Looking Back at the Philly Face-Off 2021

PHILADELPHIA - After a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philly Face-Off returned to the City of Brotherly Love this past weekend. NYG Hoops was the official media partner for this year's event that featured 50 teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

Needless to say, there was an abundance of talent up and down the age groups, and bragging rights were on the line for Memorial Day weekend. Plenty of regional rivalries were renewed, established vets balled out, and some new talents was discovered. We had the cameras rolling for it all.

Let's start with the results. Here are your 2021 Philly Face-Off Champions:

17U- New Jerseys Sparks 17 EYBL
16U- Philadelphia Belles 15 Peterson
15U- New Jersey Sparks 15 Black
14U- New Heights
13U- Team Final MD

Congratulations to all of these teams on a job well done! It was truly a blast watching you all out there doing your thing, and these championships were earned not given!

As spring transitions to summer, teams and players are really coming into their own and locking in for June and July. The stage gets bigger as the season wears on, no doubt. 


We want to profile some of the programs who attended this weekend, so let's dive in.

The  Albany Lady Stars brought their 11th grade and 9th grade teams to this year's Face Off, and both teams had a solid weekend. 2022 guards  Haley Walker and  Fiona Connolly formed quite the terrible twosome out there. Connolly is steady at the point with the size and handles to set the pace for her team. Then you enter an athletic guard like Walker, a physical driver who really takes off to score, rebound, and block some shots. She's a bit of a sleeper, so keep an eye out for her as the summer progresses. Looking a little further down the line,  Asia Lebron led the 9th grade squad with tons of energy, and buckets from three point land and off the dribble alike. One more player we look forward to watching develop these next couple years is 2024 off guard  Morgan Brewer, who can make shots from deep and in the mid range, and has a little pep in her step off the bounce and on D.

Books and Basketball had appearances in all three of the high school-aged championship games Sunday, nothing short of consistent winning as a program. 2022 wing  Timaya Lewis-Eutsey continued her huge spring campaign, rattling off impressive scoring performances, even nailing a buzzer beater from way outside to send the 17U title game into overtime. That's cold blooded right there! She is flanked by plenty of talent on all sides. The poise and gamesmanship of 2022 lead guard  Sydni Scott has been noted for years, and she is going to be tough to beat no matter who the opponent is. Scott is just flat out clutch.  Alexis Davis also had a nice weekend. A versatile forward, Davis has a combination of skill and athletic ability, and she got her share of lay ups all weekend long, one way or another. The 2023 group was led by 5'6 point guard  Azareya Kilgoe, who gets to the rack and can glide to finish. She also has a knack for stepping in front of a bad pass and going the other way. 2025 forward  Kaiya Rain Tucker made a name for herself in every game this weekend playing up with the 15U squad, so she's a solid frontcourt prospect to watch. 


Making the short trip up from DC,  Havoc City Elite created just that, with their normal disciplined, aggressive, attacking style. The 17U group was led by point guard  Tamia Washington. A bit smaller in stature, Washington makes some big plays, shooting the 3 with some consistency and confidence, and playing some stubborn defense.  LaNiya Washington is an athletic 2022 face up forward who can do some things, and  Emoni Graves is yet another athletic combo guard who defends and gets to the rim.

The  HP Warriors held it down for their home city, boasting an athletic roster of players who did not back down to anyone. It's impossible to miss  Mikala Sunshine Rambert Carter out there, as a lanky 6'4 interior player. Perhaps still a bit thin with the build, she will block plenty of shots and can put the offensive rebounds back in.  Janai Smith can produce against good competition, as an athletic wing who can go get a bucket and has the rock in her hands often.  Ahjae Henderson is another impressive physical specimen, versatile with a big time look about her, and a solid stroke even out to the arc.

Another program from the Philadelphia area that shined at the Face Off was  LGB Select, who had some talented younger teams in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 classes on hand.  Lucy Oliver led the way for the '24 squad. A dynamic 5'10 wing, Oliver has a great head for the game and plays even stronger than she looks, getting to the rim with limited dribbles and then powering up through contact. She was flanked by  Savannah Lang who operated in different post areas with solid footwork, but also flashed the ability to put it on the deck to get to the basket. A little further down the spectrum, keep an eye out for 2026 lefty point guard  Mikayla Trajtenberg, a sound decision maker who handles pressure well and hits the three point shot off the dribble already. LGB Select was fun to watch!

