For a few hours on the night of June 12, the epicenter of Northeast women’s basketball was in NY’s Capital District. The 9th Annual EST Summer Kickoff – the initial Empire State Takeover spring event that has since birthed spring sessions in Rochester (since 2022) and Scranton, PA (since 2025) – took over the courts at Impact Athletic Center just north of Albany.

112 players, representing the vast majority of locales in New York State along with additional players from Western Massachusetts, northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont, competed across two separate sessions in front of over two dozen college coaches from the D2, D3, and JuCo ranks. These players ranged from talented underclassmen gaining valuable showcase experience to upperclassmen clawing to get on radars of coaches in attendance. In addition, eight participants have already received scholarship offers from Division I (Dior Dobere, Emma Johnson, Brooke Lilley, Kailey Weber) or Division II programs (Kylah Bednar, Reese Duprey, Aliyah Pearson, Ella Trimarchi). The event featured 30+ realistic scholarship-track players between all classes along with many that will help D3 programs down the line.

I take the time to go back and analyze & evaluate every ounce of game film from my events, but I typically do a terrible job at writing about it for the website. With that in mind, here’s a fun way to keep me honest. Enjoy this gradual stream of consciousness style write-up from the Summer Kickoff:

June 16 Viewing: 5:00 Session 3×3 (one court)

The youngest player on the ‘demo’ court left perhaps the largest impression. There was no greater shot maker on the floor than 2030 Emma Johnson (Cooperstown/XGen Elite), and even as a 14 year old, it’s fair to call her one of Upstate NY’s highest-level shot makers regardless of class. No one is counting, but I had to eventually: the 5’8″ guard let loose for 25 points in what was recorded of the opening FIBA-style 3×3 session (missed the first three minutes). That included 7 threes delivered in a variety of ways, and although she was assertively score-minded, there was efficiency involved – I wouldn’t call this stretch a high-volume one for her. Emma started with a difficult midrange floater going to her right, then caught fire with perimeter jumpers off the catch, with rhythm dribbles, and off dribble moves to either hand. She showcased real college range with the strength to knock it down off a square-up without needing catch & shoot flow. All-in-all, a very impressive start for the potent scoring guard coming off an early D1 offer from New Hampshire.

Speaking of shot making… hello, Raelynn Parks? If you watch the 5’11” 2027 forward play school ball at Unatego, you may not realize she has any comfort away from the rim. She makes her mark as an interior force there – and had a bit of a breakout winter in the process – and does the same in AAU with the Albany Herricanes. I noticed a couple flashes of stretch play while walking around a couple weeks ago at the Scranton Spring Showcase, and she really tapped into that during opening 3×3 at the Summer Kickoff. Rae had a couple catch & finishes at the rim off early seals, but most of her scoring came with the wrinkle of stretch play and midrange/perimeter shooting. All of them were twos, but out of the handful of jumpers she made, two or three of them were toe-on-the-line 19 footers. Continued work on that aspect of her game will allow refinement – tighter footwork will turn those into threes, compact mechanics will help speed up the release a split-second, so on. In the meantime, as a player far more recognized as a back-to-basket offensive player & rugged rebounder, the fact that she’s taking those jumpers and made over half of her attempts is a great sign. Development & expansion of her game as she’s ringing the bell of increasingly competitive D3 programs this spring.

The Black jerseys on the demo court got stuck with just three players due to late scratches, which put them at a bit of a disadvantage as FIBA-style 3×3 can be a silent killer in terms of conditioning. I was impressed with how Amirah Warren attacked those first ~20 minutes. The Columbia/Albany Capitals 2029 forward got herself into the flow of things after a few minutes and showed bits & pieces of what makes her an intriguing area up-and-comer. She was a primary scorer for her group, primarily out of face-up scenarios getting downhill to her right hand (although she did hit a three as well), but it may have been the defensive end that stuck out more to me. A forward that’s listed at 5’8″ but plays more like she’s 6’2″ with a point to prove, Amirah successfully defended everyone on the opposing team at one time or another, regardless of their position or skill set. She used power & toughness to bottle up forwards that tried to operate in the paint. When up against guards, she showed surprisingly good foot speed & footwork to keep the ball contained, enough so that I would call her a switchable defender that can handle herself in a ‘switch everything’ sort of scheme. Amirah’s journey is just getting started as a prospect, but she’s showing unique tools at an early stage that lend to intrigue down the road.

