Claire Stoops
Azy Jackson of Bonney Lake, Washington, put herself on the national map this fall. *Photo by Eliteye Media.
The 2025 ELITE IS EARNED Camp Season marked its 14th year and the takeaway after spanning cities from coast-to-coast was matchups. In the current culture where circuit teams almost exclusively play only against teams under the same brand, EIE camps provide an platform where the sneaker doesn’t matter. The second half of 2025 is worth a look back.
Mile High Matchups
Sienna Williams of Louisville,
Colorado. Photo by Eliteye Media.In Denver it was Azy Jackson of Bonney Lake, Washington, and Sienna Williams of Louisville, Colorado, working together and competing to level up. With Jackson playing for Way To Win out of the Seattle area and Williams being on the Mountain West Premier EYBL team, their schedules didn’t allow them to play, but in the two days of camp they sharpened their games as they are both 6-3 forwards with really diverse skill sets. Both made convincing arguments to be in the 2027 ELITE 60.
At guard it was great to see young talent willing to step up and take the lead like Ava Wineglass of San Antonio, Texas, and Claire Stoops of Zionsville, Indiana, did. Even being among the younger competitors at the Colorado event, they took risks and played like upperclassmen, which can be expected in this setting as both have been on the floor with EIE several times in their young careers. Both are ELITE 60 Watch List prospects in their class.
Big Apple Showdown
Spin the dial back to late summer and our annual trip to New York saw the return of Hailey Benbow of Somerset, New Jersey. The consensus top 15 prospect seemed comfortable being the player everyone was measuring themselves against. One great matchup with Benbow was against 2027 wing Corinne Lomax of Watertown, Connecticut. They both possess strong frames and elite size to play on the perimeter. Both of them saw their stock rise from a competitive matchup.
Ohio Loaded
Strawberry Blankumsee of Cincinnati,
Ohio. Photo by Eliteye Media.Our trip the Midwest in the fall, was again, loaded with talent and players from various circuits getting to compete against each other. Bella Rogers of Loveland, Ohio, made a big impression with elite play both days. Watching DaKahri "Strawberry" Blankumsee of Cincinnati, Ohio, grow up before our eyes was great to see. In the 12 months since she first came to camp she has grown as an elite leader on the floor on top of being a top 10 talent in the 2028 class.
The guard matchups were fun to watch with stellar play from Gabby Domercant of Chicago, Illinois, who was surgical in her ball screen offense. Kennedy Stamper of Mount Sterling, Kentucky, is a multi-year camper who has really found pace in her game. A new face who had an outstanding weekend was Janay Carter of Columbus, Ohio. There’s a calmness to her game though she stays in attack mode at all times. When it comes to toughness you need not look further than Caylin Cox, of Johnstown, Ohio. She keeps the pressure on her opponent on both ends of the floor every second she is on the floor.
Jayden McLain (left) and D'Arrah Mitchell compete
at EIE Midwest. *Photo by Eliteye Media.The matchup between Raven Ferguson of Akron, Ohio, and D’Arrah Mitchell of Las Vegas, Nevada, was high energy, with both showing their elite size, length and mobility. We got our first on-floor work with 2029 standout Jayden McLain of Union, Kentucky, who at 6-6 can really move and create a lot of problems for the opposition. Ja’Kyiah Cook of Dayton, Ohio, showed why she’s garnered so many offers as a 2029. It’s also fun to get one last camp in with kids who started with us years ago and have their ticket punched for the next level. So getting Rylee Canaan of Evansville, Indiana back in the gym was a treat. The game has really slowed down for the 2027 Butler commit.
The Flagship - Seattle
The nation’s best and most trusted camp circuit started in the Pacific Northwest. Since it has evolved into a national circuit of events, the focus at the Seattle stop each summer is to elevate the platform for the west coast.
While there was plenty of hometown talent, the region, as a whole, made the weekend on Lake Washington special. From Palmer, Alaska, to Langley, B.C., to Oregon City, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho, the talent did not disappoint.
Puneet Deol of Surrey, B.C., at EIE
Seattle. *Photo by Eliteye Media.Dating back to Ruthie Hebard and Alissa Pili, Elite Is Earned and ProspectsNation.com has championed the talent from Alaska for a long time. In Seattle there were several Alaskans showing out, including Sloan King of of Chugiak, Alaska, Aaliyah Sconiers of Anchorage, Alaska, and Keelie Kronberger of Eagle River Alaska. Kronberger would go on to sign with Oral Roberts and was selected to the adidas All-American Camp.
Our Canadian hoopers from British Columbia have made the trip across the border to compete and train with EIE since the beginning. This year the duo of Puneet Deol of Surrey, B.C., and Ashley Vande Ven of Langley, B.C., made arguments they can compete with anyone in the lower 48 and are on their respective PN Watch Lists as well.
Looking east of Seattle the underclass session had the standard set but Camilla Poraj-Kuczewski of Boise, Idaho, and Kiana Ruud of Pasco, Washington. Their heads up battle was fun to watch as their frames and games are different but effective. Kamdyn Kalmberg of Aliso Viejo, California, continued the tradition of top California talent making waves.
Love Best of Oregon City, Oregon,
at EIE Seattle. *Photo by Eliteye.Up and down Interstate 5 you can find hoopers. Love Best of Oregon City, Oregon, has been competing at a high level for so long in front of our eyes it’s hard to believe she three more seasons of high school basketball to finish. Dilyn Johnson of Seattle, Washington, is another 2028 who had a terrific weekend and was coming off a great summer. We mentioned Jackson from our Colorado stop but she got busy in Seattle first. Navi Robinson and Lucia Mayorquin of Bellevue, Washington, showed their playmaking abilities too.
These were just a few of the names and matchups that made the 2025 EIE Camp Tour great for development and exposure.
The 2026 camp season starts soon: https://www.eliteisearned.com/camps/
Chris Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and serves on the McDonald’s All-American and Naismith Trophy selection committees. He was a co-founder of and the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012 and is the director of the Check Me Out Showcase and ELITE is EARNED events. He can be reached at chris@chrishansenbasketball.com.
