Pratt developing into one of the top players in Missouri over summer

by Michael Smith


Ava Pratt has been making a name for herself over the summer in the high school basketball scene.

The Grain Valley resident and soon-to-be sophomore at St. Michael The Archangel Catholic has been traveling all over the United States, playing for the Missouri Phenom 15U Nike Elite Youth Basketball Team. The team has traveled extensively, including stops in St. Louis, Hampton, Va., Phoenix, Louisville, and Wichita.

At the Nike Nationals tournament in mid-July in Chicago, her team won the 15U National Championship and most recently the USA Basketball Championships in late July in Rock Hill, S.C., her team took second place.

Her efforts with the Phenom and St. Michael also got her a spot on the Girls Grassroots Top 100 Class of 2027 players list by Major Movez Basketball Review (majormovezbasketball.com).

During her freshman season with the St. Michael girls basketball team, the 6-foot forward had a standout season, averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

So how did Pratt get to where she is today in the game of basketball?

Well, she started playing basketball at a YMCA gym when she was 3 years old, and it didn’t take her long to fall in love with the game. Her older brother and sister also played, which motivated her to continue playing.

“I got to see them do it and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s cool. I want to do that,’” Pratt said about watching her older siblings playing basketball.

She played the sport throughout elementary and middle school at St. John School in Ellisville, and her father was the coach. Her parents were a big influence on her growing up.

“They gave me the opportunity to do what I love,” Pratt said. “They rebounded for me when I put up shots in the gym. They are always there supporting me. I am really blessed.”

As a freshman, Pratt has played the small forward position for the Guardians and the Phenom and has made a name for herself as a well-balanced player. According to prepgirlshoops.com, a website that has Pratt ranked as the fourth best player in the state in the 2027 class, she is a wing player who is one of the most versatile players in her class. “She is equally effective as a slasher and ball handler who can score inside with her height. She can also facilitate the offense,” the scouting report on the website said.

She has developed those skills even more over the summer for the Phenom and her play has helped contribute to the success of her team as she has come off the bench.

“The Phenom culture is to push each other to be better every day,” Pratt said. “I have been working on my shot and have made sure that my form is correct, and I have been working on making the extra pass to turn a good shot into a great one.

“(My biggest strength) is being versatile and being a playmaker. I feel like I can score in my different ways. I can score in the post, on a pull up jumper from the mid-range and I can shoot threes. I have also been blessed with my height and my length.”

Pratt also got to attend a Harvard and Yale University basketball camps over the summer where she got to learn from the coaches of those programs. While there, she was named to the camp’s all-star team.

“It was a real cool opportunity,” Pratt said. “All the coaches at Harvard and Yale were amazing. They shared their culture with us. Their moto was ‘Believe it.’ You have to believe in yourself to accomplish what you cant to do.”

After a successful season. Now, the Grain Valley resident has her sophomore season to look forward to at St. Michael under new head coach Steve Cassidy, who was a longtime head coach at Truman High School.

During her freshman season, her team finished with a 13-12 record and the Guardians fell in the first round of the Class 5 District 7 Tournament against Bolivar. Her goal is to make it further in the postseason tournament in the 2024-25 season.

“I want to help my team get as far as we can,” Pratt said. “I want to help my teammates be the best they can be. I am going to leave it all on the court. We’re hoping for a comeback season this year. It will be fun."

Grain Valley resident and St. Michael The Archangel Catholic sophomore Ava Pratt has been developing into one of the top girls basketball players in Missouri. She helped her Missouri Phenom 15U Nike Elite club team win a National Championship at the Nike Nationals Tournament in mid-July in Chicago. Her team also took second place at the USA Basketball Championships in late July at Rock Hill, S.C. Photo courtesy Ava Pratt.