AFNORTH’s Selah Skariah quickly navigates through a cone obstacle course during the skills competition of the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
VICENZA, Italy – Jessie Moon and A’Lydia McNeal began their high school basketball careers at RAF Lakenheath in England four years ago. They finished it Saturday in Vicenza, Italy, once again teammates but wearing SHAPE and Ramstein jerseys respectively.
If the senior duo didn’t do enough with that to represent the nature and scope of DODEA athletics in Europe, the other 18 participants in a girls all-star basketball game did. Sometimes, former foes became teammates. Other times, girls who had never seen each other play had only a practice to get to know each other on the court. And not much time to talk off the court either.
Yet, somehow, it all came together. Team Enhance – composed of those wearing blue, green, black and red jerseys – took a huge early lead and then held off team Empower – sporting white jerseys – 64-53.
“It’s really been fun for me,” said Naples’ Anais Navidad, one of 11 seniors in the event. “It’s a great way to close out basketball for me. I hope this is the start of something and they do it every year.”
Navidad had one Wildcat teammate on her side Saturday and another on the other team. It was the same story for Ramstein, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern, who all had players on both teams.
More than a few times, that got a bit strange. McNeal turned to the opposing bench – featuring two of her Ramstein teammates – in celebration after nailing a three-point shot and got some love. She then told teammate Jasmine Jones “Don’t hurt me” right before the two battled for a rebound on a missed free throw. Both were laughing while trying hard to corral the ball.
Stuttgart’s Ella Kirk puts up a shot after an offensive rebound in the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Yes, defense was actually played during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, as SHAPE’s Jessie Moon shows with a block of Ramstein’s Jalyn Jones. Moon was called for the foul, but her team eventually won and she was named co-MVP. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein’s Jalyn Jones extends to score a basket to the appreciation of Royals teammate – but opponent Saturday – A’Lydia McNeal during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden’s Gwen Icanberry shoots during the first half of the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern’s Emma Arambula gives Naples’ VaNae Filer a hand during a shot Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern’s Hazel Sanders drives in for a layup Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE guard Jessie Moon used a scoop shot to try to avoid taller defenders Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Naples’ Gracie Grannis gets a shot up over Stuttgart’s Ella Kirk during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart senior teammates turned foes (at least on Saturday) Ella Kirk, left, and Macayla Hines might have played their last organized basketball game in Europe at the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Multiple players said they didn’t feel the pressure they did during the regular season that just ended a weekend ago. The event was designed as recognition for the top players in Europe, but also as a way to showcase their talents for prospective college coaches. There was a general recognition that it’s unlikely anyone Saturday will be playing Division I ball in the States next season. But that’s not unusual for DODEA schools, which are generally much smaller than their Stateside counterparts.
Vicenza coach Greg DeJardin said there are still multiple levels for kids to play. Those overseas just might need to try harder to get attention, because even when stateside college coaches are aware of basketball players overseas, it’s difficult for them to evaluate the level of play in DODEA-Europe.
That level of play was pretty high early on for the Engage team, which scored 25 points in the opening quarter and 38 by the half – a total that some of the players’ teams sometimes had trouble reaching in a full game during the season. Engage was paced by Moon and McNeal, named co-MVPs after finishing with 17 and 16 points respectively. Stuttgart’s Ella Kirk and Jasmine Jones had 13 apiece for team Empower and Ramstein’s Jalyn Jones added 11. Hohenfels’ Jalissa Jobity had 10 points for team Engage.
Even if the players don’t have a big impact on college coaches, they did have an impact on each other.
“I think the Ramstein girls are nicer than I thought they were,” said Kaiserslautern’s Emma Arambula of her school’s sometimes fierce crosstown rivals. “They are nice. And so are the girls from Stuttgart.”
Naples’ VaNae Filer won the first dunk contest that DODEA has ever held for girls. The rim was lowered to 7 feet. “I had never dunked before,” Arambula said. “It was odd. But fun.”
Moon was tops in the three-point contest and the forward duo of Stuttgart’s Kirk and Wiesbaden’s Natalia Bergdorf came in first in the skills competition, which involved passing, dribbling and shooting with an off hand.
The game was filmed and is available for viewing on the Vicenza High School’s You Tube channel.
Kaiserslautern’s Hazel Sanders slam the ball in during the dunk competition that was part of the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Naples’ Gracie Grannis got a solid score for dunking the ball behind her head Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game and skills competitions in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Naples’ VaNae Filer won the dunk competition at the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden’s Gwen Icanberry starts off the skills competition while teammate Mia Snyder of Stuttgart and others look on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella’s Ryleigh Denton takes part in the three-point shooting contest Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, during the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart’s Mia Snyder finished second in the three-point shooting competition Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE’s Jessie Moon launches a three-point shot and went on to win the long-distance shooting event Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein’s A’Lydia McNeal had an eventful day, taking part in the three-point shooting contest, dunk contest, skills competition and DODEA-Europe Girls All-Star Basketball Game in Vicenza, Italy, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)