While most were in town this past weekend for the Red River Classic, Girls Grassroots Basketball also brought them from near and far. The 14th Annual Ballin for a Cure (BFC) featured players and teams from Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Florida & Tennessee. It was some big-time ball going on, and the gym was rocking from beginning to the end! Several teams walked away with hardware, but let's show love to all our division Champions!
2025 Ballin for a Cure Champions:
3rd Grade- Victory Academy 2035
4th Grade- HER Elite 2034 Jr. EYBL
5th Grade- SW Select Jr. 3ssb 2033
6th Grade- Lady Proskills 2032 (Red)
Middle School- True Texas Hoops 2030
6th Grade (Select Bracket)- San Antonio Hoops Elite (SAHE)
Middle School (Select Bracket)- San Antonio Lady Hoops (Silver) 2030
One of the most dominant performances of the weekend came from a group of 3rd graders, but this isn't your normal group of 3rd graders, as these young ladies from Victory Academy are special, and they made a huge statement this weekend, laying their claim as the top 3rd-grade team in the Country! Victory won their games by an average margin of victory of 30+ points per game. They were not competing against any scubs 3rd grade teams, they were going against some of the top teams in the region with talent from Texas, Kansas & Louisiana, with a couple of teams having national tournament experience! Victory Academy is no one-girl show, as they have several girls that can flat out go, but Autumn Craine continues to impress me as one of the top ballers in the 2035 class! Autumn has good size and length for a 2035. Autumn is like a swiss army knife as she has a high IQ, strong ball handling, finishes through traffic, dominant rebounder, and a bully on defense. This group of young ladies is definitely one you want to keep your eyes on, so stay tuned!
HER Elite 203 Jr. EYBL came to Texas to show why they are the #1 4th-grade team in the country. HER Elite was led by the MAYB MVP, Kensington Jett (Most Outstanding Player), and super-skilled Kori Dennard, who received an "All Tourney" recognition. HER Elite had an impressive showing, winning all their division games by double digits, capturing the 4th-grade division Championship. HER Elite also participated in a Showcase game featuring the #1 4th-grade team vs. the #1 5th-grade team SW Select 2033 Jr. 3ssb (formerly Lady Jets). HER Elite had a size advantage even playing up a grade, helping them jump out to an early lead. SW Select settled into their game, taking the lead before the half. SW Select pulled away in the 2nd half to get the "W" as every year makes a huge difference in grassroots ball. Still a highly impressive showing by HER Elite.
SW Select Jr. 3ssb (2033) had some epic battles vs. the #3-ranked Unfazed Elite. These teams are also local rivals and always have some of the best games of the tournament, and this game did not disappoint. SW Select jumped out to an early double-digit lead, but Unfazed Elite stormed back with Kali Buggs hitting back-to-back NBA Range 3's! This game was like a heavyweight fight but the 3-headed monster of Kharlie Griffith (MOP), Lauryn "Nike" Williamson and Lauryn "Shyne" Jackson proved to be too much, helping SW Select pull off the win in pool play. Kharlie Griffith continues to impress me as typically when kids are tall at an early age they are awkward, and take time to grow in their bodies, but Kharlie is long, fast, athletic and skilled looking like a "Baby Giannis" a.k.a. "Baby G". Kharlie's ability to get to the rim and finish over guards and bigs making her a wlaking mismatch as you can't put a guard on her as they are too small, and bigs are too slow. In addition, she has range on her 3 ball, so if you sag back, she will punish you. College coaches, she is one you want to put on your radar early as every school in the country will be trying to get their hands on her as kids like this do not come along often.
Lady Proskills 2032 (Red) showcased why they are one of the top 2032 teams in the country. Lady Proskills has one of the most experienced 2032 teams in the class with several of the players already having national championships under their belts and a ton of national championship experience so when you see them on your schedule, you'd better bring your "A" game, cause these ladies can ball. Lady Proskills cruised through pool play, setting up an anticipated match-up with Lady Proskills Jr. EYBL vs. SW Select Jr. 3ssb 2032. Even though the SW Select squad was only in their 2nd tournament, the coaches have history and have had some epic battles in the past. The championship game went back and forth, with Lady Proskills pulling out the 35-32 win! Lady Proskills was led this weekend by the division's Most Outstanding Player, Erin Tucker & Tamiya Jones.
The Middle School Division Championship was captured by the #1 2030 team in the country True Texas Hoops (TTH). On Saturday, True TX Hoops was missing the top player in TX, Trinity Boyd (2030), but you don't win national championships with one player. TTH was tested in pool play by one of the top 2031 teams in the country, Cy-Fair Elite Jr. EYBL 2031, but pulled out the win 46-40. With several talented teams in the Middle School division, the stage was set for some big-time match-ups in bracket play. Unfortunately for everyone else, Trinity Boyd was available for bracket play and her impact on the team showed why she is the top player in the class. It's not always about scoring, even though she is a 3-level scorer; her IQ and ability to set her teammates up for easy looks make the game easy for everyone around her. To show her impact on the team, the same team minus Boyd had a 6-point game vs. a talented 2031 Cy-Fair team which is one of the top 2031 teams in the country, but on Sunday, they won both of their games by 30 points vs. a very good and talented Unity (OK) team, which also had some big-time wins to reach the finals. The True TX team is loaded with players who will play at the next level. Trinity Boyd was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player, and Aya Medlock received All-Tourney recognition. I was impressed by Medlock's continuous development as she was one of the most dominant post players in the class, but now has transitioned away from the basket. She has shown the ability to score off the dribble drive, knock down the 3-ball, and facilitate, so her stock is steadily rising, already receiving offers. The full All-Tournament list can be found on the Southwestern AAU Instagram @SWAAUBBALL as well as the event highlight video.
Overall, the weekend featured great teams from all over, great coaching, and standout performances that brought all races together from near and far for a good cause and some big-time basketball. Thank You to all the Coaches/Teams who made the 2025 Ballin for a Cure a huge success! We look forward to the 15th Anniversary, which will have several special items & guests lined up to celebrate 15 years! Up next is the top Grassroots event of the New Year's. The Grassroots N.I.T. (National Invitation Tournament (GNIT). The GNIT will be held on MLK Weekend, which falls on January 17-18, 2026. Mark your calendars and get your squads signed up early for the GNIT!
