The National Championship brought a ton of talented teams to Kentucky to compete for the last live period of July. We walked around the 50 courts at the Kentucky Expo Center throughout the tournament taking note of players who stood out to us. Now when we say stand out, we mean a player who caught our eye for one reason or another. While that may be a team’s best player, it also could simply be a player whose effort made it impossible for us to not notice them. Below you can read about some of those players that stood out to us throughout the event. 

Please note: Some of the write-ups below were already featured on X (@riseupsports1) during the event. Please let us know if any of the information below is incorrect and we will get it fixed as soon as possible.

Ashlinn James

2026 Dana Evans Elite E40 | Class of 2026
I don’t want to claim to be an expert by any means, but I have watched a lot of players from all across the country and in my opinion, James should be a nationally ranked player in the 2026 class. She truly is that talented and I think every college coach that watches her play clearly recognizes her talent as she continues to bring in big D1 offers. Her ability to create is special. She can score in crafty ways at all 3 levels, but if defense collapses, she’s finding the open teammate and creating good looks for them. She can do it all.

Toni Pernetti

United NJ 16U P24 | Class of 2026
A good defender, can guard 1-5. Has a very high IQ. Crashes the boards with the ability to put it back through contact. Doesn’t allow the opposing offense much room for error. A hard worker that will makes sure she impact every game whether she is scoring or not. Moves very well without the ball and knows when and where she needs to be at all times.
-ETHAN GRANTZ

Dylan Romero

1on1 Milwaukee 2026 | Class of 2026
Displaying some elite shooting. Was knocking them down on all areas of the court. Good recognition of when to pull-up. Smart decision making. Made some great passes in half court and in transition. Drew help to create for teammates.

Maggie Young

2026 Kentucky Premier Stoll NE2K | Class of 2026
Love the energy she plays with and how big of an impact she can make on both sides of the ball. Applies good pressure defensively and does a great job getting into passing lanes for steals or deflections. Comes to the ball every time teammates get in trouble. Handled being pressed and pressured well. Keeps head up and can deliver some very nice passes. Also knocked down some big free throws in the clutch.

Kennedy Lane

2026 Kentuckiana Hoops Ewing | Class of 2026
Finds a way to impact the game even when shots aren’t falling. Really tough to stop though because of her ability to consistently score at all 3 levels. Good ball handler. Can create separation from defenders. Really a tough player overall.

Destiny Scott

2026 Dana Evans Elite E40 | Class of 2026
Game has really grown in the offseason. Consistent ability to score inside and outside of the perimeter. Outside shooting was looking good. Had good moves down low and elevated over defense to get shots off. Crashed the boards hard and came up with a lot of rebounds. Uses length well to cause problems defensively. Active on both ends of the court.

Abby Sapp

2026 Kentuckiana Hoops Ewing | Class of 2026
Love the aggressive takes to the basket. Attacked both sides of the rim and drove with a purpose. Good shooter and made some nice passes. Had some good stops defensively including some big blocks.

Adeline Heatherly

2026 KYD Thunder | Class of 2026
Excellent court vision and awareness. Really reliable floor general. Aggressive defensively. True competitor – never have to question the effort she’s giving. Can score inside or out including with contact on drives. Very strong PG skills while also being a reliable scoring threat.

Ava Watson

Rise Up 2026 | Class of 2026
Went after the boards hard and did a great job constantly getting her hands on the ball. Attacked gaps so well. Wasn’t afraid of contact on drives. Created good separation from defense. Can stop and pop on a dime, finish floaters, or get all the way to the rim.

By Alyx

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