Thanks for the writeup @JrAllStarBB from the Battle At The Bell! https://t.co/Gzvyuwhkvc
Jordyn Williams – 2027 – Lady Runnin Rebels National 17u
Jordyn can light it up from many spots on the floor while even taking on match up problems versus bigger opponents and taking them to the hole. She can get steals and cause turnovers on a regular basis in half court and full court defensive schemes. This young lady is tough and likes to guard the other team’s best player all game.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that the amazing Quinta Brunson - that’s right, the creator and star of @abbottelemabc shouted me out this morning on @livekellyandmark !!!!! Thank you for the kind words @quintab . I would love to meet you next time you’re in Philly ❤️🩷❤️
Hi X, I’m Val.
At 20: Won 2 National Championships, Pac-10 Player of the Year, and became a Stanford legend.
At 27: Drafted to the WNBA, but I was fighting a private war with my own mental health nobody could see.
I was at ground zero:
- No mental performance tools to stop the spiral.
- No veteran to tell me that "feeling small" was part of the process.
- No mental playbook to find my confidence when the shots weren't falling.
I was drowning.
In Detroit, I’d sit on the bench and shake my head "no" when the coach called my name. I was a world-class athlete who couldn't find the courage to play.
So, I took a 20-year secret and turned it into a mission.
I realized that winning championships didn't make me mentally strong. Learning to survive the "dark years" did.
In the last 6 years, I have:
- Earned my Master’s in Sport and Performance Psychology
- Built a TikTok community of 100k+ to help the next generation
- Launched the Mentally Stronger Academy to make elite coaching accessible
I’ve already helped D1 commits find their voice and pro players rediscover their joy.
But this is just the beginning.
I’d love to connect with the coaches, players, Athletic Directors, and parents who are ready to give this generation of female athletes the practical tools I wish I had in my locker room in 1999.
♻️ Repost this to your network if you’re ready to help me on my journey of getting these tools to female athletes everywhere.
@iamcoachval Incredible story and message! Played against you once back in the HS days and you blocked my shot into the next orbit. So that failure taught me maybe I should become an elite passer 😂! You were an incredible player and so nice!
There was no reason I should have been at the USA Basketball tryout.
I was a kid from a tiny school in Delaware with only 52 girls in my entire class.
I was not really that good in my small town, but my dad knew the reality of playing at the next level.
He forced me to go, uninvited I may add, to the team USA Basketball trial just so I could see the next level of competition.
The crazy part?
He didn't send me there to make the team. He knew that wasn’t happening.
The real reason he sent me was to learn how to fail.
Normally, I stood out as the tall one, but in a gym full of giants I was the outlier.
Every single girl there was faster than me, stronger than me and way more advanced.
The doubt in my own head was loud:
You don't belong here.
When I realized I didn't make the cut that day I just stood there and cried.
I didn’t know what to do.
But someone was watching.
The Stanford coach, Tara VanDerveer, saw those tears and realized I wasn't just sad — I was a competitor and that's all she needed to see.
That failure at the trials is exactly what led to my scholarship offer, two National Championships, and eventually the WNBA.
It is a great reminder that everything happens for a reason.
The "no" at the trials led to Stanford. Stanford led to 2 NCAA championships. The championships led to the WNBA. The struggle with mental health led to
my Master’s degree.
And all of it led me right here, helping the next generation find their grit.
From crying after being cut to years later having a poster dedicated to my basketball career at the NCAA tournament, I am exactly where God wants me to be.
Have you ever felt like you don’t belong somewhere?
Madden Orlovsky had a heartfelt message for his family and friends in honor of World Autism Awareness Day 🥹
This was a special moment for all of us at ESPN. Thanks, Madden and @danorlovsky7 ❤️
Now that I’ve had a chance to finish up my work, I want to thank @CoachKarenA for the kind words.
It means the world to me that players and coaches appreciate the coverage. As I wrap up my final semester as a student reporter, it’s moments like this I’ll cherish forever.
PIAA girls basketball championship attendance
1A: 865
2A: 560
3A: 755
4A: 305
5A: 515
6A: 1,025
Total: 4,025 (671 per game)
I know everyone will debate public-private and boundary-non-boundary but we have to get these games into Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and out of Hershey.