Video: Haylen Ayers flexes wide range of skills with South Carolina HC Dawn Staley in attendance

High school sensation Haylen Ayers showed her wide range of skills in an EYBL game for Tennessee Flight in front of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.

The six-foot Ayers, the No. 3-ranked prospect in the Class of 2027 (per 247 Sports), demonstrated her shooting and passing prowess during a Flight game with the three-time national champion coach watching on the sidelines with associate coach Lisa Boyer.

On Saturday, Ayers helped Tennessee Flight go 1-1 in Session III of the 17U event. They won over California-based Sports Academy Swish 62-45 and put up an interesting fight against Team Takeover of Washington D.C. before losing 64-48.

Heading into the competition's third session, the shooting guard is averaging 19.6 points per game, which ranks third in the league, according to national scout EJ Arrow.

Ayers made history in March when she became the first player from University School of Jackson to earn the 2024-25 Gatorade Tennessee Girls' Basketball Player of the Year. She averaged 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, leading the Bruins (26-4) to the Division II-A state tournament semifinals. Ayers also averaged 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals.

He scored 40 points and 13 rebounds in a 64-57 double-overtime loss to the Webb School for Girls in the semifinals.

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Haylen Ayers continues to impress scouts and coaches

Haylen Ayers left a mark on scouts and coaches during her sophomore year at the University School of Jackson. Trinity Christian School coach Matt Coble described Ayers as someone who helps her teammates raise their level of play.

“Haylen is an incredible player. She can really shoot and score the ball, but what separates her is her passing and basketball IQ. The impact she has on that team is beyond comparison," Coble said.

Meanwhile, 247 Sports' Brandon Clay saw the shooting guard as a player who makes her presence felt early and is capable of sustaining it in long stretches. Clay also pointed out that Ayers is a patient playmaker and an excellent rebounder on both ends of the court.

Her fine play has generated 27 offers from prestigious Division I women's basketball programs, including South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Louisville, North Carolina, Ohio State and Kentucky.

More teams are expected to send their intent to offer her a spot on the team in the 2027-28 season. Haylen Ayers could be a foundation piece that a championship-starving team might need to break through its years of failures.