Bakersfield, CA – This past Friday night, May 12th, myself and Clutch Clips Hoop hosted our first-ever girl’s event, Central Cali’s Girls Prospect Showcase, at Garces Memorial High School. The event featured 42 players from the classes of 2023-2027, representing 19 schools from Kern County and 1 school from Porterville. The players were placed on pre-selected rosters, and each player would participate in two showcase games. The teams were made up of 10 players each and the team names were taken from the WNBA: Sparks, Aces, Storm, and Mercury. The games were live-streamed on BallerTV and are available for replay using the following link:
https://www.ballertv.com/events/central-cali-showcase
The format featured two games to start the event, which would be followed by a 3rd place game between the losers of each of the first 2 games and a championship game between the winners of the first 2 games. Game 1 featured Team Sparks against Team Mercury, which would be won by a large margin by Team Sparks with a score of 75-48. Faith Curry led all scorers with 17 points, and Journie Hayden would lead Team Mercury with 13 points in the loss. Game 2 featured Team Aces against Team Storm, in which Team Aces won handily by a score of 58-31. Team Aces was led by Kai Shaw with 13 points and 9 rebounds, while Giada Dibble led Team Storm with 8 points.
The 3rd place game featured Team Mercury against Team Storm, which was close in the first half before Kyah Bartlett got going to give Team Mercury the win, as she would have a game-high 15 points. Koree Rodden of Team Storm led her squad with 12 points but it was not enough as they fell by a score of 47-35. Team Aces and Team Sparks would face off in the championship game that featured a lot of talent on both sides. The first half was a close one but Kai Shaw, Riley Walden, and Alexis Bila would prove to be too much of a scoring trio, as they would score 20, 14, and 12 respectively to give Team Aces the 63-43 victory.
The remainder of this article takes a look at my Top 25 Performers from the event and puts them into three categories: Top 10 Performers, Next 10 Performers, and Notable Players. Although the players in the Top 10 were my best 10 players, within the category their names are listed in alphabetical order not ranked order. That is the same for the other two categories. The following information is provided for the players below: a brief evaluation of each player’s skill set and strengths of their games, how they performed in the event, as well as all relevant player information. We begin this article with standout freshman Kyah Bartlett.
Top 10 Performers
2026 5’7 Kyah Bartlett (Monache/Porterville CA)
Bartlett is a combo guard that has the vision to make plays for others, but thrives when she is looking to create her own buckets. This was evident in her game-high 15-point performance to lead Team Mercury to a win in the 3rd Place Game. Bartlett plays with nice pace and feel for the flow of the game, keeps the ball on a string while surveying the floor, and has the court vision to find open teammates in tight windows when on the attack. As a scorer, Bartlett is accurate with the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch and shoot, has the moves and handles to create space from her opponent, can score the ball efficiently from 3-levels, and her accuracy from the perimeter spreads the defense, and opens up opportunities as a facilitator or scorer. Impressive level of confidence in her game as a freshman with 3 more years to keep developing.
2025 5’6 Alexis Bila (Bakersfield Christian/CA)
Bila is a combo guard that plays the role of facilitator and playmaker but can also create her own shots, which makes her a tough assignment for any opponent. Bila had a relatively quiet Game1, but turned it up in the Championship Game, as she was dropping dimes, getting to her shot spots, and finished with 12 points and a handful of assists at least (this stat was not recorded). Bila plays with good pace, has nice acceleration off the dribble, is able to create her own shots off the bounce, and has nice touch and creativity on finishes over height in the paint. The most impressive part of Bila’s game is her court vision and decision-making when playing the lead guard. Bila finds teammates in tight windows, makes great reads when on the attack off the perimeter, and does not force the issue, minimizing turnovers. Bila is a solid perimeter defender, has good lateral quickness, and the footspeed to stay in front of her opponent.
2024 6’1 Faith Curry (Liberty/Bakersfield CA)
Curry is one of the top overall prospects in the Central Section and has a nice blend of perimeter skills to play at the guard position, as well as the height and moves to operate in the post. Curry opened up the event with a game-high 17 points for Team Sparks and showed her ability to score effectively from all 3-levels. Curry has the handles to get by her opponent, the moves to create space from her defender off the bounce, can connect on tough shots with consistency, and her accuracy from beyond the 3-point line opens up driving lanes and provides scoring options from the mid-post or at the basket. Curry has nice touch around the basket, controls the boards, and has the handle to push the pace of play and the court vision to advance the ball up the court. Curry impacts the game on both ends in a variety of ways and her ability to see the floor and make good decisions with the ball makes her a threat as a playmaker and a scorer.