You know when you see the  Maryland Belles in the building, there will be players to see. 2022 point guard  Myah Simmons is on her last go around on the summer circuit, and all of her years of high level experience pays dividends for this floor general. Her IQ and passing are as good as ever, and she just knows how to play. One player on that 2022 team to check out is 6'0 wing forward  Mia Swaby-Rowe. The lefty stroke is nice, and there's plenty of length and aggression on defense from her. 2026 point guard  Tiara Thompson is a legitimate scoring threat already, even playing up a year. She has some jets with the ball and turns the corner all day. Another scorer to keep an eye out for is 2027 guard  Naomi Koldobskiy. Scoring comes natural for her, and it's in her mentality. She can splash the step back three, and doesn't need much space to get her shot off. It was a good weekend for the youngsters.

New Heights is one of the top programs in the Big Apple, and needs no further introduction. They had their young, up and coming squads here at the Face Off this past weekend. Their 13U group was anchored on the inside by 2026 6'2 post player  Brianna Holt. Holt's size gives her a huge chance, and she is already pulling plenty of boards down, and working on the basics down on the block. 2025 point guard  Grace Lanier put on a sparkling performance to help lead her team to the 14U championship. Grace is graceful as she gets to the rack in a flash, and she really competes across all aspects of the game.  Aniaya Burton-Hernandez is another dynamite player who makes an impact. She has a great frame for the game and looks like a high school player already, and I love how she faces up and drops dimes in the high post. One last standout to mention is  India Stevens, a 2024 wing/forward on the 15U team. Stevens is a rangy, athletic lefty, who is particularly good at getting to the rack going to her strong hand side. She sprints the floor well, and was smooth pushing in transition.

The  New Jersey Sparks took home a pair of titles at Philly Face Off and played for another, so there was strong play top to bottom. Let's start at the top, literally and figuratively with 2022 Penn State commit  Paulina Paris. Wow, what a scorer! Paris put up 32 points in the 17U championship game, including the game winning free throws in overtime. She is having an awesome spring, no doubt.  Christina Midgette is a versatile 2022 wing/forward who is making strides so far this club season. Midgette can hit the three one possession and go to work in the short corner the next, all the while always positioning her body in a way to be effective when the ball comes to her. The Sparks' 15U squad also took home the 'ship, led by the usual outstanding scoring effort from 2024 wing  Chloe Vasquez who just continues to put up points this spring in every event. Teammate  Sofia Sanchez is a multidimensional scorer herself playing the point, and she shot the ball pretty well overall here.  Kayla Snyder is a 2026 combo guard to be aware of, with some stifling on ball defense forcing turnovers, and the ability to get to the rack and score with either hand. The NJ Sparks Postell crew made it to the 13U title game behind some solid play from lanky wing  Lexi Carnegie and a stock rising athletic guard  Jezelle Banks. Carnegie plays to win on offense and on defense, getting stops and getting buckets. Banks has some fast handles and some wheels off the bounce, and should be a scoring option for years to come.

The  Gauchos brought their 16U team down to Philly for some run this weekend, and they had a nice mix of younger prospects throughout the roster.  Jada Mills  is a 2023 playmaker at the guard spot, really pounding the rock on the way to the cup, and showing some creativity in her finishing. Another guard who showed very well is 2025 point guard  Talyah Harris, who showed a ton of toughness and got up into ball handlers with some crazy pressure on D. There's plenty of flash and flare to her game and she doesn't back down from anyone. On the interior, 6'1 post  Heaven Harper holds it down. Harper has a good set of hands, and is light enough on her feet to run the floor and elevate to rebound the basketball. 


The  Philadelphia Belles had some of their teams lined up to battle it out this year. The Belles 15U Peterson team took it all the way to winning a championship... in the 16U division! This is an exciting group, deep with talent.  Amber Howard is as athletic as they come, standing at 5'11 out on the perimeter, with the ability to score off the bounce and a nice little teardrop runner in the lane.  Rhian Stokes was taking no prisoners on Championship Sunday either, scoring at all 3 levels and refusing to be stopped or to be scored on. Then 2024 point guard  Jenna Aponik played some of her best basketball all weekend, smart and scrappy, grabbing plenty of steals, dishing out the assists, and having fun in the process. On the 17U squad, 2023 wing  Reagan Chrencik fits into a positionless basketball model. She shoots the three with regularity, defends multiple positions, and is active on the boards.

