025 competitor, then consider looking at Cook. Seriously.…
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Continue ReadingWEST VIRGINIA THUNDER
Haylen Cook Haylen Cook 5'9" | PG Linsly | 2025 State WV , W.Va. Thunder 15u Gold, G, 5-8 – If you’re a coach in the market for a 2025 competitor, then consider looking at Cook. Seriously. All she does is put it all on the line. In the game I watched her play, she came in with the Thunder trailing double digits, and everything changed. She helped architect a turnaround with some great pump fakes and sidestep jumpers where she quickly reset her feet for a make, not to mention her man-to-man defense looked great.
Hayden Barrier Hayden Barrier 5'6" | SG Montgomery County | 2024 State KY , W.Va. Thunder 16UAA, G, 5-7 – I finally took my Kentucky colleague Alyx White’s advice and really focused on Barrier. I wasn’t disappointed. And if you are the coach who recruits her, you won’t be either. She never sat still and always looked for something to do to help her team. Whether it was moving without the basketball, setting a screen, or just playing a great brand of defense, there’s always something to give her credit for. Offensively, she displayed several scoring options, thanks to her speed. Her range is basically as long as she is in the gym, and she speedily drove to the hoop and finished with both hands.
Audrey Biggs Audrey Biggs 6'0" | SF Boyd County | 2024 State KY , W.Va. Thunder 16u UAA, W, 6-0 – When I saw Biggs earlier in the year, I immediately picked up on her comfort and versatility all over the floor. After I saw her play Monday, I picked up on something new.
When she’s on the floor, she a non-stop, energetic, ball of … well, energy. She zooms all around the court from one job to the next. On offense, she sets quick screens before speeding off toward the basket calling for the ball or getting in position to set another screen. Or she set her feet for a quick arching 3 that looked solid coming of her hands. Defensively, she’s toughness defined. I watched her guard all five positions and even keep up with the point guards on FBC Supreme Team 16U’s group, which is saying something because those girls are quick. In short, Biggs continued showing why she’s playing at least at the mid-major DI level or above in college.
Ava Gallion, WV Thunder 2026, CG, 5-4 – Ava always comes ready to play defense. She’s aggressive, she’s smart and if she’s guarding you then walk out on the court expecting to have a bad time. When she hits the floor, she glides across the court always getting in the way of her defender. She’s quick and agile, and once she’s given an assignment, there’s no shaking her. Just look at her defense on the WPA Bruins’ Lala Woods. In a game where Gallion’s group played up, Woods, coming off a hot shooting performance, couldn’t shake Gallion.
Brooke Adkins Brooke Adkins 6'0" | PG Wayne | 2025 State WV , WV Thunder 15u, CG, 6-0 – One day after sister Addie appeared on my list of standouts, Brooke made sure her sister didn’t have all the fun. In the championship game of the 15u bracket against the WPA Bruins, Brooke displayed a very patient game full of tricks and traps. She used her speed to elude defenders and set up herself open 3 looks. She went coast-to-coast several times after generating a steal and scored the basketball. And she showed off her clutch gene with a nifty shot in the lane that knotted the game at 38 all with time ticking down.
WPA BRUINS
LaLa Woods, WPA Bruins 2025 UAA, SG, 5-6 – One day after she showed off a big heart and her shooting chops, Woods took the latter to the next level. She connected on deep treys all around the arc, launching the ball with confidence after each make with a nice elevation and smooth follow through. She left the W.Va. Thunder 15u UAA group no choice but to guard her and even when they did, she managed to find a way to get open and sink a shot. There are many solid shooters in W.Va.’s class of 2025, but coaches may want to get on the Woods-train now rather than later.