The top team for the Tennessee Team Pride organization is fueled by familiarity, with a strong nucleus that began playing on the same time years ago. When this group was in the seventh grade, two of the members moved away and joined other clubs. In the summer of 2015, those young ladies returned to the club for a season those kids have dubbed a “reunion tour.”
“i thing it says something about the bond these girls developed when they were playing at Tennessee Team Pride,” said Coach Chris Brown. “All of the girls had built strong friendships, and when they moved away everyone still stayed in contact.
“They came and played a couple of times with us in the fall, and they really enjoyed being back with all their friends. They just decided, let’s all get back together and have one final season together. I think they are going to relive a lot of great childhood memories this summer.”
One key stop on the tour will come in Team Pride’s home state at the Nashville Tournament of Champions. The event is being organized by the staff from the All Star Girls Report, and it will be held July 10-13. A national level field will be competing in the HoopTown venue.
The two young ladies who returned to Tennessee Team Pride this spring are Vashine Perry (2016, 5-6, PG) and Raegyn Branch (2016, 6-2, F, rated at No. 222 in her class by ASGR).
“With Vash, the defense has to have one and a half players committed to stopping her. If you let her go one-on-one, she is going to score. If you put two players on her, she is going to find an open teammate for a basket,” Brown explained. “Vash is the jet for our team. She pushes the temp and she creates opportunities for herself and her teammates.
“Raegyn is a super athlete. I think she is a stretch four type of player because of her shooting range. She defends and rebounds, and she can post up, but she likes to face up and create in space. I think she is going show the coaches something this year.”
Bret McCormick, the analyst for ASGR, also commented on the two Team Pride players.
“Perry is a very quick, true point guard. She can handle it, she passes well, and she can explode to the basket. She can really score the ball, including the three-point shot,” he said. “Branch is a good athlete with a strong body. She rebounds well and scores around the basket, and she runs the floor well.”