June 17 Viewing: 5:00 Session 3×3 (continued)

Something that’s typically a rarity but will show itself to be a constant in review of the 5:00 game film – in a world of heavily guard-oriented play, especially in showcase settings, this group leaned the opposite. Luck of the draw in who signed up. This session was lean on the true backcourt players & heavier on wings, tweeners, and forwards. That put some players in more expanded on-ball roles here & put others that may have to play more away from the rim in college in those sorts of situations as well.

And Maddie Chatt really shined with the on-ball reps. If I go through all 3×3 game film and conclude that she had the best start of the entire group in this session, I won’t be surprised. That in itself isn’t a surprise as the Stillwater/Albany Capitals 2028 has embraced every part of the development process and not only refined & expanded her game, but turned the corner into someone that can legitimately be mentioned as a scholarship-level prospect. Another ‘no one is counting but I eventually had to’ moment – she scored 28 points (!) with good efficiency in the opening 3×3. Much of it came with the jumper – unquestionably one of the purest, most mechanically sound shooters at the event – and she mixed college-range threes with developing midrange game off the bounce, which she showed a few times attacking closeouts & pulling up or pulling off ball screens. Her motor & conditioning level were on full display as she looked fresh for the entire 20+ minutes of play despite being on a team without subs. The (all of) 5’8″ guard was the most well-rounded & natural basketball athlete on her court, and despite not being a PG by trade, I was impressed with how she led & managed her team offensively, mixing in various actions and finding a good balance between create for self vs. setting the table. Headliner of a start in her third EST event of the spring (and if you want to count the MS Combine she worked at in May, a perfect 4-for-4).

The Binghamton area is already well-aware at this point, but it’s time for everyone else to be introduced to Harper Eagan. The Summer Kickoff was technically just a 2027-2029 event, but a few select middle schoolers were included in the action. Harper, a 5’11” 2030 forward (Maine-Endwell/Upstate Select) that not only was one of the Southern Tier’s emergent stars over the winter but is also a multi-sport standout that spent the first part of her Friday playing in a softball state semifinal, wasted no time making her presence felt. The lefty mixed in interior & stretch game but showed a comfort zone closer to the rim with primary operation in the paint & post. Despite being one of the event’s youngest players, she had perhaps one of the greatest understandings of her game & strengths and leaned into those without trying to do too much. Harper took advantage of switches & mismatches, carved space effectively to create finishing angles with her left hand & over her right shoulder, showed well-rounded post effectiveness with production playing back-to-basket, out of P&R reps, and by crashing & collecting on the offensive glass, and played with a consistent approach & assertive physicality. Strong start with steady play over the duration of 3×3.

And back on the ‘shooter’ topic. I’ve sang it for over a year now and anyone that’s watched her just once sees it too, but no question that Avery Ostrander is one of the most potent shooters in the Capital District & was one of the top ones at this event. The Ballston Spa/NY Havoc 2029 set that tone in the first few minutes of 3×3 as her first three shot attempts – a midrange jumper going to her left where she had to adjust her body going into the lift, followed by two college threes – hardly moved the net. The 5’9″ guard looked more comfortable as a lead/on-ball player and excelled in the rhythm it provided, mixing in some drives & advantageous paint touches when she could attack a closeout or ball screen to her right hand. But first thing’s first… sniper. Building around that coveted trait.

I’ll continue to keep an eye on the continued development of Bryar White, who showed some flashes in opening 3×3. The 6 footer displayed relatively soft touch as a post finisher over her left shoulder, showed a developing jump hook that’ll be a great layer for her to add as a back-to-basket scoring option, moved block to block & lifted as needed off drives to open up the floor and present as a catch & finish option, and on a 3×3 court with 6 of the 7 players standing between 5’8″-6’0″ (a.k.a. not a bunch of short opponents), she was the most notable rim protecting presence of the group with numerous blocks & shot alters. Just a 2029 at Shaker/NY Havoc, growing into her body with plenty of room for long-term growth potential.