Same Face, New Place: NYG Hoops 'Friday Night Lights' Takes Over PA

My first out-of-state basketball trip since pre-Rona times was for a familiar name & a familiar event, but not at a familiar place for the occasion. Tropical Storm Fay was no match for the Corolla, as I spent the evening at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA for the NYG Hoops Friday Night Lights event.

Approximately 150 players, spanning the Classes of 2021-2026, took the court in four separate sessions. The sessions were largely separated by graduating class – 2024-2026 in Session 1, 2023 in Session 2, mainly 2022s in Session 3, mainly 2021s in Session 4 – although some of the younger standouts took the court in the late session to mix it up with the older crew as well. The entire Northeast & Mid-Atlantic regions were represented, with players representing a stretch from Massachusetts to Georgia in the building.

Although it was impossible for one person to get a truly in-depth look at every player (time constraints make that impossible for any showcase, really), it was more than enough to observe a wide swath of players. Some general notes & thoughts from things that I personally saw:


Meghan Andersen (6’0”, Our Lady of Mercy 2023): Meghan made her presence felt consistently and showed versatility & the ability to impact a game in different ways. She showed both perimeter & mid-post abilities offensively and at first watch, it looked like she could play at the wing or as a 4. She’s a skilled player that showed a good midrange game, and her athleticism took over as her team got out in transition with her ability to run the floor hard & finish high around the rim. She looks like she has plenty of upside and could blossom into a high-level prospect. I look forward to catching this Long Island native in action again in the near future.

Ciara Croker (5’11”, The Ursuline School 2022): Ciara’s a forward that can play facing up or with her back to the basket, and although it can be difficult for forwards to stick out at individual exposure events sometimes, she did it with the intangibles. She played hard, was tough on the glass, and ran the floor with purpose, beating her matchup down the court more often than not. Her team had a lot of success in 5v5 play during her rotations, which I don’t think was a coincidence.

Ciara Croker (2022)

Aisha Dabo (6’1”, Forsyth Central (GA) 2021; UMass commit): It was my first time watching the UMass bound talent, and it didn’t take me long to decide that Aisha’s a quality get for them. At 6’1”, she showed two-way versatility with the ability to play on or off the ball and defend nearly everyone on the court. She’s an explosive athlete that used her athleticism to impact the game in many ways – whether it was getting by defenders, attacking the rim & finishing, defending & turning ballhandlers over, crashing the glass from up top, she did some of everything. Aisha was getting up & pressing, and she made life difficult for opponents with a smile on her face – it’s a scary sight when someone with that athletic ability legitimately looks like they want to get after you on D. Lot of upside here and potentially an impact player in the A-10.

Aisha Dabo (2021; UMass commit)

Kyierah Dempsey-Toney (6’2”, Franklin (NJ) 2021): On the same team as the aforementioned Dabo, it was almost unfair for opponents with two players with this kind of length & athleticism able to patrol the paint. Kyierah held it down around the rim and made her presence felt from the jump. She finished around the rim, scoring off back-to-basket moves & offensive boards, and showed a quick first step on the drive when facing up. A lot of upside here, as I feel like with her physical tools & what looked like natural feel, she may continue to develop for years to come.

Kyierah Dempsey-Toney (2021)

Gretchen Dolan (5’10”, Williamsville South 2023): I had high hopes for Gretchen when first watching her back in 7^th grade, and to this point, it looks like she’s matched my hopes and then some. She’s improved quite a bit, even over the last few months as it looks like she’s put pandemic time to good use, and she’s sprouted a little physically as well – hitting the next level in her game in every way. Gretchen’s a knockdown shooter with deep range & high basketball IQ, and she can play on or off the ball. Mark her down as another D1 bound talent, potentially Power 5 level, out of Will South & the Buffalo area in general.

Gretchen Dolan (2023)

Valencia Fontenelle-Posson (5'11", Guilderland 2021; Siena commit): I guess it'd be easy to talk about V's scoring prowess here - the Albany area standout, who's already scored 1500+ points in HS, was definitely in attack mode - but what stuck out at this event was everything else. She was tenacious defensively, seemingly turning ballhandlers over multiple times during every rotation, and her overall energy was infectious. V was basically a shot of espresso in the gym during the last session, and when her & aforementioned teammate Aisha Dabo linked up - who brought that same energy - it was game over. Fun to watch the Siena commit back on the court in the nightcap.

Valencia Fontenelle-Posson (2021, Siena commit)

Mckensi Forde (5’10”, 2024): This was my first time viewing Mckensi. At this stage, she’s a pretty athletic 4 that likes to face up on offense. That face-up game looks pretty solid, as she rips through, explodes on the attack (particularly going right), and has good footwork doing all of the above. Defensively, she did well protecting the rim. I’ll look forward to watching her development.

