Executive Summary
A player-by-player quality assurance review of St. John's individual defensive performance for the 2025–26 season, built from Synergy points-per-possession (PPP) allowed by play type and shot type, box-score-derived advanced defensive stats (DRB%, STL%, BLK%, iDRtg, DRAPM), and foul-discipline data for all twelve rostered players. See the Scouting Report tab for category-best rankings, deployment guidance ("Best Use" / "Avoid"), and a Structural-vs-Specialist roster framework.
Man Defense (Team)
B+
0.751 PPP allowed — Good, 57th pct. Big East
Best Individual Defender
A
Donald — 0.640 PPP allowed (Man), Excellent, full sample
Weakest Individual Defender
D
Grant — 0.991 PPP allowed (Man), Poor, 8th pct.
Transition Defense
D
0.998 PPP allowed team-wide — Poor, 12th pct., the clearest team leak
Press Defense
A–
0.656 PPP allowed — Very Good, 73rd pct., only used 8.3% of the time
Rim Protection (Team)
B–
1.03 PPS allowed at rim, 51st pct. — Average, Lavelle the exception
Defensive Glass (Individual)
B+
Abies (26.5% DRB%) leads a 783-DREB team effort
St. John's 2025–26 individual defensive profile is that of a genuinely deep, well-coached half-court unit that gives points back in transition. Jailah Donald (0.640 PPP allowed, Man) is the clear headline defender — an Excellent, 85th-percentile perimeter stopper who commits almost no fouls (19 all season in 794 minutes) — and she is backed by a cluster of players grading Good-or-better on real minutes: Beautiful Waheed (0.663, Very Good), Shaulana Wagner, Daniela Abies, Sa'Mya Wyatt, and Kylie Lavelle all sit in Good territory on 160+ Man possessions apiece. Two reserves with limited but real minutes — Julie Bahati (0.654 PPP, 107 MIN) and Kyla Hayes (0.563 PPP, 82 MIN) — post the best defensive plus-minus and PPP marks on the roster respectively, which is the single most actionable data point in this report: both look like they are being under-used relative to their per-minute defensive value. The one true individual liability is Janeya Grant (0.991 PPP, Poor, 8th pct.), who struggles across nearly every play type despite playing real reserve minutes (579).
The team-level story is a tale of two defenses. In the half court, St. John's man scheme (97.5% of possessions) allows just 0.751 points per possession — a Good, 57th-percentile mark built on elite post-up defense (0.674 PPP, 95th pct. team-wide) and a Very Good, heavily under-used press (0.656 PPP, 73rd pct., only 8.3% of defensive possessions). But in transition, the same team allows 0.998 points per possession — Poor, 12th percentile, with a 53.1% effective field goal percentage — by a wide margin the program's clearest systemic leak. The team's other shared technical gap is navigating off-screen actions: Moore, Lavelle, and Grant all grade Below Average or Poor there, and it is the one category where even St. John's best individual defenders (Wagner and Little aside) show real vulnerability.
✦ Individual Defensive Strengths
- Jailah Donald: 0.640 PPP allowed (A, Excellent, 85th pct.) — best full-sample defender, elite discipline (0.6 PF/g)
- Julie Bahati: 0.654 PPP allowed (Very Good, 83rd pct.) in only 107 minutes — team-best DRAPM (+2.0) and iDRtg (88.1)
- Beautiful Waheed: 0.663 PPP allowed (A–, Very Good) — two-way engine, rare rim-blocking guard (33 BLK, 4.4% BLK%)
- Kyla Hayes: 0.563 PPP allowed (Excellent, 94th pct.) in 82 minutes — best raw PPP mark on the roster
- Daniela Abies: 0.737 PPP allowed (Good) plus team-leading 26.5% DRB% and 39 steals (3.5% STL%)
- Kylie Lavelle: 0.746 PPP allowed (Good) and the roster's best true rim protector (91st pct. at-rim, 86th pct. post-up)
⚠ Individual Defensive Weaknesses
- Janeya Grant: 0.991 PPP allowed (D, Poor, 8th pct.) — a clear liability across nearly every play type in real minutes
- Team-wide Transition defense: 0.998 PPP allowed (Poor, 12th pct.) — St. John's single biggest systemic leak
- Shaulana Wagner: elite perimeter defender but Poor at the rim (14th pct., 55.6% FG) and in the post (11th pct.)
- Brooke Moore: team-heaviest minutes (1,028) but only Average PPP (37th pct.) — elite havoc stats mask an ordinary direct number
- Off-Screen navigation team-wide: Moore (21st pct.), Lavelle (14th pct.), and Grant (8th pct.) all struggle in movement actions
- P&R Roll Man coverage: Abies (9th pct.) and Wyatt (9th pct.) both get exposed when forced to tag the roller
Defensive Metrics — Full Roster
Box-score-derived advanced defensive stats, points-per-possession allowed in primary man coverage, and foul-discipline context for every rostered player, 2025–26 season.
Hayes — PPP Allowed (Man)0.563 — Excellent, 94th pct. (small sample)
Donald — PPP Allowed (Man)0.640 — Excellent, 85th pct.
Bahati — PPP Allowed (Man)0.654 — Very Good, 83rd pct. (small sample)
Waheed — PPP Allowed (Man)0.663 — Very Good, 81st pct.
Little — PPP Allowed (Man)0.722 — Very Good, 66th pct. (small sample)
Abies — PPP Allowed (Man)0.737 — Good, 62nd pct.
Wyatt — PPP Allowed (Man)0.741 — Good, 61st pct.
Wagner — PPP Allowed (Man)0.746 — Good, 59th pct.
Lavelle — PPP Allowed (Man)0.746 — Good, 59th pct.
Owen — PPP Allowed (Man)0.800 — Average, 42nd pct. (small sample)
Moore — PPP Allowed (Man)0.836 — Average, 32nd pct.
Grant — PPP Allowed (Man)0.991 — Poor, 8th pct.
| Player | MINS | DRB | DRB% | STL | STL% | BLK | BLK% | PF/G | iDRtg | DRAPM | PPP (Man) | Grade |
|---|
| Kyla Hayes #12 Fr | 82 | 8 | 11.9% | 2 | 1.5% | 2 | 2.4% | 0.5 | 95.5 | +0.3 | 0.563 | A |
| Jailah Donald #5 Sr | 794 | 60 | 8.5% | 15 | 1.2% | 4 | 0.5% | 0.6 | 98.6 | +0.6 | 0.640 | A |
| Julie Bahati #2 Jr | 107 | 17 | 18.4% | 5 | 2.9% | 5 | 4.6% | 0.3 | 88.1 | +2.0 | 0.654 | A– |
| Beautiful Waheed #1 Jr | 747 | 97 | 14.5% | 24 | 1.9% | 33 | 4.4% | 1.9 | 91.7 | +1.1 | 0.663 | A– |
| Ariel Little #3 So | 192 | 11 | 6.4% | 11 | 3.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.7 | 94.5 | +0.2 | 0.722 | A– |
| Daniela Abies #16 Jr | 705 | 165 | 26.5% | 40 | 3.5% | 19 | 2.7% | 1.9 | 84.0 | -0.9 | 0.737 | B+ |
| Sa'Mya Wyatt #20 So | 823 | 108 | 14.8% | 16 | 1.2% | 14 | 1.7% | 2.2 | 94.8 | +0.3 | 0.741 | B+ |
| Shaulana Wagner #8 Sr | 842 | 87 | 11.8% | 20 | 1.5% | 2 | 0.2% | 1.3 | 96.6 | +1.0 | 0.746 | B+ |
| Kylie Lavelle #14 Jr | 781 | 70 | 10.1% | 24 | 1.9% | 32 | 4.1% | 1.9 | 94.1 | +0.2 | 0.746 | B+ |
| Skye Owen #4 Sr | 120 | 3 | 2.9% | 9 | 4.5% | 2 | 1.7% | 1.5 | 92.9 | +0.3 | 0.800 | B– |
| Brooke Moore #10 So | 1,028 | 126 | 13.9% | 37 | 2.2% | 37 | 3.6% | 2.2 | 92.0 | +1.5 | 0.836 | C+ |
| Janeya Grant #11 So | 579 | 38 | 7.4% | 10 | 1.1% | 5 | 0.9% | 0.9 | 99.1 | +0.9* | 0.991 | D |
*Grant's DRAPM (+0.9) does not agree with her iDRtg (99.1, worst on the roster) or her category-level Synergy grades — a box-score-vs-tracking-data discrepancy. Synergy PPP is treated as the primary truth for her scouting grade throughout this report. Bahati (107 MIN), Hayes (82 MIN), Owen (120 MIN), and Little (192 MIN) all carry small-sample qualifiers — see below.