2023 5’6 Journie Hayden (Ridgeview/Bakersfield CA)
Hayden is a combo guard that has the skill to create her own offense, as well as use her physicality to get to her shot spots. Hayden had a team-high 13 points in Team Mercury’s first game, and followed that up with 8 points in the 3rd Place Game. The 8 points in her 2nd game came after suffering a rolled ankle in the early going, but she put a brace on and went back to work. Hayden has tight handles, keeps the ball on a string when surveying the defense, has the moves to shake her defender, and has the strength to finish through contact at the basket. Hayden has the moves to create her own offense off the perimeter, is accurate from the mid-range to the 3-point line, and has nice touch on floaters and finishes in the paint. Hayden gets downhill and makes nice use of the hesitation to keep defenders guessing.
2023 5’2 Si’Auna Hayden (Mira Monte/Bakersfield CA)
Hayden is a lightning-quick lead guard that keeps the defense on their heels all game long and relentlessly attacks the basket with the ability to space the floor with the 3-ball. Hayden had some electric plays and had one of the more dynamic handles of any player at the showcase. Hayden has the moves to shake her opponent, a great burst of speed with the use of the hesitation to freeze her defender, and is a creative finisher over height in the paint. Hayden has nice touch on the floater, the moves to create perimeter shots off the dribble, and showed she can connect on the 3-ball when the defense sagged off her. She has solid court vision and is capable of making plays when on the attack, but her game is getting buckets.
2023 5’6 Laura LaMonte (Tehachapi/CA)
LaMonte is a guard that impacts the game in a variety of ways on both ends and showed she can fill it up from beyond the arc. LaMonte had the hot hand early for Team Sparks in their opening game, as she would score 12 points and knocked down a pair of threes. LaMonte has a good handle on the ball, moves well off the ball to get open for catch-and-shoot opportunities, the moves to attack off the wing, and is efficient from the perimeter. LaMonte has good court vision and makes quality decisions with the ball, where she can make plays for others or get her own buckets.
2025 5’1 Nevaeh Matthews (Liberty/Bakersfield CA)
Matthews is a scoring guard that has shifty handles and quick moves to create space and is accurate from beyond the arc. Matthews had an impressive Game 1 for Team Mercury, as she would put up 12 points while connecting on a pair of threes. Matthews has good on-court speed, handles to push the pace of play, has nice touch on finishes around the basket, and can create her own perimeter shots off the dribble with range on the 3-ball. Matthews displayed the shifty moves needed to get by her defender and attacks when the court opens up.
2026 5’9 Koree Rodden (Tehachapi/CA)
Rodden is a guard/wing that can play the forward position if needed, can score the ball from various spots on the court, and does a solid job on the boards to push the pace of play in the open court. Rodden did the heavy lifting for Team Storm in the 3rd Place Game, as she was the only player on her team to score in double-digits, finishing with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Rodden has solid handles, the moves to attack off the wing, accurate with the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch-and-shoot, and has the strength to finish through traffic in the paint. Rodden does a solid job on the glass, has enough moves to operate in the post, and is a versatile defender capable of guarding the perimeter and the interior. Rodden plays the game the right way and makes good decisions with or without the ball, but if she looks to be more of a scorer the next 3 years of high school, she will be one of the top overall prospects in the South Valley..
2027 5’6 Kai Shaw (Freedom Middle School/Bakersfield CA)
Shaw was one of the youngest players at the event but she made her presence felt amongst the high school players as the event’s overall leading scorer, with games of 20 points and 13 points. Shaw has solid handles, moves to create separation from her opponent, court vision to make plays when on the attack, and the creativity to finish around the basket over and around height. Shaw showed she can score it from 3-levels effectively and got it going from beyond the arc in her 2nd game, as she connected on 4 threes en route to her event scoring high of 20 points. Shaw plays with nice pace, weaves through the defense with good ball control, and keeps her head up to make the right play, whether that is finding an open teammate or creating her own scoring opportunities. Impressive showing and has all four years of high school ahead of her.
2025 5’7 Riley Walden (Tehachapi/CA)
Walden is a lead guard with great court vision as a facilitator and shot-making ability to create her own scoring opportunities. Walden played more of the distributor in Game 1 for Team Aces but got it going offensively in the championship game and finished with 14 points in a win over Team Sparks. Walden does a solid job on the boards, pushes the pace of play off the glass, and makes great decisions with the ball in hand. Walden has the moves and handles to create off the dribble, makes nice use of the hesitation to get her defender off balance, and can score it from beyond the arc, as well as being a creative finisher around the basket. Walden has solid court vision and with her ability to space the floor from the perimeter, she is able to break down a defense where Walden is tough to predict for a defense, given she can create her own offense or find the open teammate when on the attack. Walden is a tough on-ball defender, has good lateral quickness and quick hands to generate turnovers, and plays with relentless energy on both ends.
