It was a great representation of St. Louis area girls’ basketball on the national stage at The National Championship this week in Orlando, FL.
St. Louis area teams Napheesa Collier Elite and Lady Brad Beal Elite matched up in the Final Four of the Elite 40 Platinum Bracket tournament on Monday.
Both of these top grassroots programs are named for two great St. Louis area basketball stars who were McDonald’s All-Americans who are currently standouts in the professional ranks.The talented young ladies on these two teams have made Napheesa Collier and Brad Beal proud with how they have performed this summer on the competitive national circuit. In the first meeting between the two teams this summer, a berth in the national championship game was on the line.
With more than 40 collegiate coaches on hand to watch the action, Napheesa Collier Elite came away with a 61-51 victory to advance to the championship game. They went on to defeat SMAC Attack (OH) 56-40 to win the national championship for the second consecutive year.
In the semifinals, Lady Brad Beal Elite took early control of the game as they built a 26-17 lead midway through the first half. That was when Phee Elite closed the half on a 12-2 run to take a 29-28 lead at halftime. A driving layup by junior guard Peyton Hill (Incarnate Word Academy) just ahead of the halftime buzzer gave Phee Elite a lead that it would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
The second half opened up with Phee Elite continuing its big run as it picked up the defense, which led to a slew of transition baskets. A 10-1 run to open the half pushed the lead to 39-29, which effectively decided the game.
Junior guard Nevaeh Caffey (Incarnate Word) led Phee Elite with a game-high 19 points. The 5’10” guard was on fire from long distance as she made five 3-pointers, including four in the second half. Senior guard Allie Turner (John Burroughs) added 14 points. The standout guard recently committed to Gonzaga. Senior forward Zoe Best (Incarnate Word) added 10 points.
The championship continues a tremendous run by the Phee Elite 17U team, which is led by head coach Jordan Olufson, who is also a very successful Division III coach at Webster University. Phee Elite won the Elite 40 championship at the Run 4 the Roses Classic in Louisville last year as well as the National Championship in Orlando.
This year’s edition features several players with a strong championship pedigree. Caffey, Best, Hill, Kaylynn Janes and Abbie Sextro all play for Incarnate Word’s Class 6 state championship dynasty program. Turner and guard Monet Witherspoon led John Burroughs to the Class 4 state championship in 2022 while 6’3” forward Dmyjah Bolds of O’Fallon was a starter for the Panthers’ Illinois Class 4A state championship game. Senior forward Bailey Boulay led Eureka to a Final Four berth in the Class 6 state championship.
Lady Brad Beal Elite was led by senior guard Chantrel “Tutu” Clayton (Vashon), who scored 18 points. Illinois small-school standouts Alana Kraus (Okawville) and Amiah Hargrove scored eight points each.
The Final Four appearance closes out a great month of July for Lady Brad Beal Elite. They reached the Final Four in the last three tournaments that they competed in, which included a pair of championships at the recent Run 4 the Roses Classic in Louisville.