→ Foul Tendency Notes
- Donald: 0.6 PF/g, only 19 fouls in 794 minutes — the roster's clear discipline standard, especially given her on-ball workload
- Bahati: 1.43x PF Eff, the highest foul rate per possession on the roster (though only 7 total fouls in 107 minutes) — worth monitoring if her minutes expand
- Waheed: 1.10x PF Eff — the most "productive" foul rate on the roster, reflecting an aggressive, live-hands style rather than reach-in habits
- Grant: 0.9 PF/g, one of the roster's lowest rates, but — as with low-engagement defenders elsewhere — this reflects limited defensive activity rather than discipline
⚑ Sample-Size Caution
- Julie Bahati's team-best 0.654 PPP and +2.0 DRAPM are built on only 107 minutes / 26 Man possessions — an exciting signal, not yet a guarantee at expanded usage
- Kyla Hayes (82 min / 16 Man poss) and Skye Owen (120 min / 25 Man poss) both carry meaningful defensive grades on thin samples
- Ariel Little's Very Good 0.722 PPP mark (192 min / 36 Man poss) is a real signal but still modest relative to the full-time rotation
Individual Defensive QA Assessment
Per-player defensive breakdown across three lenses — Overall (season-long man/zone/press defense), Shot Type (jump shot, at-rim, runner, hook), and Play Type (spot-up, P&R ball-handler, post-up, off screen, hand-offs, P&R roll man, isolation) — with strengths, weaknesses, development priorities, and coaching approach for all twelve rostered players, 2025–26 season. Click the category tabs within each card.
#10 Brooke Moore
Switchable Wing · G · So · 1,028 MINS (Team High) / 31 GS / 232 Man Poss
C+
Overall
Defensive Strengths
Team-leading 37 steals AND team-leading 37 blocks — a remarkable havoc profile for a 6'0" guard playing 1,028 minutes · Best DRAPM (+1.5) and best iDRtg (92.0) on the roster, meaning the team defends significantly better with her on the floor than her individual PPP number alone suggests · Elite small-sample Post-Up defense (0.385 PPP, 98th pct.) shows she can hold up switched onto bigs
Defensive Weaknesses
Only Average PPP allowed (0.836, 32nd pct.) despite the elite activity numbers — her direct matchup defense lags her hustle stats · Off-Screen defense (21st pct.) and P&R Ball-Handler defense (29th pct.) are clear technical soft spots · Jump-Shot defense — her highest-volume shot type — grades Below Average (22nd pct.)
Areas of Improvement
Screen navigation (hip-flip technique fighting over screens) to fix the Off-Screen leak · Closeout timing on jump shots — the tape suggests she may be over-helping off her matchup to chase blocks/steals, which is winning possessions in aggregate but costing efficiency on her direct assignment
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Moore is the clearest "team defense beats individual matchup defense" case on the roster — her DRAPM and iDRtg both lead the team, meaning her value is disproportionately in weak-side disruption (blocks, steals, help-side rim protection at 39.2% allowed) rather than lockdown, isolated coverage. She should continue playing as a switchable 2-through-4 who roams to create events, but the staff should not ask her to chase shooters through off-screen actions or hedge hard on ball screens — those are the two categories dragging her direct number down. Keep her fresh for the possessions where her instincts matter most: help-side rotations and press disruption.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseSwitchable 2-4, post/at-rim help defender, press disruptor (0.611 PPP)
AvoidChasing shooters over off screens; primary P&R ball-handler assignment vs. quick guards
Roster bucket: Structural Defender — heaviest-minutes player on the roster; elite havoc production offsets an ordinary direct PPP number.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 120 | 0.97 | 22% | Below Average |
| At Rim | 51 | 0.78 | 69% | Very Good |
| Runner | 9 | 0.22 | — | Excellent (small N) |
| Hook | 4 | 0.00 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
Her highest-volume shot type — Jump Shot (120 attempts) — is her clearest weakness (Below Average, 22nd pct., 37.5% FG allowed), which is the single biggest driver of her Average overall grade given the volume. Encouragingly, her At Rim defense is Very Good (69th pct., 39.2% FG allowed on 51 attempts) — help-side rim protection is a real strength, consistent with her team-leading 37 blocks.
Coaching Note
Jump-shot closeout technique (hand height, not flying by shooters, contest timing) is the highest-leverage fix given the 120-attempt volume — she is giving up the most common shot in the sport at a below-average rate.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Spot-Up | 84 | 0.881 | 35% | Average |
| P&R Ball-Handler | 61 | 0.787 | 29% | Below Average |
| Off Screen | 32 | 1.031 | 21% | Below Average |
| Handoffs | 27 | 0.815 | 36% | Average |
| Isolation | 14 | 0.643 | 63% | Good |
| Post-Up | 13 | 0.385 | 98% | Excellent |
| P&R Roll Man | 5 | 0.600 | — | Tiny sample |
Play-Type Read
Her two highest-volume categories, Spot-Up (84 poss) and P&R Ball-Handler (61 poss), are Average and Below Average respectively — the main drivers of her overall grade. Off-Screen defense (21st pct.) is her clearest soft spot. The standout positive is Post-Up defense (13 poss, Excellent, 98th pct.) — when switched onto a big, she holds up far better than her guard frame would suggest, and Isolation defense (63rd pct.) is a real plus.
Coaching Note
Use her as a help-side/switch weapon rather than a primary chaser — her value shows up in Post-Up and Isolation coverage, not in navigating movement actions. Scheme her away from Off-Screen and P&R Ball-Handler assignments whenever possible.
