Westchester Hoopers Headed To Nashville TOC



The New York based Westchester Hoopers have gotten off to a strong start in 2015, but the real challenge for the program starts in July.

“We’re very happy with how everything has gone so far,” said Coach Bryan Williams. “The girls have been competing hard, and they are getting a lot of attention from the college coaches. Hopefully we can keep that going in July.

“You have to go where the coaches are, and the coaches go where the talent is, so we do a lot of traveling in July. When we are in New York, we play the same top clubs all the time. If we really want to get better, we have to travel. If you want to be the best, you have to play the best. And, hopefully, along the way we will get some national recognition.”

Part of the July grind for the Hoopers will include the Nashville Tournament of Champions, which will be played from July 10-13. The event, which will feature some of the top travel teams in the country, will be played at the HoopTown venue.

The Hoopers are powered by a strong group of veterans. In the 2016 Class, the program looks to Ashley Martin (6-0, W), Kayla Correa (5-5, PG), Lana Rodney (5-9, G), Gabriel Brooks (6-0, F), Isla Powell (6-0, PF) and Lisana Burnett (5-9, CG).
“Ashley is a female Scottie Pippen,” Williams said. “She has a great basketball IQ, she rebounds, handles the ball, defends and shoots. Kayla is a pure point guard. She is our floor general, she is a great defender, and she is always attacking on the offensive end.
“Lana can flat our score on anybody. She can shoot the three, handle the ball, get to the rim and finish. Gabriel is tough inside, and she has a very nice mid-range jumper. She rebounds, and she can put it on the floor with either hand. Isla is a face up four with a very effective mid-range game. She runs the floor well, rebounds and defends. Lisana is a great defender who handles the ball and passes well, and she knows how to finish in traffic.”
The Hoopers are also expecting big things from their Class of 2017, which features Korina Guerra (5-10, SG),  and Kristian Teklits (5-11, CG).
“Korina had a strong performance at the Deep South Classic, and that has generated a lot of interest,” noted Williams. “She can shoot the three, she is an intelligent player and a great defender with long arms. Kristian is another intelligent player, and she plays bigger than her size. She can really attack the basket, and she rebounds well.”