May 8, 2023
‘New-age guards’ shine at Overtime Takeover Event
By Hunter Cruse
Which top high school prospects stood out at the Atlanta event?
ATLANTA — This past weekend, Overtime, a sports media company geared towards high school basketball, partnered with Gatorade for their annual WBB Takeover Event. College basketball stars Paige Bueckers, Flau’jae Johnson and Angel Reese were on-site to mentor, coach and host the live broadcast from Overtime Elite Arena.
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The two-day event featured 17 players, ranging from rising 18-year-old collegiate freshmen to underclassmen atop their high school class.
Furthermore, 10 of the 17 players are considered five-star recruits, according to ESPN HoopGurlz.
The evolution of guard-sized prospects popped from a scouts-eye over the weekend, which is promising for the future of women’s basketball as pace-and-space concepts multiply in WNBA playbooks by the season. Currently, there’s a limited number of dribble-pass-shoot guards at the WNBA level, but not for long.
Let’s dive into some of the standout prospects from the event, a duo of second-generation hoopers, and the impact Overtime can have on women’s basketball.
Changing of the Guard
Historically, when you think of players at the point guard position in women’s basketball, who is it? Likely Sue Bird, Courtney Vanderbloot, Lindsay Whalen, Becky Hammon and Ticha Penicheiro.
Bird, Vandersloot, Whalen and Penicheiro are traditional table-setting guards with less scalability as high-usage self-creators. Conversely, Hammon was well ahead of her time in 2008 as the first player 5’10 or shorter to attempt 220 3-pointers in a single season. In 2022, Kelsey Plum (269) and Arike Ogunbowale (236) surpassed this feat, but as evident from the Overtime Takeover Event, you can expect it to become the new norm from here — these new-age guards are special.
Aaliyah Chavez, 2025
Arguably the most intriguing long-term prospect from the event is Monterey, Texas native Aaliyah Chavez. She is the No. 3 overall recruit and the highest-ranked guard in the 2025 recruiting class.
Bryson Warren, a 2024 NBA draft prospect, and Chavez combined for over 100 points to win the 3-point shooting contest on Saturday. Warren tabbed Chavez as “the female Steph Curry” in their post-shooting contest interview.
Chavez will be a nightmare to contain in a well-spaced, pick-and-roll-heavy offense. She is a dynamic three-level scorer with endless confidence as a deep-range pull-up shooter, and a tight handle that allows her to create superb separation as a driver.
“For colleges, I’m looking for teams that run, get the ball up the floor, and if I get it back, it’s my time to shine,” Chavez told The Next. “And ball screens, that’s my thing. I’m great at ball screens… I can really do a little bit of everything, so if they back up, I’m shooting the three, if they come up, I’m driving to the basket, so I [try to] use my body really well.”
She also mentioned Connecticut Sun rookie and 2023 national champion Alexis Morris as a player she watches film on.
“I took a lot off Alexis Morris this year because I play like her and just trying to see the different reads she makes,” Chavez said.
The 5’9 guard has taken unofficial visits to Texas and Texas Tech, among others, but can begin taking official visits on Aug. 1.
Jaloni Cambridge, 2024
Jaloni Cambridge left her mark at The Takeover, scoring 27 points on 13 of 20 shooting from the field in Saturday’s 5-on-5 game. She is the No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, and one of five current high school recruits – regardless of class – to earn a 98-scoring grade, according to ESPN HoopGurlz.
Despite standing at 5’6, Cambridge is a two-point scoring machine who can score out of isolation in the mid-range, and generate paint touches with her dazzling off-the-line burst and ball-handling versatility.
“I’m not going to be able to beat everyone off the dribble. Just to have that third level is helpful,” Cambridge told Main Street Preps in January. “Some people take charges, so I don’t want to get that foul. I don’t want to get hurt driving through three people if I don’t have to.”
The 2023 Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year has taken visits to the likes of Baylor, South Carolina, Connecticut and Tennessee.
Zamareya Jones, 2024
Lastly, Zamareya “Zam” Jones, a 5’7 guard from North Carolina, took over in the second half, finishing with 29 points on 6 of 10 shooting from beyond the arc.
On this possession, Jones pulled up for a deep 4-pointer in semi-transition with zero hesitation, despite the late closeout from top-ranked sophomore Jazzy Davidson.
She isn’t in the same tier of athletes as Chavez or Cambridge, but understands how to change speeds and keep defenders guessing, given her high-volume 3-point repertoire.
Jones is the No. 14 recruit in the 2024 class and a priority target for NC State and head coach Wes Moore, among various other schools.
Second generation hoopers
On Friday, Izela Arenas, the daughter of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, knocked down four-straight 3-pointers to defeat Cambridge in the final round of the Queen of the Court competition.
Arenas is a 5’9 sharpshooting lefty with a compact catch-and-shoot jumper and palpable off-ball utility.
The 2024 guard averaged 10.2 points on 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc in the first EYBL session of the season in Hampton, Va.
Arenas currently has offers from Loyola Marymount and California, as well as interest from Oregon and Southern California.
Mackenly Randolph, Arenas’ teammate at Sierra Canyon and the daughter of multi-time NBA All-Star Zach Randolph, quietly put together a strong performance in the 5-on-5 game. The junior forward recorded a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds on an efficient 10 of 12 from the field and 2 of 3 shooting from beyond the arc.
Randolph is an undersized forward but has the strength, mobility, and shooting touch to play inside and out.
She is the No. 19 ranked recruit in the 2024 class, according to ESPN HoopGurlz.
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Overtime’s place in the NIL era
There’s a real downside to “highlight culture” on social media, but it does prove beneficial to women’s basketball players and their personal brands.
In the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era, it’s crucial for athletes to grow their following and brand in high school to maximize NIL earnings in college.
On Instagram reels alone, @OvertimeWBB amassed over 3 million views from the event, showcasing each of the player’s unique personalities on and off the court. Overtime will also be posting long-form, documentary-like content from The Takeover on YouTube that will drop in the near future.