#8 Shaulana Wagner
Point-of-Attack / Off-Screen Specialist · G · Sr · 842 MINS / 27 GS / 193 Man Poss
B+
Overall
Defensive Strengths
Elite Off-Screen defender (0.231 PPP, 98th pct.) — the single best mark on the roster in any high-value category · Very Good P&R Ball-Handler defense (0.536 PPP, 79th pct.) on her highest-volume play type · Very Good Jump-Shot defense (0.66 PPS, 84th pct.) · The roster's most disciplined high-minute defender (1.3 PF/g, 0.58x PF Eff)
Defensive Weaknesses
Poor At-Rim defense (14th pct., 55.6% FG allowed) and Poor Post-Up defense (11th pct., 66.7% FG allowed) — she cannot protect the paint at her size · Poor Isolation (60% FG allowed) and Poor Handoff defense (9th pct.) round out a clear "keep her away from the rim" profile
Areas of Improvement
Lower-body strength and verticality technique for the rare possessions she is forced to defend at the rim or in the post · Continue leaning into her chase-and-contest strengths rather than trying to expand her defensive role toward size matchups
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Wagner is a textbook specialist: elite in exactly the categories a point-of-attack/off-screen chaser needs to be elite in (Off-Screen, P&R Ball-Handler, Jump Shot), and a clear liability the moment she is switched onto size. The coaching priority is scheme discipline, not individual technique — hard-switch calls that put her on posts or bigger wings should be avoided, and she should be the default assignment on any opposing shooter who runs through a heavy screening action. Her foul discipline (1.3 PF/g) also makes her a safe, high-minutes option deep into games.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseOff-screen shooter chaser, P&R ball-handler point-of-attack defender, high-minutes low-foul option
AvoidAny switch onto a post player or size mismatch; help-side rim duty
Roster bucket: Structural Defender — elite specialist within scheme, but must be schemed away from post/rim reps.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 124 | 0.66 | 84% | Very Good |
| At Rim | 36 | 1.11 | 14% | Poor |
| Runner | 7 | 0.86 | — | Tiny sample |
| Hook | 3 | 0.67 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
Jump-Shot defense (124 attempts — her dominant category by far) is Very Good at 84th percentile, holding opponents to just 25% shooting. At Rim defense (36 attempts) is Poor at 14th percentile, 55.6% FG allowed — a clean, size-driven split between her elite perimeter contest and her inability to protect the basket.
Coaching Note
No technical fix needed on the jump shot — maintain, don't correct. Any at-rim exposure should be treated as a scheme failure (a blown switch or missed rotation), not something to drill her out of; her frame is the limiting factor.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| P&R Ball-Handler | 69 | 0.536 | 79% | Very Good |
| Spot-Up | 75 | 0.840 | 44% | Average |
| Off Screen | 13 | 0.231 | 98% | Excellent |
| Handoffs | 16 | 1.125 | 9% | Poor |
| Post-Up | 14 | 1.143 | 11% | Poor |
| Isolation | 9 | 1.333 | — | Poor |
Play-Type Read
Her two highest-volume categories tell most of the story: Spot-Up (75 poss, Average) is her main assignment by volume, while P&R Ball-Handler (69 poss, Very Good, 79th pct.) is where she does her best work as a chaser. Off-Screen defense (98th pct.) is elite on a smaller sample. Handoffs, Post-Up, and Isolation are all Poor — every category that asks her to hold ground against size or a face-up creator.
Coaching Note
Keep her attached to the ball on live actions (P&R, off-screen) and switch her off the moment a handoff or post-up develops. This is a scheme-design fix, not a technique fix.
#20 Sa'Mya Wyatt
Post Anchor / Starter · F · So · 823 MINS / 34 GS (Every Game) / 162 Man Poss
B+
Overall
Defensive Strengths
Very Good Post-Up defense (0.662 PPP, 78th pct.) on 65 possessions — her highest-volume category and the clear foundation of her grade · Started all 34 games, an iron-woman workload with no drop-off in production · Good Jump-Shot defense (68th pct.) and low personal-foul rate for a post player (0.41x PF Eff)
Defensive Weaknesses
Poor P&R Roll Man coverage (9th pct., 66.7% eFG allowed) — she is slow to tag the roller and gives up easy finishes on the short roll · Struggles when switched onto guards (P&R Ball-Handler: 8 poss, 1.0 PPP, 66.7% FG allowed) · At-Rim defense is merely Average (32nd pct.) for a starting post
Areas of Improvement
Roll-man tag timing — showing hard and recovering rather than staying attached to her own assignment too long · Communication on when to switch vs. stay in drop, since her guard-switch numbers suggest she is being put in space more than her game is suited for
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Wyatt is the starting post anchor the team needs her to be — durable, disciplined, and Very Good defending the post directly. The fix is entirely schematic: keep her in a drop or stay-home coverage against ball screens rather than live-switching her onto guards, and get a second big or a disciplined guard to help tag the roll man rather than leaving her alone on an island. Her 34-games-started workload makes her too valuable to expose to matchups she's not equipped to defend.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseStarting post defender, drop-coverage big, high-minutes rebounder
AvoidLive switches onto guards; leaving her alone to tag the roll man
Roster bucket: Structural Defender — the iron-woman post starter; value is post-anchor stability, not switchability.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 68 | 0.75 | 68% | Very Good |
| At Rim | 39 | 0.97 | 32% | Average |
| Hook | 12 | 0.83 | 38% | Average |
| Runner | 4 | 0.50 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
Jump-Shot defense (68 attempts) is Very Good at 68th percentile — an unusually strong mid-range/perimeter contest for a post player. At-Rim (39 attempts, 32nd pct.) and Hook (12 attempts, 38th pct.) are both merely Average — respectable, but not the elite rim number you'd want from a starting 5'11" post who takes on the bulk of the interior workload.
Coaching Note
Her jump-shot contest is a real, transferable skill — worth using on film when teaching closeout habits to younger post players. At-rim positioning (angle of the contest, not fouling) is the more relevant technical target given her primary role.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Post-Up | 65 | 0.662 | 78% | Very Good |
| Spot-Up | 54 | 0.815 | 50% | Average |
| P&R Roll Man | 13 | 1.231 | 9% | Poor |
| Off Screen | 12 | 0.667 | 67% | Very Good |
| Isolation | 9 | 0.444 | — | Good (small N) |
| P&R Ball-Handler | 8 | 1.000 | — | Poor (small N) |
Play-Type Read
Post-Up defense (65 poss, her highest-volume category) is Very Good at 78th percentile — the clear foundation of her grade. The isolated weakness is P&R Roll Man coverage (13 poss, Poor, 9th pct.) — when she has to leave the post to tag a rolling big, opponents finish at a high rate. Off-Screen defense (67th pct.) is a pleasant surprise for a post player.
Coaching Note
Roll-man tagging technique (show, but recover to your assignment rather than fully committing) is the single most specific fix available — it's her clearest weak play type and the one most likely to be schemed around by opposing coordinators.
#5 Jailah Donald
Lockdown Perimeter Stopper · G · Sr · 794 MINS / 16 GS / 136 Man Poss
A
Overall
Defensive Strengths
Best full-sample PPP allowed on the roster (0.640, Excellent, 85th pct.) · Elite Spot-Up defense (0.535 PPP, 93rd pct.) and elite Jump-Shot defense (0.56 PPS, 93rd pct., holding shooters to 23.6% from three) · Remarkable discipline — only 19 fouls in 794 minutes (0.6 PF/g), by far the lowest rate among rotation players
Defensive Weaknesses
At 5'7", her one real vulnerability is size — Average At-Rim defense (34th pct.) and a Poor small-sample Post-Up number (7 poss, 1.0 PPP) show she can be posted or attacked at the rim · Modest defensive rebounding rate (8.5% DRB%)
Areas of Improvement
Box-out technique to lift her defensive rebounding rate closer to the roster's frontcourt numbers · Continued verticality work on the rare occasions she is switched into the post, since her frame will always be the limiting factor there
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Donald is the roster's most trustworthy individual defender in real minutes — elite on the ball, elite off the ball, and essentially foul-free. One data nuance worth flagging for staff: her iDRtg (98.6) is actually one of the higher figures on the roster despite her elite direct PPP, likely reflecting her limited start count (16 of 33 games) or lineup context rather than her own play — Synergy PPP should be treated as the primary signal here. She should be the default assignment on the opponent's best shooter and should close every competitive game given her fourth-quarter defensive reliability.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UsePrimary lockdown vs. best shooter, on-ball chase defender, closing-lineup option
AvoidPost mismatches; being switched onto a true post player
Roster bucket: Structural Defender — the roster's best full-sample perimeter defender.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 80 | 0.56 | 93% | Excellent |
| At Rim | 29 | 0.97 | 34% | Average |
| Runner | 4 | 0.00 | — | Perfect (small N) |
| Hook | 2 | 1.00 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
Jump-Shot defense (80 attempts, her highest-volume category) is Excellent at 93rd percentile — just 20% FG allowed, best contested-jumper number on the team. At-Rim defense (29 attempts) is only Average (34th pct., 48.3% FG allowed) — a modest but expected size limitation, better than the shooting percentage alone suggests given how often she's giving up a driving look rather than a clean post touch.
