We’re about to reach the apex of the summer basketball calendar: AAU championship weekend.
Most of the major circuits around the country hold their championship tournaments from July 18-22. This aligns with the last live period weekend on the women’s basketball recruiting calendar, meaning it’s the last chance college coaches can watch players compete in person during the offseason (outside of hosting their own elite camps).
New England’s AAU programs are scattered across the country competing on different circuits. Last weekend was a big live period showcase opportunity, but these teams hope their best basketball is still coming up.
Here’s a look at the circuits you should pay attention to, which local teams are competing, and which squads are standing out recently.
Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships
When: July 18-22
Where: Rock Hill, South Carolina
The Adidas 3SSB circuit is one of the premier shoe-brand circuits in the country. Only one New England program competes here — Mass Rivals — but they’re one of the best.
Rivals’ top 17U team is 4-4 in Adidas 3SSB play but just went a combined 5-2 at the Select Super Showcase and Midwest Summer Classic tournaments last weekend in Hamilton, Ohio. The roster includes standouts Colleen Phiri (Haverhill, Mass.), Maysen Hill (Kingston, R.I.), Elyse Ngenda (Bedford, N.H.), and Fope Ayo (Methuen, Mass.).
Under Armour Association Championships
When: July 20-22
Where: Hamilton, Ohio
Like Rivals and Adidas, the Bay State Jaguars are the only New England UAA representative, but they’re another New England powerhouse.
The 17U Jags are 5-4 following last weekend’s third session of UAA games. Kaelyn Carroll (Dedham, Mass.), the consensus top prospect in New England, headlines a loaded team that includes recent Providence commit Olivia Rodrigues (Dennis Port, Mass.).
The Jags also have a strong 16U squad that is 7-2 on the circuit, with Bailey Breen (Rockland, Maine) dominating along the way. The 15U team is mid-pack at 5-4, but there are some big names to follow, including 2028 star Ella Peper (Newton, Mass.).
Under Armour also runs a secondary circuit, UA Rise, which includes local teams like MT Elite Ducks and New England Storm. The Ducks have a 6-2 team excelling at the 16U level, while the Storm 15U team is a perfect 8-0 in UA Rise action.
Nike Tournament of Champions
When: July 19-22
Where: Chicago, Ill.
New England does not have any teams in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), but some are part of the secondary Champions League (EYCL). These teams compete in the Tournament of Champions along with invited independent programs, and the top two seeds can earn their way into the EYBL’s Nike Nationals tournament.
You’ll find the Honey Badgers, Mass Huskies, and New England Crusaders in the EYCL. The Honey Badgers, in their final year of existence, have a shorthanded 17U team that has battled to an 8-7 record in EYCL play, spearheaded by the North Attleboro, Mass. duo of Charlotte Adams-Lopez and Maddy Steel.
The older Huskies and Crusaders have struggled, but the 16U Huskies, including standout forward Lauren Bousquet (West Warwick, R.I.), are 11-4 and surging after winning all seven of their games this past weekend.
The Tournament of Champions added several independent programs from New England, including: Shooting Touch, Lone Wolf Athletics, the New England Panthers and the Worcester Sting. Altogether, this showcase has some of the strongest local presence this weekend.
Select Events National Championship
When: July 19-22
Where: Louisville, Kentucky
Select Events is an independent organization, but its girls showcases have come to rival the shoe circuits’ spotlight. Select has advertised that more than 700 teams will be at the championship weekend, and that includes its flagship Power 24 and Select 40 squads.
Among those, MCW Starz is the standout. The 17U team, which qualified for the Power 24 finals, features recent Syracuse commit Jasmyn Cooper (Easton, Mass.) and a host of top prospects from the region. Fast-rising Connecticut program iBelieve Elite and the Maine Firecrackers are also Select members in other brackets.
Keep an eye out for the Empire State Blue Flames — though they’re a New York-based program, Cam Nelson (Greenwich, Conn.) — also a Syracuse commit — is among the stars on a squad that secured a No. 1 seed in the Power 24 tournament bracket.
Hoop Group Championship Weekend
When: July 19-22
Where: Atlantic City, N.J.
Three New England-area programs are in the 17U championship bracket for the Hoop Group Showcase League. The Boston Showstoppers and Connecticut program iDream face off as No. 8 and No. 9 seeds, and Connecticut Basketball Club (CBC) is a No. 10 seed. Each squad has at least one Division 1 prospect: Hijjah Allen-Paisley (Showstoppers/Boston, Mass.), Alicia Mitchell (iDream/Springfield, Mass.), and Serenity Lancaster (CBC/New London, Conn.).