Sana’a Garrett (5’7”, Friends Central (PA) 2023): Sana’a got shot out of a cannon at the start of the event and rolled with it through the first game. She was absolutely killing it at the jump, as she scored close to 20 points in a pretty quick stretch (shooting it at a high percentage in the process). She’s an explosive athlete with a super tight handle – dynamic with the ball in her hands. She finishes around the rim however she needs to – a sampler set of what’s in the bag was on display early. She also showed a bit of an in-between game too, and she hit an 18 footer that I saw. Didn’t have to shoot much from the perimeter as she was blowing by anyone that guarded her. As an individual talent, few matched what she brought at the event.

Sana'a Garrett (2023)

Anaiah Jenkins (6’2”, McDonogh School (MD) 2023): I didn’t get to watch a ton of Jenkins, but she made her presence felt within seconds of me turning my head. She’s a bouncy, athletic 4 that played around the rim with tenacity, and she also made a couple particularly athletic plays with catches & tough extended left-handed finishes in P&R situations. She has a strong build with what looks like a world of upside.


Kymora Johnson (5’8”, St. Anne’s - Belfield (VA) 2023): Like so many others at this event from out of my primary coverage region, I had heard Kymora’s name in the past but hadn’t seen her play to this point. She’s a highly regarded player with several offers already, and she showed why throughout the night, standing out not just in the 2023 session, but also later with the 2021s. She has a strong build, good court presence & an advanced understanding of the game. She changes speed & direction to keep the D off balance, can knock down the J with deep range, and also put very good court vision on display. All-in-all, I thought Kymora was one of the standouts & one of the most well-balanced players at the event.

Kymora Johnson (2023)

Teagan Kamm (6’1”, Honeoye Falls-Lima 2022): The lone Rochester area representative at the event, I was really impressed with Teagan, as it looks like she’s made major strides since my last time seeing her back in the fall. It appears as though she’s taking the next steps forward in her game and growing into her tall, wiry frame. She’s becoming more assertive offensively with good touch around the rim and a short jumper to 12’, and she protects the rim & battles on the glass. With development continuing to trend in this direction, she’s looking more & more like a legitimate scholarship level prospect.

Teagan Kamm (2022)

Ariel Little (5’4”, South Shore 2024): Ariel doubled up, playing in both the opening session (2024-2026) and closing session (2021). To me, she honestly played better with the older kids, showing then why she's one of the more notable young names in NYC hoops. She controlled the tempo at the PG spot & has a good feel for the game. She got to the rim & finished, showed a good midrange game, and got the ball to others on time & on target. By the end of the night, she showed why she’s considered above the weight class of many her age.


Laine McGurk (5’9”, West Chester Rustin (PA) 2023): Laine, who has kind of a tweener skill set, showed the ability to finish at the rim among bigger, taller defenders on several occasions. She’s bouncy, can hang in the air a bit, and is willing to work through contact.

Alessa Mendoza (5’5”, Hackley School 2024): I was impressed with how this young guard competed at the event. She showed perimeter shooting prowess with a consistent stroke, hitting a few deep high-arcing ones that I saw. She also found ways to finish around taller & more athletic defenders in transition, and she really got after it on defense. I thought she stood out and produced one of the best performances that I saw in the early session.

Alessa Mendoza (2024)

Avery O’Connor (6’0”, Dedham (MA) 2022): Avery didn’t make the trip from Massachusetts to miss! She has good positional size and is a knockdown shooter with a quick, compact release that will suit her well at the collegiate level. She knocked down several threes off the catch in 5v5 game play and shot a high percentage from the field.

Paulina Paris (5’8”, Saddle River Day (NJ) 2022): Paulina did what’s so common for her when she steps on a basketball court – put on a show. She was dominant in nearly every fashion and electric with the ball in her hands. Kept the ball on a string, blew by the D when they got up, found teammates when she drew another defender even if they didn’t realize they were open, knocked down the perimeter J if she was given a little room. You name it, Paulina showed it, as this BCS level lock truly stood out from wire to wire in her session. Section 1’s loss is New Jersey’s gain, as it was recently announced that the former Albertus Magnus standout is transferring across the state line to Saddle River.

Paulina Paris (2022)

Priyanka Ponnam (6’1”, 2025): Usually at individual showcase events, it’s the guards that make more of a name for themselves. Here though, some bigs really caught my eye in the younger session, and Priyanka was one of the main forces. The NJ native has a good body already and is ahead of the curve at her size/age with coordination and ability to make fluid basketball movements. She can play with her back to the basket or face up, and she’s also comfortable stepping out to the 3 point line, where I watched her pull another big out to and attack off the dribble. Priyanka has major upside and if she realizes what I think her potential is over time, the sky's the limit.

Priyanka Ponnam (2025)

Ny’ceara Pryor (5’6”, Western (MD) 2022): Pryor was someone else that I’d heard the name plenty, but given my primary coverage region, I hadn’t really watched her play before. She showed why her name has made some waves with her play Friday, as she catches your attention with the ball in her hands. She’s shifty and shows good change of pace & direction to keep the D off balance. Despite being on the smaller end, she was able to get paint touches and make good on those opportunities for herself & others.