Coaching Note
Her jump-shot closeout is the clearest transferable skill on the roster — worth isolating on film as a teaching example for younger perimeter defenders (Little, Hayes, Owen).
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| P&R Ball-Handler | 49 | 0.673 | 52% | Good |
| Spot-Up | 43 | 0.535 | 93% | Excellent |
| Off Screen | 18 | 0.611 | 72% | Very Good |
| Handoffs | 14 | 0.786 | 42% | Average |
| Post-Up | 7 | 1.000 | — | Poor (small N) |
| Isolation | 5 | 0.400 | — | Good (small N) |
Play-Type Read
Both of her highest-volume categories are elite: P&R Ball-Handler defense (49 poss, Good, 52nd pct.) and Spot-Up defense (43 poss, Excellent, 93rd pct.). Off-Screen defense (72nd pct.) rounds out a genuinely complete perimeter profile — she navigates screens well even at 5'7". The only weak cell is the tiny Post-Up sample (7 poss), consistent with her size limitation rather than a technique gap.
Coaching Note
No meaningful weakness to drill within her natural role. The only coaching lever is scheme discipline — never switch her onto a true post player, and let her chase every other action.
#14 Kylie Lavelle
Rim Protector / Post Big · F · Jr · 781 MINS / 20 GS / 169 Man Poss
B+
Overall
Defensive Strengths
The roster's best true rim protector — At-Rim defense grades Excellent (0.60 PPS, 91st pct., just 30.2% FG allowed) on 43 attempts · Excellent Post-Up defense (0.60 PPP, 86th pct.) · Excellent Handoff defense (0.308 PPP, 94th pct.) — hedges hard and recovers well · 32 blocks (4.1% BLK%), second on the roster
Defensive Weaknesses
Poor Off-Screen defense (14th pct., 42.9% FG allowed) — struggles to navigate away from the paint · Poor in space generally: P&R Ball-Handler (7th pct.) and P&R Roll Man (small sample, Poor) both expose her when forced away from a drop position
Areas of Improvement
Lateral movement and ball-screen coverage reps to reduce the gap between her elite anchored defense and her much weaker defense in space · Footwork navigating around screens for the Off-Screen category specifically
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Lavelle is exactly the drop-coverage rim anchor a modern defense wants — elite at the basket, elite in the post, elite hedging handoffs. The clear coaching mandate is to keep her attached to the paint: a strict drop scheme against ball screens, and pairing her in lineups with a perimeter stopper (Donald or Waheed) who can absorb the Off-Screen and movement-heavy assignments she struggles with. Pulling her away from the rim to switch or chase is the one lineup decision that will cost the defense the most value relative to what she gives up when kept home.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseDrop-coverage rim anchor, post defender, handoff hedge-and-recover big
AvoidOff-screen chase assignments; live switches onto ball-handlers or in space
Roster bucket: Structural Defender — the roster's best true rim protector when kept in scheme.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| At Rim | 43 | 0.60 | 91% | Excellent |
| Jump Shot | 86 | 0.88 | 37% | Average |
| Hook | 8 | 0.75 | — | Small sample |
| Runner | 4 | 0.50 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
This is the single most important shot-type cell for the whole roster: At-Rim defense (43 attempts, Excellent, 91st pct., 30.2% FG allowed) is the best rim number on the team, well above the team-wide 51.5% at-rim FG allowed. Her Jump-Shot defense (her actual highest-volume category at 86 attempts) is merely Average (37th pct.) — she contests capably away from the basket but recovers more slowly than elite perimeter defenders.
Coaching Note
Maximize her at-rim reps — rotation rules should funnel drivers toward her rather than a teammate who defends the rim worse. She is the correct "wall" for the defense.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Post-Up | 45 | 0.600 | 86% | Excellent |
| Handoffs | 13 | 0.308 | 94% | Excellent |
| Off Screen | 16 | 1.125 | 14% | Poor |
| P&R Ball-Handler | 11 | 1.000 | 7% | Poor |
| Isolation | 11 | 0.727 | 50% | Average |
| P&R Roll Man | 7 | 1.429 | — | Poor (small N) |
Play-Type Read
Post-Up defense (45 poss, her highest-volume category) is Excellent at 86th percentile. Every category that requires her to defend in space — Off Screen, P&R Ball-Handler, and P&R Roll Man — grades Poor. This is a clean, consistent pattern: anchored coverage is elite, movement coverage is a clear liability.
Coaching Note
Lateral slide and ball-screen coverage reps are the technical priority, but the faster fix is scheme: keep her in drop and let a guard absorb the screen-navigation load around her.
#1 Beautiful Waheed
Two-Way Point-of-Attack Engine · G · Jr · 747 MINS / 26 GS / 205 Man Poss
A–
Overall
iDRtg
91.7 (best, high-minute)
Defensive Strengths
Best overall PPP allowed among the roster's high-minute players (0.663, Very Good, 81st pct.) · Excellent P&R Ball-Handler defense (0.50 PPP, 85th pct.) on her highest-volume play type · A block rate (4.4% BLK%, 33 blocks) that is exceptionally rare for a 5'10" guard · Excellent Runner/floater defense (0.14 PPS, 98th pct.) and Very Good At-Rim defense (81st pct.)
Defensive Weaknesses
Spot-Up defense is only Average (50th pct., 33.3% FG allowed) — the one category where her aggressive, ball-pressure style doesn't fully translate · Foul rate runs slightly above average on a per-possession basis (1.10x PF Eff, 49 fouls in 747 minutes)
Areas of Improvement
Closeout angle consistency and discipline on Spot-Up assignments to round out an otherwise complete profile · Fine-tuning contest technique to shave fouls without dulling her disruptive edge
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Waheed is the closest thing on this roster to a true point-of-attack-plus-helper hybrid — elite defending the ball-handler, elite at the rim as a help defender, and a legitimate shot-blocking threat from the guard spot. She should be the default assignment on the opponent's most dangerous ball-handler and should be allowed to roam and help at the rim given how well her block numbers translate. The only real lever left is tightening her Spot-Up closeouts, since that's the one category keeping her from an elite (rather than Very Good) overall grade.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UsePrimary P&R ball-handler point-of-attack defender, help-side rim protector
AvoidParking her purely on a stationary shooter — her Spot-Up number is her only average category
Roster bucket: Structural Defender — the team's best two-way, high-minutes defensive engine.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 88 | 0.81 | 55% | Good |
| At Rim | 62 | 0.71 | 81% | Very Good |
| Runner | 14 | 0.14 | 98% | Excellent |
| Hook | 3 | 0.67 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
At-Rim defense (62 attempts — high volume for a guard) is Very Good at 81st percentile, and Runner defense (14 attempts) is Excellent at 98th percentile — she erases floaters almost entirely (7.1% FG allowed). Jump-Shot defense (88 attempts, her highest-volume category) is a solid Good (55th pct.). This is a genuinely complete shot-type profile with no real weak cell.
