Over the New Year weekend, Atlanta played host to the 2021 “She Got Game Classic”, which featured some of the top girls basketball teams from Georgia and as well as teams from Florida and North Carolina and that list included a host of defending state champions and 2020 state championship semifinalist. In addition to some of top programs on display over the weekend, some of the nation’s top ranked recruits were also in action over the holiday weekend. Those in attendance got a chance to see players like St. Francis’ Mia Moore (2021 - Mississippi State signee), Collins Hill’s Sacha Washington (2021 – Purdue signee), and Ashuntee Weems (2021 – Jacksonville State) and top 2022 recruits like Woodward Academy’s Sydney Bowles, Mount Paran Christian’s Kara Dunn, Greater Atlanta Christian’s Kylie Addie and Langston Hughes’ Raven Thompson, just to name a few. The “Classic”, which was established in 2009 by founders, former WNBA star and Virginia Women’s basketball head coach, Tina Thompson and director, AD Fairnot has now held its Atlanta event for the third consecutive year and amid challenges related to COVID-19, Fairnot said it was important that they still provided a platform to enable the “young ladies to showcase their skills.” Fairnot did note that the coronavirus pandemic did cause a few changes for the showcase as some of the initial teams that were set to participate unfortunately pulled out forcing them to find replacements, which they were able to do. Another notable change at this year’s showcase was the absence of college coaches and recruits. Due to COVID-19, the NCAA has extend their recruiting dead period to April 15 of this year so that forbids coaches and recruiters to do any in person visits or scouting of potential recruits. Still, the event successfully went on giving fans to see some of the country’s best girls basketball talent go head to head and Fairnot stated that, continued growth is part of the plan for the Atlanta event. “Similar to our DC area event, we want this to be one of the largest events in the country. With our event being all inclusive, we are able to bring in some of the best teams in the country and some of the teams that are developing. We purposely invite various levels of talent so we expose our young ladies to as many college coaches as possible.”