Clash of the Clubs Roundup

The DZone commenced coverage of girls grassroots Sunday at the Clash of the Clubs event sponsored by the good folks of the West Michigan Drive AAU Club. It was an exciting atmosphere with non-stop action at a great venue in the Bryon Center. Quality play from multiple age groups made for a great day of hoops. Let's take a look at some of the noteworthy performances from the event.

2019

Sadie Knee (5'7/West Michigan Drive)

Knee is the floor general for a well composed Drive team that was impressive in a win against the Michigan Storm. She displayed a tight handle and was able to change directions with the ball repeatedly to create space and penetrate the defense. Sadie was at her best attacking the paint where she found teammates for easy looks once the helpside defense committed to cutting off her driving lane. The shifty PG did a great job controlling the tempo of the game and never appeared to be rushed, absorbing contact off the dribble with ease while maintaining her balance.

Moriyah Hammell (5'5/Michigan Storm)

Speed is the name of the game for Moriyah, she's a tremendous athlete in the open court that can simply outrun the defense with the ball in her hands. She was able to do just that on a consistent basis, dropping 14 points in a Storm victory over Factory Basketball. In the half-court, Hammell excelled going right after getting a ball screen where she blew past help defenders and finished through contact a few times as well. The athletic combo-guard also displayed good on-ball defense and active hands, as she was able to generate a few steals with ball pressure and by jumping passing lanes.

Alyssa Argyle (5'8/Michigan Mystics)

Shooters shoot, and Argyle certainly did just that on Sunday afternoon. The junior has consistent mechanics on her jumper, which includes a quick release with very little extra motion. With full confidence in her range, Alyssa knocked down three triples against the Michigan Storm in a competitive loss. Her ability to space the floor really opens things up for her teammates to have driving lanes, which is critical for players such as Maddie Voelker and company.

Nia Miskel (5'10/West Michigan Drive)

The WM Drive forward displayed the best motor of the entire event, grabbing several rebounds outside of her radius in a tremendous display of effort and toughness. Nia also finished well in the paint, converting a few And 1s against the Michigan Storm. While her scoring will get the credit in the box score for good reason, it was her off-ball movement that was the catalyst for her scoring production. Miskel did a really good job of moving without the basketball and relocating to provide Sadie Knee with passing lanes to deliver the ball to her in scoring positions.

Kashyra Jackson (6'0/Michigan Storm)

The Storm wing/forward had the most well-rounded and versatile performance of the weekend when she dropped 11 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in a win against Factory Basketball. Kashyra literally played every position on the floor on both ends of the court, and excelled at each of them. She buried a catch and shoot triple from the corner, was the ballhandler in high pick and roll sets that threaded the needle for several assists to the roller and scored numerous times in the paint with her back to the basket. Defensively, Jackson defended the post adequately and even had a sequence where she beat Factory guards to the spot 3 times on a single possession forcing a pass each time.

Kayla Hinton (5'7/West Michigan Drive)

Hinton is a coach's dream at the lead guard spot. She's a feisty on-ball defender that never lets her opponent get comfortable off the dribble. Against the Michigan Storm, Kayla had the best two-way possession of the day when she blocked a 3 point attempt on one end, ran the floor and won a battle for an outlet pass from her teammate around midcourt, before beating two defenders down the floor and finishing with a floater in the lane with her off hand. She was aggressive all game long, played with pace and never appeared to get fatigued on either end of the court.

2020

Lamariyee 'Suga' Williams (5'7/Michigan Storm)

Williams is the real deal, a lead-guard with good height and a solid frame, there simply aren't many defenders that can prevent her from getting to her spots on the floor. Against the Michigan Mystics, Suga had several highlight reel moves, including a nifty spin move in the paint and a finish with the off-hand that had the crowd buzzing. She was also a load in transition where her combination of size, ballhandling and spatial awareness allowed her to make great reads in finding her teammates for easy layups or hitting defenders with euro-steps before converting at the rim. Lamariyee controlled the pace of the game from the very beginning and was a huge part of a Storm victory.

Maddie Voelker (5'8/Michigan Mystics)

Voelker's basketball IQ is off the charts. She had it on full display against the Michigan Storm, where she simply took what the defense gave her in a very efficient game. Maddie came out the gates knocking down a three and then made the defense close out hard. After that she used the shot fake as a weapon to create space, where she was able to convert on several baseline drives with a pretty floater to avoid shotblocking. She's not the fastest prospect, but her court saavy and ability to think on the move is superb as she finished with double digit points.

Chanelle King (5'5/Michigan Storm)

King is an extremely shifty player that can create her own shot nearly any time she wants. Chanelle was able to keep her defender off balance at all times versus the Michigan Mystics, where she changed direction on the drop of a dime and forced her defender to turn their feet repeatedly. While she's at her best off the bounce where she can create havoc as a penetrator, King displayed a solid jumper and range out to the three point line. She put up double digit points in an entertaining performance and played a key role in a Storm win.