Coaching Note
Her runner and at-rim defense are elite, transferable skills — worth showcasing on film for younger guards. No corrective work needed here; this is a maintenance category.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| P&R Ball-Handler | 62 | 0.500 | 85% | Excellent |
| Spot-Up | 59 | 0.814 | 50% | Average |
| Off Screen | 42 | 0.690 | 64% | Good |
| Handoffs | 20 | 0.800 | 41% | Average |
| Post-Up | 10 | 0.600 | 86% | Excellent (small N) |
| Isolation | 9 | 0.778 | — | Average (small N) |
Play-Type Read
P&R Ball-Handler defense (62 poss, her highest-volume category) is Excellent at 85th percentile — this is her signature skill and the foundation of her overall grade. Off-Screen defense (Good, 64th pct.) is another plus. Spot-Up (50th pct.) and Handoffs (41st pct.) are both merely Average — the closest things to a soft spot on an otherwise elite play-type card.
Coaching Note
Continue funneling the opponent's best ball-handler to her. The only development target is closeout consistency on Spot-Up and Handoff coverage — both are drillable, standard reps rather than a scheme problem.
#16 Daniela Abies
Rebounding / Havoc Big · F · Jr · 705 MINS / 11 GS / 190 Man Poss
B+
Overall
STL%
3.5% (39 STL, team high)
Defensive Strengths
Team-leading defensive rebounder (26.5% DRB%, 165 DREB) and team-leading ball-hawk (39 steals, 3.5% STL%) — the roster's clear activity/havoc engine · Excellent Post-Up defense (0.59 PPP, 86th pct.) and Excellent P&R Ball-Handler defense on a small sample (85th pct.) · Best iDRtg on the roster (84.0)
Defensive Weaknesses
Poor P&R Roll Man coverage (9th pct., 58.3% FG allowed) — her biggest technical gap · Below Average Off-Screen defense (28th pct.) and Below Average Hook-shot defense (21st pct.) · Her DRAPM (-0.9) is the worst on the roster despite the elite counting stats — a real tension worth flagging: her gambling style may create events at the cost of some structural defensive integrity
Areas of Improvement
Roll-man coverage technique — showing to contain the ball-handler without fully committing away from the roller · Reining in gambling instincts in low-value moments given the DRAPM signal, while preserving the steal/rebound production that makes her valuable
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Abies is a high-value, high-variance defender: the team's best rebounder and best ball-hawk by a wide margin, with real Post-Up and P&R Ball-Handler chops to go with it. The tension between her elite box-score activity and her worst-on-team DRAPM suggests her aggressive, reaching style occasionally leaves the defense exposed even as it generates extra possessions — she needs reliable weak-side/behind-the-play help so her gambles are covered rather than exploited. The single most fixable technical item is roll-man coverage, which is both a clear weakness and a common action opponents can target on scouting report.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseRebounding/steal engine, switchable post-and-ball-handler piece, starter-caliber activity minutes
AvoidLeaving her alone in P&R roll coverage or off-screen chase assignments without safety-net help
Roster bucket: Structural Defender — elite counting-stat production; needs coverage behind her gambles.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 87 | 0.84 | 47% | Average |
| At Rim | 46 | 0.87 | 52% | Good |
| Hook | 10 | 1.00 | 21% | Below Average |
| Runner | 3 | 0.67 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
At-Rim defense (46 attempts) grades Good at 52nd percentile, a solid mark for a rebounding-first big. Jump-Shot defense (87 attempts, her highest-volume category) is Average (47th pct.). Hook-shot defense (10 attempts) is Below Average at 21st percentile — the clearest shot-type soft spot, worth monitoring against post-heavy opponents.
Coaching Note
Hook-shot contest technique (verticality against the counter move) is the most specific, drillable item here, though the sample is still modest.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Post-Up | 61 | 0.590 | 86% | Excellent |
| Spot-Up | 68 | 0.765 | 61% | Good |
| P&R Roll Man | 14 | 1.214 | 9% | Poor |
| Off Screen | 16 | 1.000 | 28% | Below Average |
| Handoffs | 11 | 0.636 | 64% | Good |
| P&R Ball-Handler | 12 | 0.500 | 85% | Excellent (small N) |
Play-Type Read
Spot-Up (68 poss) is her highest-volume category and grades Good (61st pct.); Post-Up (61 poss) is Excellent (86th pct.) — together these confirm she's a legitimate, high-volume interior and closeout defender, not just a rebounder. The clear weakness is P&R Roll Man coverage (14 poss, Poor, 9th pct.) — her single most exploitable category given the volume.
Coaching Note
Roll-man show-and-recover technique is the top individual priority — it's both a real weakness and a high-value target for opposing offensive coordinators building a game plan against St. John's ball-screen defense.
#11 Janeya Grant
Reserve Big (Development Priority) · F · So · 579 MINS / 1 GS / 116 Man Poss
D
Overall
FRP Rating
Poor (8th pct.)
Defensive Strengths
Very low personal-foul rate (0.52x PF Eff, 0.9 PF/g) — she does not put the team in bonus situations · Available across all 34 games as a rotation reserve, giving the staff scheduling flexibility for matchup-based minutes
Defensive Weaknesses
Worst overall PPP allowed on the roster (0.991, Poor, 8th pct.) on a real 116-possession sample — not a small-sample outlier · Poor At-Rim defense (14th pct., 55.9% FG allowed), Poor Post-Up defense (8th pct., 60% FG allowed), and Poor Off-Screen defense (8th pct., 50% FG allowed) — a near-total absence of a defensive strength across play types · Below Average P&R Ball-Handler defense (25th pct.) and Below Average Jump-Shot defense (22nd pct.)
Areas of Improvement
A genuine ground-up rebuild: off-screen footwork, rim verticality, lateral quickness in ball-screen coverage, and post-defense strength all grade Poor or Below Average simultaneously · Given she is a sophomore, this should be treated as a multi-category offseason development priority rather than a single technical fix
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Grant is the roster's clearest individual defensive liability, and opponents scouting St. John's should be expected to target her matchup directly — the underlying data shows no play type where she currently defends at an acceptable level. Her minutes should be limited against top scorers and ideally paired with a rim-protecting partner (Lavelle or Bahati) who can help clean up penetration. Her low foul rate is a real, if modest, positive — she is not making the problem worse through foul trouble, which gives the staff room to work with her on technique without the added complication of managing foul limits.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseLimited minutes against non-scorers, paired with a rim-protecting frontcourt partner
AvoidPrimary defensive assignments against top scorers; press duty; any isolated coverage responsibility
Flagged as the roster's primary opponent game-planning target — the player St. John's staff should expect to be attacked directly.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 61 | 0.97 | 22% | Below Average |
| At Rim | 34 | 1.12 | 14% | Poor |
| Hook | 4 | 1.00 | — | Tiny sample |
Shot-Type Read
Both of her meaningful-volume shot types are weak: Jump Shot (61 attempts, Below Average, 22nd pct.) and At Rim (34 attempts, Poor, 14th pct., 55.9% FG allowed). There is no shot-type category where she currently defends at an average level or better.