Next 10 Performers
2025 5’10 Aubrey Aldan (Ridgeview/Bakersfield CA)
Aldan is a forward that does a solid job on the boards, has nice touch around the basket, and showed good touch on her mid-range shot. Aldan had 8 points and 6 points in her two showcase games and showed enough of a handle to be a threat attacking from the mid-post.
2023 5’9 Sade Anderson (East/Bakersfield CA)
Anderson is a guard/wing that can space the court with the 3-ball, has the handle to create off the perimeter, and has good touch around the basket. Anderson had 8 points in the opening game for Team Sparks and knocked down the perimeter shot off the dribble and the catch-and-shoot.
2024 6’2 Alyse Brooks (Garces Memorial/Bakersfield CA)
Brooks is a forward/center that uses her height and wingspan to dominate the glass and alter shots. Brooks recorded 12 rebounds and 7 boards in both games and was key in helping provide second-chance scoring opportunities for Team Aces. Brooks also showed she can be a rim protector and has a soft touch around the basket. Great build for next-level hoops.
2025 5’6 Victoria Castaneda (Independence/Bakersfield CA)
Castaneda is a guard that can shoot the ball well from the perimeter and has the handle to attack off the dribble. Castaneda is accurate with the 3-ball, has the moves to get by her defender, and has nice touch over height around the basket. She hit some timely threes for Team Aces in both wins.
2027 5’3 Giada Dibble (Norris Middle School/Bakersfield CA)
Dibble is a guard that impacts the game on both ends of the court and has range from behind the arc. Dibble has good lateral quickness as an on-ball defender, active hands to generate turnovers, and keeps relentless pressure on her opponent. Dibble is accurate from the 3-point line, moves well off the ball to get open looks, and runs the floor well in the open court for easy baskets. Great motor and will be an impact player on a young but loaded Lady Hawks squad.
2026 5’7 Jaelyn Dock (Tehachapi/CA)
Dock is a guard that has a nice shot from the perimeter that she knocks down with consistency. Dock had 9 points in Team Aces Game 1 win and scored the ball from all 3-levels. Dock has solid handles, moves well off the ball to get open, and is accurate from the 3-point line. She will be a valuable piece for the Lady Warriors for the next 3 years and plays with good confidence for a freshman.
2024 6’3 Camille Foster (Tehachapi/CA)
Foster is a forward/center that controls the boards that lead to putback opportunities and easy points. What I was most impressed with from Foster is her ability to block shots and protect the basket in the paint. Foster had 3 blocks on one possession and made life tough for any guard attacking the basket. If she develops a more consistent mid-range jumper and some handles, she will be an interesting prospect at the next level.
2024 5’9 Shionna Nash (Golden Valley/Bakersfield CA)
Nash is a forward that has perimeter skills and a nice shot from the mid-post to the 3-point line. Nash has great court vision, gets the ball out quickly off the glass, makes nice reads from the high post, and has enough handle to put the ball on the deck and attack the rim. Nash also showed she can space the floor from the 3-point line, as she connected on a pair of threes in the opening game for Team Mercury. Nash controls the glass and is able to finish through contact around the basket. Borderline Top 10 Performer.
2026 5’5 Laker Shaw (Centennial/Bakersfield CA)
Shaw is a lead guard that pushes the pace of play and brings relentless pressure on the defensive end. Shaw displayed her high-level on-ball defense, as she swarmed her opponent, generated turnovers, and created transition points. Shaw has solid handles and moves, can space the floor with the 3-ball, and plays well on and off the basketball.
2027 5’7 Ellee Statler (Norris Middle School/Bakersfield CA)
Statler is a lead guard that has impressive handles, moves to create off the dribble, and the court vision to make nice reads to open teammates. Statler plays with nice pace, keeps the ball on a string, attacks downhill to get to the basket, and has the strength to finish through contact at the basket. She has a smooth shot from the perimeter with range on the 3-ball, and is capable of creating her own scoring opportunities.
Notable Players
2026 5’4 Akasia Jackson (Ridgeview/Bakersfield CA)
2024 5’10 Kennedy Perkins (Tehachapi/CA)
2025 5’6 Alexia Ramirez (Shafter/CA)
2027 5’6 KeKe Shaw (Freedom Middle School/Bakersfield CA)
2025 5’3 Ruby Yanagi (Stockdale/Bakersfield CA)
