The National Championship: 2027 Standouts (Part 2)

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.

Brynlee Walker

2026 where2next E40 | Class of 2027

Well rounded player. Has the ability to guard from the perimeter and the paint. Has a good IQ. Excellent release. Excels at the mid range and three point shot. Good ball handling skills that allow her to get around defenders pretty consistently. Your team will always need a player like Brynlee.

-ETHAN GRANTZ

Brianna Breese

Wisconsin Purple Aces 15U S40 | Class of 2027

Good length. Great touch around the rim. Has some really nice moves she can utilize down low as well.

Havana Thompson

2027 West Virginia Thunder S40 | Class of 2027

Very solid overall. Plays hard and runs the floor well. Uses length to make things difficult as a defender. Rebounded well. Great outside shot but can also score inside. Versatile player who can contribute a lot of value on the court.

Callie Hales

2027 Pure Prep E40 | Class of 2027

Very smart PG play but also looked good playing off the ball. Made some excellent passes and saw the floor so well. Nice change of speeds. Can’t give her any space or she’ll knock down the 3. Nice hands defensively.

Melania Cornute

2027 SMAC ELITE E40 | Class of 2027

Was making a lot happen on both ends of the court. Came up with some nice stops and steals defensively. Scored in a variety of ways inside and outside of the perimeter. Handled the ball well and made good passes, including making the extra pass to open teammates. Good court vision.

Zara Mann

2027 AthElite E40 | Class of 2027

Great court vision. Good post entry passing. Strong, crisp passes. Hard cuts. Handled the ball well including with heavy defensive pressure.

Abigail Walsh

2027 Phee Elite Bradley | Class of 2027

Showed a lot of toughness. Made some really nice passes to teammates cutting. Strong drives and tough finisher. Can stretch and knock down shots as well. Did a little bit of everything.

Carley Boyd

Rise Up 2026 | Class of 2027

Boyd’s been stuffing the stat sheet. Multiple double digit scoring efforts and showed off her 3 level scoring ability. Came up with multiple blocks and steals. Good length. Got her hands on the ball a lot defensively.

Haley Williamson

2027 Always 100 Skills | Class of 2027

Second time watching her play – very impressed realizing the energy and tenacity she plays with is consistent in every game. Truly all over the floor and constantly getting her hands on the ball. Love the aggressiveness she plays with. Handled the ball well, made good passes, and showed excellent court awareness.

Cecily Houston

2027 Next Level KY S40

Very good form on shot. Can knock them down at all levels. Tough drives to the basket and finished well on both sides of the basket, including with contact. Nice shot and ball fakes.

Kylie Smith

2028 Next Level KY S40

Very nice finishes around the basket off of drives and cuts. Also a really good outside shooter. Sold fakes well. Aggressive on both ends.

ByAlyx