Coaching Note
Rim verticality (contesting straight up rather than fouling or conceding) is the more urgent of the two given how poorly the at-rim number compares to the team's returners at that position.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| P&R Ball-Handler | 37 | 0.811 | 25% | Below Average |
| Spot-Up | 39 | 0.872 | 37% | Average |
| Off Screen | 17 | 1.235 | 8% | Poor |
| Post-Up | 11 | 1.182 | 8% | Poor |
| Handoffs | 9 | 1.111 | — | Poor (small N) |
| P&R Roll Man | 2 | 2.000 | — | Tiny sample |
Play-Type Read
Every category with meaningful volume grades Below Average or worse — P&R Ball-Handler (37 poss, Below Average), Off Screen (17 poss, Poor, 8th pct.), and Post-Up (11 poss, Poor, 8th pct.). Spot-Up defense (39 poss) is her single least-bad category at merely Average (37th pct.). This is the most uniformly weak play-type card on the roster.
Coaching Note
Given how broad the weakness is, a full defensive stance/footwork rebuild is more appropriate than targeting a single category — start with the two highest-volume categories (P&R Ball-Handler and Spot-Up) since fixing either would have the largest possession-weighted impact.
#3 Ariel Little
Press / Steal Specialist Guard · G · So · 192 MINS / 1 GS / 36 Man Poss
A–
Overall
Defensive Strengths
Very Good overall PPP allowed (0.722, 66th pct.) driven by elite disruptive activity — 11 steals in just 192 minutes (3.5% STL%, among the roster's best rates) · Perfect small-sample Press (0.00 PPP) and Isolation (0.00 PPP) defense — a genuine pest in tight spaces · Efficient fouling (0.69x PF Eff)
Defensive Weaknesses
Below Average Jump-Shot defense (25th pct.) on her highest-volume shot type — a likely function of her 5'4" frame limiting contest height · Zero blocks on the season (unsurprising given size) · Sample is thin (36 Man possessions) and should be treated cautiously at expanded minutes
Areas of Improvement
Closeout speed and hand-contest technique to compensate for size on jump-shot defense · Continued run in press/change-of-pace situations to build out a larger, more reliable sample
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Little's overall number is genuinely strong for a 5'4" reserve guard, and it's built on real disruption (steal rate) rather than empty possessions. She is best used as an energy-burst, change-of-pace defender against backup ball-handlers and as a press specialist, where her small sample is spotless. Her size will always show up against size mismatches, so she should be kept away from posts and bigger wings, but within her natural role she is a legitimate value piece who may deserve an expanded look given how her per-minute numbers compare to some rotation regulars.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UsePress specialist, change-of-pace defender vs. backup guards, energy-burst minutes
AvoidAny switch onto size; extended run as a primary jump-shot chaser
Roster bucket: Specialist — a real per-minute value piece whose sample still needs to grow.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 20 | 0.95 | 25% | Below Average |
| At Rim | 9 | 0.89 | — | Small sample |
| Runner | 3 | 0.00 | — | Perfect (small N) |
Shot-Type Read
Jump-Shot defense (20 attempts, her main category) is Below Average at 25th percentile — the clearest technical soft spot, plausibly tied to her size limiting contest height. Her small-sample At-Rim and Runner numbers don't show a clear leak, but the volume is too thin to treat as confirmed.
Coaching Note
Hand-contest technique and closeout speed on jump shots is the most useful individual drill given the volume, though her overall value clearly comes from activity rather than shot contesting.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Spot-Up | 20 | 0.850 | 41% | Average |
| P&R Ball-Handler | 7 | 0.571 | — | Good (small N) |
| Isolation | 3 | 0.000 | — | Excellent (small N) |
| Handoffs | 4 | 0.750 | — | Tiny sample |
| Off Screen | 2 | 0.000 | — | Excellent (tiny N) |
Play-Type Read
Spot-Up defense (20 poss, her only category with real volume) is Average (41st pct.). Every other category is a small-sample encouraging sign (Isolation, Off Screen both perfect) rather than a confirmed strength. The overall picture is a disruptive, low-mistake defender whose profile should become clearer with more minutes.
Coaching Note
No play-type sample is yet large enough to build a scheme around beyond Spot-Up. Continued minutes, particularly in the press, would be the fastest way to find out whether the small-sample strengths hold.
#2 Julie Bahati
Per-Minute Interior Reserve · F · Jr · 107 MINS / 0 GS / 26 Man Poss
A–
Overall
Defensive Strengths
The best advanced defensive metrics on the entire roster — team-leading DRAPM (+2.0) and team-leading iDRtg (88.1) — despite only 107 total minutes · Excellent Post-Up defense (0.222 PPP) — a genuine wall on the block · Elite per-minute rebounding (18.4% DRB%) and blocking (4.6% BLK%) rates, both team highs
Defensive Weaknesses
The highest per-possession foul rate on the roster (1.43x PF Eff) — though her total foul count remains low (7 fouls) simply because of limited minutes · Poor small-sample Isolation defense (2 poss, 1.0 PPP) — can be pulled into face-up 1-on-1 situations · An untested sample (26 Man possessions) that has not yet been stress-tested against a starter's workload
Areas of Improvement
Foul discipline is the clear priority before any minutes expansion — her per-possession foul rate would become a real liability at a heavier workload if left unaddressed · Isolation/face-up defense reps against ball-handlers, since her role has so far been almost entirely interior
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Bahati is the single most actionable data point in this entire report. Every advanced defensive metric available — DRAPM, iDRtg, and PPP allowed — says she has been the roster's most impactful defender per minute played, yet she has zero starts and only 107 total minutes. The clear recommendation is a deliberate, controlled expansion of her role: increased minutes in winnable, lower-leverage stretches first, paired directly with foul-discipline work, to find out whether her per-minute production holds at scale before trusting her in high-leverage situations. If it does, she represents the clearest single lineup upgrade available to the coaching staff without a single new recruit.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseInterior post stopper, situational rim protector, double-big pairing with Lavelle vs. size
AvoidExtended run without foul-rate management; face-up isolation assignments
Roster bucket: Specialist — the clearest "hidden" defensive asset on the roster; her impact metrics argue for more minutes.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 11 | 0.82 | 53% | Good |
| At Rim | 9 | 0.67 | — | Very Good (small N) |
Shot-Type Read
Both tracked shot-type categories are encouraging: Jump Shot (11 attempts) is Good at 53rd percentile, and At Rim (9 attempts) is Very Good — a well-rounded small-sample profile with no visible leak, consistent with her elite overall metrics.
Coaching Note
Not enough volume yet to prioritize a specific shot-type fix — the priority is simply generating more possessions to validate the sample.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Spot-Up | 14 | 0.786 | 56% | Good |
| Post-Up | 9 | 0.222 | — | Excellent (small N) |
| Isolation | 2 | 2.000 | — | Poor (tiny N) |
Play-Type Read
Post-Up defense (9 poss) is Excellent at 0.222 PPP — a genuine wall on the block even in a small sample. Spot-Up defense (14 poss, her highest-volume category) is Good at 56th percentile. The lone red flag is a 2-possession Isolation sample where she was beaten badly — far too small to be conclusive, but worth monitoring as her role grows.
Coaching Note
Face-up isolation reps should be added to her practice reps preemptively, since an expanded role will likely include more live-dribble defense than her current interior-heavy usage.
