August 6, 2024
GG Banks, Oliviyah Edwards shine during Overtime Select’s debut weekend
By Hunter Cruse
Fast-rising stars kick off new prospects league
ATLANTA – With an appearance in the Overtime Select semifinals on the line, five-star sophomore point guard GG Banks drove fearlessly to the basket, maneuvering through traffic to sink a difficult and-1, clinching a victory for Young Goats Elite (YGE).
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The incredible finish capped off an exciting debut weekend for Overtime Select, which features 64 of the nation’s top high school recruits split up among eight teams. Only two teams, Double Dynasty and YGE, secured spots in the semifinals, with two more teams set to advance when play resumes on Aug. 6 and 7.
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For Royal Reign head coach Sherri Pegues, a veteran AAU coach who mentored stars such as Jordin Canada, JuJu Watkins, and Charisma Osborne, the importance of this league goes beyond the wins and losses.
“I think for the young ladies here, I hope what they take away from here is they are leading a pack with this inaugural event,” Pegues told The Next. “They are leading a pack for young ladies that are hoping to follow them and get in the same position as them.”
Pegues’ perspective emphasizes the potential of Overtime Select to shape the future of women’s basketball, where young stars are setting the standard for the next generation. Over the course of the first weekend, several standout performers began to make their mark, so let’s take a closer look at their games.
GG Banks
Banks, the No. 5 recruit in the 2027 recruiting class, according to ESPN HoopGurlz, is possibly the most creative ball-handler in high school basketball. All weekend, she diced through defenders in pick-and-roll, isolation, and transition for averages of 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists.
“It took me a while to get used to her passes because I’ve not used to getting those dimes,” teammate Oliviyah Edwards told The Next. “I really love playing with her. She sees the floor very, very well, and that’s something I need as a big.”
Take this possession, for instance: Banks splits two defenders, gets into the paint with a jump pass, and finds her big for a scoring opportunity in the dunker spot.
Banks’ tight-space athleticism is eerily similar to South Carolina sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley. However, the most impressive aspect of this possession is how she processes the game faster than anyone else on the court.
“I was trying to get [the weakside defender] from the Venom Tears to come over, so I was thinking Jaliya [Davis] was going to shift over a little bit more for the layup,” Banks told The Next.
As seen on this possession, she can also pair elite ball-handling with eye manipulate to keep defenders on their toes. This is just a high level of creativity.
“It tricks them, and it looks cool, honestly,” Banks added.
Banks’ game is built around her pass-first approach, complemented by crafty finishing skills, pull-up shooting, and an aggressive point-of-attack defense. The 5’8 guard was the primary defender against Aaliyah Chavez, the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, limiting her to 39.1% shooting from the field on Aug. 3.
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Oliviyah Edwards
Edwards, the No. 7 recruit in the 2026 class, has a physical profile well beyond her years. At 6’3 with a monstrous 6’8 wingspan, she coverages a ton of ground as a rim protector, paired with the ability to switch onto the perimeter.
“Just being able to be unpredictable really helps, I know how hard that is to [score on],” Edwards on the value of her defensive skillset.
Edwards averaged 13 points and seven rebounds on 60% shooting from the field in 24 minutes per game for YRE.
One WNBA player Edwards likes to watch film on is Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, thanks to the energy she brings to the court. Reese’s former school, LSU, is one of the final 10 schools in the mix for Edwards, alongside South Carolina, USC, among others.
Kate Harpring
As the only team to go 2-0, Double Dynasty was led by guard Kate Harpring, the No. 18 in the 2026 class, according to ESPN.
“I feel like we had chemistry from the start,” Harpring told The Next. “We had high energy and there’s a lot of facilitators and scorers on our team. I feel like we all play together so well.”
Harpring, an Atlanta, Ga. native, isn’t the quickest or most athletic player, but she finds smart ways to get to her spots. At 5’11, she wins with her craft.
“I’m just trying to apply pressure,” Harpring says of her driving process. “If someone stops me, I’m going to kick it out, [but if they don’t], I can finish through contact around the basket.”
She averaged a team-high 20 points on 66.7% shooting from 2 on the weekend.
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Other notable Overtime Select performers
Aaliyah Chavez
The 5’10 guard is considered the top perimeter scorer in high school basketball. Chavez topped all players with 25 points per game, though it came with a high volume of 21.5 field-goal attempts per game.
Additionally, she can sometimes become tunnel-visioned, focusing more on scoring rather than playmaking, as evidenced by her three assists across two games.
Deniya Prawl
Prawl, the No. 15 recruit in the 2025 class, fits the billing of a do-it-all wing. At 6’1, she can change speeds as a driver and knock down pull-up turnaround jumpers while also filling spots as an off-ball connector.
For YGE, she averaged 15.5 points on 62.5% shooting from 2 and 50% shooting from beyond the arc.
Overtime Select action continues on Aug. 7 with Jerzy Robinson, the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, facing off against Kaleena Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the 2027 class. The games are available for free on Overtime Select’s YouTube channel.
