Micheal Jordan runs amateur female basketball. At least that is the way it appears when viewing the Top 10 players of the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings. Nike, the house that Jordan built, is THE brand when comes to the Top players in the 2011 class. The common maxim in girls basketball is "You are either with Nike or trying to get with Nike". Here are the Top 10 players according to HoopGurlz and their club team shoe affiliation.
1)Kaleena Mosqesda-Lewis- West Coast Premier (Nike)
2)Elizabeth Williams- Boo Williams Elite (Nike)
3)Cierra Burdick- Boo Williams Elite ( Nike)
4)Ariel Massengale- Tennessee Flight ( Nike)
5)Kyrstal Forthan-TeamXpess (Blue Star/Nike Affiliated)
6)Brionna Canty- NYC Gauchos (Nike)
7)Justine Hartmine- Cal Storm (Nike)
8)Bria Smith-Philadelphia Belles (Nike)
9)Morgan Jones- DEBO-
10)Samantha Logic- Midwest Elite
Nike is rumored to be cutting down from the current 23 teams to 16(some say 12). What this will mean to the travel ball scene is still to be determined. What can not be denied is that Nike has a major presence among the top players in the nation. With 80% of the current Top 10 playing for Nike teams(Forthan's TeamXpress team is not a Nike team but is affiliated through Blue Star), they have successfully branded the next generation of female basketball superstars.