#4 Skye Owen
Situational P&R Guard · G · Sr · 120 MINS / 3 GS / 6 GP / 25 Man Poss
B–
Overall
Defensive Strengths
Excellent small-sample P&R Ball-Handler defense (0.308 PPP, 97th pct.) — genuinely elite point-of-attack numbers when she has played · Excellent Jump-Shot defense (0.38 PPS, 99th pct.) · A high steal rate (4.5% STL%, 9 steals in only 120 minutes) shows real defensive instincts
Defensive Weaknesses
Poor Spot-Up defense (1.333 PPP) — a clear liability defending stationary shooters · High per-possession foul rate (1.22x PF Eff) · Extremely limited season role (only 6 games played, 3 starts) makes her overall profile difficult to project with confidence
Areas of Improvement
Closeout discipline against stationary shooters, where her Poor Spot-Up number stands in sharp contrast to her elite live-ball defense · Foul management to match her clearly good defensive instincts with cleaner technique
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Owen's tiny sample makes her hardest player on the roster to project, but the shape of the data is consistent: elite defending live actions (P&R Ball-Handler, Jump Shot), poor defending a set shooter (Spot-Up). She projects best as a situational change-up option against ball-screen-heavy opponents rather than a full-time role, and any expanded look should come with a specific plan to keep her off stationary shooters.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UseSituational P&R ball-handler defender, end-of-clock jump-shot contest
AvoidSpot-Up assignments; extended minutes without a clear matchup plan
Roster bucket: Specialist — a genuinely tiny sample; treat all conclusions with caution.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| At Rim | 12 | 1.00 | 31% | Average |
| Jump Shot | 8 | 0.38 | 99% | Excellent |
Shot-Type Read
Jump-Shot defense (8 attempts) is Excellent at 99th percentile — best small-sample jumper contest on the roster. At-Rim defense (12 attempts) is only Average (31st pct.) — the more common category for her given her possessions, and the one more likely to reflect a real limitation.
Coaching Note
Too small a sample to prescribe technical work with confidence; the priority is simply gathering more possessions before drawing conclusions.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| P&R Ball-Handler | 13 | 0.308 | 97% | Excellent |
| Spot-Up | 9 | 1.333 | — | Poor |
Play-Type Read
P&R Ball-Handler defense (13 poss, her main category) is Excellent at 97th percentile — a real point-of-attack skill even in limited run. Spot-Up defense (9 poss) is Poor — the clean split between "elite defending the ball" and "poor defending a set shooter" mirrors Owen's shot-type read exactly.
Coaching Note
Use her specifically against ball-screen-heavy lineups and avoid parking her on a catch-and-shoot threat — the data is consistent enough across categories to trust this split despite the small sample.
#12 Kyla Hayes
Freshman Perimeter Developmental Big · F · Fr · 82 MINS / 0 GS / 16 Man Poss
A
Overall
Defensive Strengths
Best raw PPP allowed on the entire roster (0.563, Excellent, 94th pct.), though on the thinnest sample of any rotation player · Elite Jump-Shot defense (0.30 PPS, 99th pct., just 10% FG allowed) — the best contested-jumper number on the team · Low foul rate (0.5 PF/g) as a true freshman is an encouraging discipline sign
Defensive Weaknesses
Poor tiny-sample At-Rim (2 attempts, 100% FG allowed) and Post-Up (4 poss, 100% FG allowed) numbers — as a freshman, her interior positioning is still developing · The smallest sample of any rotation player (82 minutes, 16 Man possessions) means every number here needs continued validation
Areas of Improvement
Post and rim positioning fundamentals — early positioning, hand discipline, and anticipating counters — given the tiny-sample struggles in both categories · Simply accumulating more possessions is the top priority before any confident role expansion
Coaching Approach & Team Impact
Hayes projects as a perimeter-capable "3-and-D" forward archetype based on an admittedly small sample — elite on jump shots and spot-ups, not yet ready to anchor the paint. She is best deployed on the perimeter against shooting-heavy opponents rather than as a rim protector at this stage of her development. Given the sample size, the staff should treat her strong topline number as a promising signal to build on with more reps rather than a settled conclusion, but her habits (foul discipline, jump-shot contests) are exactly the ones you want to see established early in a freshman's development.
Scouting Report — Deployment
Best UsePerimeter/spot-up defender against shooting lineups, developmental minutes
AvoidFull-time rim-anchor duty; relying on current tiny-sample results as settled evaluation
Roster bucket: Specialist — highest defensive upside on the roster in the smallest sample; a name to watch.
Shot Type
| Shot Type | Att | PPS | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Jump Shot | 10 | 0.30 | 99% | Excellent |
| At Rim | 2 | 2.00 | — | Poor (tiny N) |
Shot-Type Read
Jump-Shot defense (10 attempts, her only category with any real volume) is Excellent at 99th percentile — 10% FG allowed. Her 2-attempt At-Rim sample (both makes allowed) is too small to be meaningful but is directionally consistent with a freshman still developing interior positioning.
Coaching Note
Keep her featured on jump-shot contests — it is her clearest established strength. Interior reps should build gradually as her sample grows.
Play Type
| Play Type | Poss | PPP | Rank | Rating |
|---|
| Spot-Up | 6 | 0.333 | — | Excellent (small N) |
| Post-Up | 4 | 1.000 | — | Poor (tiny N) |
Play-Type Read
Spot-Up defense (6 poss) is a strong small-sample positive. Post-Up defense (4 poss, 100% FG allowed) reflects a freshman still learning to hold ground on the block. Both samples are too thin for firm conclusions but point toward the same perimeter-forward profile suggested by her shot-type numbers.
Coaching Note
Strength and post-defense fundamentals should be an offseason priority; her natural fit for now is away from the block, guarding shooters and spacing bigs.
Defensive Scouting Report
A film-room-style synthesis of the underlying Synergy and box-score defensive data — roster-wide rankings by category, a two-bucket roster framework, and the matchups opponents are most likely to target. Pairs with the per-player breakdowns in the Individual Player QA tab.
St. John's is a strong half-court defensive team that leaks points in transition. The Red Storm held opponents to 0.796 points per possession overall — a league-average mark — but that number improves noticeably in the half court (0.752 PPP, Good, 57th pct.) and worsens dramatically when opponents run (0.998 PPP, Poor, 12th pct., on 466 transition possessions). The team's press, used on just 8.3% of defensive possessions, is a genuinely under-deployed weapon at 0.656 PPP (Very Good, 73rd pct.) and a 22.8% forced turnover rate.
Individually, Jailah Donald, Julie Bahati, Kyla Hayes, and Beautiful Waheed form the roster's elite defensive core, with Bahati's team-best advanced metrics (DRAPM +2.0, iDRtg 88.1) making the strongest case in the entire dataset for expanded minutes. The frontcourt offers clear role definition — Lavelle and Wyatt anchor the post and paint, Abies rebounds and creates turnovers, and Moore provides positional versatility off elite havoc production. Janeya Grant stands out as the roster's primary opponent target, and the team's two most pressing structural issues are its Poor transition defense and a shared struggle navigating off-screen actions (Moore, Lavelle, and Grant all grade Below Average or worse there).
Best Overall Defensive Value
Ranking the most useful St. John's defenders for coaches, balancing role, minutes, and efficiency.
- Beautiful Waheed — Best two-way, high-minutes defensive engine — elite P&R ball-handler defense plus rare guard rim-blocking (33 BLK).
- Jailah Donald — Best full-sample perimeter stopper — elite spot-up/jump-shot defense with almost no fouls.
- Daniela Abies — Team-leading rebounder and ball-hawk with genuine post and P&R ball-handler chops.
- Sa'Mya Wyatt — Iron-woman post starter (34 GS) anchoring the interior at a Good, disciplined level.
- Shaulana Wagner — Elite off-screen and P&R ball-handler specialist within a well-defined role.
Best Specialist Upside
J. Bahati
Best Small-Sample PPP
K. Hayes
Best By Shot Type
✦ Best Jump-Shot / Perimeter Contest
- Jailah Donald (93rd pct., 20% FG allowed)
- Kyla Hayes (99th pct., small sample)
- Skye Owen (99th pct., small sample)
→ Best Interior / At-Rim Defenders
- Kylie Lavelle (91st pct. — the roster's best rim number)
- Beautiful Waheed (81st pct. — rare for a guard)
- Brooke Moore (69th pct., help-side)
The jump-shot group most clearly suppresses perimeter efficiency; the interior group protects the rim, the team's one shot-type category (1.03 PPS, 51st pct.) that sits closer to average than elite. Weakest direct rim suppression: Shaulana Wagner (14th pct.) and Janeya Grant (14th pct.).
