The WNBA gets exposure into the new Omniplex in Cullman:
Four days hoops camp led by a scout from LA Sparks of the WNBA:
GDW Analysis:
For the first time, a person associated with the WNBA has enjoyed his time of teaching the game from the new local sports mecca, the Omniplex of Cullman.
Markel Leonard, a scout for the Los Angeles Sparks has directed a camp for four days for hoopsters age 7 to 17.
The camp is associated with Nike and Find A Way Athletics.
Gameday Weekly got the opportunity to see Leonard, along with Don Beard of Find A Way Foundation as they made their first ever appearance to the facility that came alive in the middle of April.
The Omniplex is the third location nationally to present this camp with Leonard directing. Other sites are currently in Tuscon and Phoenix, Arizona.
Leonard scouts the West Coast area for the Sparks.
The Sparks currently have one of the best females to ever play in the AHSAA and then on with the University of Alabama in Sarah Ashlee Barker.
Barker is in her rookie season with the Sparks holding their own in trying to stay in playoff contention with a couple of months left on the schedule.
The Sparks took a 3 game winning streak and 9 & 14 overall record into a game Thursday evening at Connecticut. The Sparks are 2 games back of Washington for 8th place. The Top 8 make their way into the WNBA postseason.
Approximately 40 people have been with the camp as it began Monday and finished Thursday afternoon.
Providing assistance as instructors were pair of former standouts from Hanceville High School.
Xavier Malcom graduated from Hanceville in 2016, playing for Daniel Wakefield.
Malcolm was 2nd team 3A all state by the Alabama Sportswriters Association, along with all county and all area honors.
Cassidy Campbell showed her skills for the Lady Bulldogs that enabled her to share the Bill Shelton Award from the Cullman County Tournament in 2021 with Cold Springs' Toni West.
Campbell was all county, all area and on the GDW all performance team.
Leonard also was glad to have CJ Appleton, a professor at Duke University, to provide his knowledge of the game in the early part of the week.
Appleton is involved with Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy. His purpose is focus on changing lives in the daily society.
The camp consisted of various fundamentals and then went more into a competitive approach for the finale Thursday.
Leonard and Beard was pleased with the setting of the new facility and the time devoted for this being built by the city of Cullman and the Cullman Parks and Recreation Department.
The plan is to have it to return in 2026 and add a couple of more dates and see an increase in participation and exposure.
Photo of LA Sparks scout Markel Leonard at the start of a Nike youth basketball camp from the Omniplex in Cullman Thursday morning.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