Baltimore was in the building with  Power Move bringing a couple teams to compete on Saturday, in the 17U and 15U brackets, respectively. The 17U squad has some depth, but a couple of versatile kids- 2023  Maya Woodson and 2025  Meghan Yarnevich really stood out and made the world turn for them. Woodson is still just scratching the surface of some of the production she is capable of. She has the ability, size, and build to be a standout on the wing, but she's more than willing to work inside as well, and I like how she rebounds out of area. Yarnevich is a familiar face for NYG Hoops, just an energizer bunny out there who scores it all sorts of ways and is really stepping up and challenging herself to guard the other team's best player, no matter their position. The 15U team has a mix of '24s and '25s. Inside, 2025 post  Erin Miller scores plenty in the paint at 6'3, and she is still discovering more of that aggression that could lead to her really taking over games. 2024  Aliyah Taylor is a fearless freak athlete, well on her way to greatness. She pins shots, grabs rebounds, starts the break in a hurry and dishes ahead to the rim runner. She even hit the three on the jab. Watch out for this one!

Rochester Premier is one of those solo programs who has one really nice, well-coached, deep team every year. This year's group is playing at the 15U level, and there are plenty of prospects to take in. The excitement starts with 2024 point guard  Amaia Jackson, who combines speed with x-ray vision and a variety of passes along the way. Jackson can be a magician out there.  Jordyn Williams looks the part at around 6'1, and has some high end athletic traits that bode well for the future. One more player to like here is  Kyla Hayes, a 6'1 forward who has a knack for scoring off cuts, and is taking a mid range pull up that looks good. 


Team Final had great representation up and down the age brackets, and even took home the banner in the vaunted 13U division. That 2026 Team Final MD squad reigned supreme with a ton of talented young ladies. It starts with the guards, and 2026  Ava Yoon and 2027  Katie Diao are playing well above their ages, making them a great duo. Yoon is smart, crafty, and just as athletic as any guard she is going to face. Defensively she stays in front of people very well too. Diao was quite impressive as one of the youngest players at the event. Her maturity and feel for the game are at a high school level right now, and her cerebral, confident approach is outstanding. Be on the lookout for 2026 forward  Anna Beth Tsai-Turton too. At 6'1, she's not hard to spot in a crowd, and she will wow you with some of her scoring on the run or attack, even if she is still putting some things together.  Ava Eberly had a good weekend for Final's 16U team. Her size and three point shooting out on the wing is more than noticeable, and she plays hard. Last, but certainly not least, 2022 point guard  Mihjae Hayes is well-known in the Philly area as a competitive, competent floor general who mixes in plenty of highlight reel plays and some of her own scoring too. She can really set the pace out there, exactly what you want out of a point guard.

Twin Tier Elite has a mix of players from New York and Northeast PA that are on the radar at varying levels of college basketball. The guard play is particularly strong, led by this trio of 2022  Kayla Campbell, 2022  Brooke Tillotson, and 2023  Madalyn Barrows. Campbell starts it all off as a major playmaker. At one point, she scored on three possessions in a row, one bucket at each level- lay in, pull up, three ball. That is super impressive, and a good representation of what she can do. Tillotson is a lanky combo guard who can turn the corner off a ball screen or hit the roller as well. With Barrows, you have a strong, solid guard who is not going to be bumped around out there. She makes sound choices, shoots the three, and gets to the rim some too. This is a good group, looking forward to seeing them more this summer.


Lastly, here are some solo standouts we couldn't leave out of the mix.  Lauren Trumpy is getting more and more interest at the DI level, and it is all warranted for the 6'5 2022 post from  Mid Penn Motion. Trumpy uses her great size to her advantage, and has plenty of endurance to go along with a nice skill set on the block. Another interior player we liked was  Paley Adams, a 6'2 2024 forward with  NDO Elite. Hailing from upstate New York, Adams is tall, long, and strong, and not afraid to bang inside on D. She's also very fierce on the boards, and closes out shooters on the perimeter like a guard. The  NY Renaissance 15U team had some really nice prospects, headlined by 2024  Ka'Shya Hawkins. Hawkins can fill a face up forward role, but has plenty of guard skills settling in too. She sprints rim to rim, and runs her own lay up drill at times on people, even tapping rebounds to herself.  Rise as One had a really nice showing with their 14U and 15U squads in attendance. One name to know-  Cassidy Ball, a 5'7 2024 combo guard. Ball can play, surprising you with some athleticism and hang time, leading to plenty of lay ups and subsequent trips to the foul line, where she cashes out.  Team Sharp 17U has added a young standout in  Jaylin Hartman, who displayed her usual assortment of scoring inside and out. Hartman stays active without the ball, and has already amassed quite a lot of experience at a young age.

We will see you this summer! Keep it locked in on social media @NYGHoops for all the latest film a