Best By Play Type
| Play Type | Best Projected Pieces |
|---|
| Spot-Up | Donald, Hayes — close out cleanly, suppress catch-and-shoot comfort |
| P&R Ball-Handler | Waheed, Wagner, Owen — Moore should be schemed to ice rather than chase |
| Post-Up | Moore (small N), Bahati, Lavelle, Wyatt — Wagner and Grant should be switched out of post assignments |
| Off-Screen | Wagner, Little — Lavelle, Moore, and Grant all struggle here, the team's clearest shared weakness |
| P&R Roll Man | Lavelle or Moore as the better drop options — Abies and Wyatt both struggle tagging the roller |
Roster Framework — Two Defensive Buckets
The cleanest defensive conclusion for a head coach: St. John's trustworthy defenders split into two groups.
Structural Defenders
High-minutes players who anchor the scheme possession after possession.
- Beautiful Waheed — two-way engine
- Jailah Donald — perimeter lockdown
- Daniela Abies — rebounding/havoc
- Sa'Mya Wyatt — post anchor
- Shaulana Wagner — off-screen/POA specialist
- Kylie Lavelle — rim protector
- Brooke Moore — switchable havoc wing
Specialists
High per-minute value in a defined role rather than a proven every-possession workload.
- Julie Bahati — best advanced metrics on the roster, minutes upside
- Kyla Hayes — freshman perimeter developmental upside
- Ariel Little — press/steal specialist
- Skye Owen — situational P&R ball-handler defender
⚠ Opponent Game-Planning Risk
The biggest concerns for opponent game-planning, per the underlying scouting evaluation:
- — Attacking Janeya Grant directly in isolation, at the rim, in the post, and off screens — she is the clearest matchup target on the roster
- — Running in transition against the whole team — St. John's Poor transition defense (0.998 PPP, 12th pct.) is the single biggest exploitable system weakness
- — Using off-screen actions to target Moore, Lavelle, or Grant specifically, and forcing Abies/Wyatt into P&R roll-man coverage
Coach-Facing Strengths & Weaknesses — Quick Reference
| Player | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|
| Beautiful Waheed | Elite P&R ball-handler defense, rare guard shot-blocking, well-rounded profile | Spot-up closeouts only average, foul rate slightly elevated |
| Jailah Donald | Elite spot-up/jump-shot defense, exceptional discipline, best full-sample PPP | Size limitation at the rim and in the post |
| Daniela Abies | Team-leading rebounding and steals, strong post and P&R ball-handler defense | Poor roll-man coverage, worst DRAPM despite elite counting stats |
| Sa'Mya Wyatt | Durable post anchor, disciplined, strong post and jump-shot defense | Exposed defending the roll man or switched onto guards |
| Shaulana Wagner | Elite off-screen and P&R ball-handler defender, elite discipline | Cannot protect the rim or hold the post |
| Kylie Lavelle | Best true rim protector, excellent post and handoff defense | Struggles defending in space (off screens, ball screens) |
| Brooke Moore | Team-leading steals and blocks, best DRAPM/iDRtg, switchable | Only average direct PPP, off-screen and jump-shot leaks |
| Janeya Grant | Low foul rate, available every game | Worst PPP on roster, weak across nearly every play type |
| Ariel Little | Elite steal rate, disruptive press/isolation defender | Size limits jump-shot contests, sample still thin |
| Julie Bahati | Team-best DRAPM/iDRtg, excellent post defense, elite rebounding rate | High per-possession foul rate, unproven at scale |
| Skye Owen | Excellent P&R ball-handler and jump-shot defense | Poor spot-up defense, extremely limited season role |
| Kyla Hayes | Best raw PPP on roster, elite jump-shot defense, low fouls | Interior positioning still developing, tiny sample |
Coaching Priorities
Ranked individual defensive development priorities and their projected effect on St. John's overall defensive output heading into the offseason and next season.
Individual Defensive Development Priorities
1
Janeya Grant — Full Defensive Rebuild
At 0.991 PPP allowed (Poor, 8th pct.) on a real 116-possession sample, Grant is the clearest individual defensive liability in the rotation, with weak grades across nearly every play type (At Rim, Post-Up, Off Screen, P&R Ball-Handler). Daily footwork, rim-verticality, and post-strength work is the priority; until her profile improves, her minutes against top scorers should be managed carefully and paired with a rim-protecting frontcourt partner.
2
Brooke Moore — Off-Screen and Jump-Shot Closeout Technique
Moore leads the roster in both minutes (1,028) and defensive havoc production (37 STL, 37 BLK, best DRAPM), yet her direct PPP allowed is only Average (32nd pct.), driven by Below Average Off-Screen (21st pct.) and Jump-Shot (22nd pct.) defense. Closing this gap would let her elite hustle numbers translate into an elite overall grade rather than merely an Average one.
3
Julie Bahati — Foul Discipline Ahead of a Minutes Expansion
Bahati's DRAPM (+2.0) and iDRtg (88.1) both lead the roster, but her 1.43x per-possession foul rate is also the roster's highest. Before the staff commits to significantly expanding her 107-minute sample, foul-discipline work is essential — otherwise a promising minutes increase risks simply trading her elite efficiency for foul trouble.
4
Shaulana Wagner — Scheme (Not Technique) Fix for Post/Rim Exposure
Wagner's 0.746 PPP overall masks an elite perimeter profile (Off-Screen 98th pct., P&R Ball-Handler 79th pct.) paired with Poor rim (14th pct.) and post (11th pct.) defense. This is a switching/scheme discipline issue more than a technical one — protecting her from post mismatches would let her play almost entirely to her strengths.
5
Daniela Abies & Sa'Mya Wyatt — Roll-Man Coverage Technique
Both of the roster's primary post defenders grade Poor covering the P&R roll man (Abies 9th pct., Wyatt 9th pct.) — the team's clearest shared frontcourt weakness. Targeted show-and-recover reps for both would directly address one of the few remaining scheme exploits opposing coordinators are likely to target.
Lineup & Scheme Priorities
1
Fix Transition Defense — The Team's Clearest System-Wide Leak
At 0.998 PPP allowed (Poor, 12th pct.) on 466 possessions, transition defense is by a wide margin St. John's biggest defensive issue — worse than any single player's individual number. Conversion discipline (sprinting back rather than crashing the offensive glass) and protecting the rim in transition (51.7% FG allowed there specifically) should be an every-practice emphasis, not a game-plan-specific adjustment.
2
Expand the Press — A Very Good, Under-Used Weapon
At 0.656 PPP allowed (Very Good, 73rd pct.) and a 22.8% forced turnover rate, the press is materially more efficient than the team's overall defense, yet it is used on only 8.3% of defensive possessions. Increasing press usage — particularly with Waheed, Donald, Wyatt, and Lavelle forming the back line — is a low-risk way to generate more possessions without changing personnel.
3
Isolate and Protect Grant in Lineup Construction
Given how broadly Grant struggles, lineups featuring her should be deliberately paired with a rim-protecting frontcourt partner (Lavelle or Bahati) and kept away from the opponent's top perimeter scorer. Avoid stacking her alongside other movement-vulnerable defenders (Moore, Lavelle in off-screen-heavy situations) in the same five whenever possible.