Amanda Rapel (5’6”, Phillipsburg (NJ) 2024): Amanda made sure to make herself known from the outset, as she was the first person that I pulled out the pen for in the early session. The handle is tight – kept the ball on a string, showed a little sauce but didn’t get too crazy with it – and she also showed some midrange game. She was part of a strong backcourt crew on her 5v5 team.

Amya Scott (5’2”, 2025): Amya, who hails from Philly, caught my eye as a crafty, skilled PG that keeps the D off balance. I didn’t see her shoot a jumper so I honestly couldn’t tell you if she’s a lefty or if she just finishes with her left like she’s a lefty, but she was very tough to contain once she got to that side. She’s already good at engaging the defender with her off hand while keeping it legal, warding off hands & creating a path, and she absorbed contact and finished well. Also, her court vision is very good and matched by her passing ability, as she was able to zip passes into tight windows to teammates that maybe didn’t even realize they were open until they got it.

Olivia Vukosa (6’3”, 2026): In a word, the young NYC native was fantastic. One of the true standouts of the entire night in any session. She’s big in general and much more so when considering her age, but she’s not only more coordinated than your general ‘young big kid’, she’s also exponentially more skilled. The first touch I saw was a right spin into a fallaway 12’ J that saw all net, which is a solid introduction as she showed skill in the move – it didn’t look like a fluke. She ran the floor well but was also able to stop quickly, shown with a made catch & shoot 15 footer trailing in transition. She was also willing to bang in the blocks, whether offensively trying to score or on the glass. She crashed the glass at both ends and was a problem particularly on the offensive boards, where she was able to collect rebounds, keep the ball high, and finish with a soft touch. I don’t like to come off as gassing young players too much and especially this young, but I left as impressed with her as anyone.

Olivia Vukosa (2026)

Makenzie Williams (6'4", Columbia 2024): Steady development. Thanks to her location in the Albany area, I get to see Makenzie play more than most in attendance and with that, I get to keep a pretty close eye on how she develops... she's coming along well. Makenzie, who grew so quickly for a while, is starting to catch up to her body. She provides great value defensively with her ability to block & alter shots going straight up, and she's getting stronger & more willing to battle physically in the post. Offensively, she's becoming more assertive and post moves are looking more comfortable & fluid. She's made major strides over the last year, and if the trend continues, the sky's the limit.

Kyra Wood (6’2”, City Honors 2021): It was good to see Kyra, a Buffalo area standout, in the building for this event. She played with a high motor from front to back and showed flashes during 5v5 play. She crashes the boards, runs the floor hard, and can score 1v1 in the post with decent footwork. Her athleticism & upside cement her as a bona fide D1 target that has potential to continue improving through her college years.

Kyra Wood (2021)

Meghan Yarnevich (6’1”, 2025): Meghan was another very impressive young forward that showed some real versatility. She has good size at 6’1” in middle school, with length & a good frame to go with it, but she also moves very well for that size & age. She showed that agility in transition, getting out & outrunning opposing bigs, even handling the ball in transition and finishing at the rim. She also showcased advanced defensive versatility with the ability to switch out on guards in P&R situations and stay in front. Meghan’s way ahead of the curve at this point & could end up being a major player in future years.

Sophia Yearwood (5’10”, Northport 2022): Sophia was another Long Island representative that caught my eye at the event. I liked that she consistently tried to make the right play, and it looked like she had an understanding of how to play off the ball & make a difference without the ball in her hands. At 5’10”, she has pretty good positional size at the wing, and she showed the ability to knock down the perimeter J off the catch with a good, consistent stroke.


Last but not least, a shoutout to all the upstate/western New Yorkers that made it through the rain to hit the court in Oaks. They included:

Capital District (Albany, etc.) (Section 2): Valencia Fontenelle-Posson (Guilderland 2021, Siena commit), Aysia Pink (Catholic Central 2021), Abby Ray (Saratoga Springs 2021), Makenzie Williams (Columbia 2024)

Abby Ray (2021)

Central New York (Syracuse, etc.) (Section 3): Suzie Nemec (Weedsport 2021)

Suzie Nemec (2021)

Southern Tier (Binghamton) (Section 4): Dezia Becker (Union-Endicott 2021), LJ Shabazz (Union-Endicott 2021)

Dezia Becker (2021)

Rochester Area (Section 5): Teagan Kamm (Honeoye Falls-Lima 2022)

Buffalo Area (Section 6): Quinn Benchley (Nichols 2023), Gretchen Dolan (Williamsville South 2023), Morgan Giancaterino (Sacred Heart 2022), Kaylee Krysztof (Depew 2023), Kyra Wood (City Honors 2021)

#44 Quinn Benchley (2023) and #9 Kaylee Krysztof (2023)

Plus: Morgan Lee (Kent School (CT) 2022 - by way of Poughkeepsie)

Morgan Lee (2022)