The amazing display of talent showcased at the sixth annual Native American Junior Nationals basketball tournament means one thing: there will be many more Indigenous hoopers in the NBA and WNBA in the decades to come. 

Hosted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa from June 27 to 29, the popular tournament featured athletes in the boys’ and girls’ divisions at the high school, middle school and elementary levels. It was held across three facilities with 24 courts and over 1,000 basketball games played in one weekend.

For those in Indian Country, the annual basketball tournament has earned the unofficial nickname of “The Nattys,” and saw a record number of teams competing for the top spot this year. 

The tournament offers opportunities for athletes of all skill levels and ages to refine their talents on the court. Recruiters from community colleges and universities across the country also attended in search of which star athlete could join their team one day. 

NBA player Lindy Waters III, a citizen of both the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and the Cherokee Nation, was in attendance and roamed the AAG facility during day two of the tournament. Waters posed for photos with fans and watched the next generation of hoopers battle it out on the court. He played for the Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons this past NBA season. 

Actor and comedian Tatanka Means (Oglala Sioux Tribe, Navajo, Dakota and Omaha) also attended the tournament. 

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community had several teams competing in this year’s tournament: 

• Salt River Renegades
• Salt River Ba’ag
• FMD
• NWT
• Tribal Force
• FMD Lions
• Young Gunz
• Ba’ag 2028
• The River
• AZ Lady Warriors
• Native Clash

In the girls fourth grade division, the Salt River Renegades went 4-2. The Renegades dominated their opponents in their wins, posting scores of 17-2, 19-6 and 15-6. They would go on to win the platinum division in the championship game against the Cherokee Lady Braves in an instant classic that went down to the final moments of the game. When the clock struck zero, the Renegades were up two, 17-15, taking the championship.

Facing some tough competition, Salt River Ba’ag cruised to three easy victories in the 11th and 12th-grade boys division against Ak Native Elite from Fairbanks, Alaska, Rockhawks from Brockton, Montana, and Missouri River Elite from Bismarck, North Dakota. SR Ba’ag would advance to the tournament’s playoffs but came up short 40-37 against a fellow SRPMIC team, Young Gunz.  

Team FMD, led by recent high school graduate and point guard Jacob Smith, showcased their scrappy defense and fast-paced offense against teams with taller opponents, but got off to a slow start in the early stages of tournament. Their first loss was to Horsepower from Hays, Montana, 76-34. However, FMD still advanced to the playoffs thanks to their 2-2 overall record. Unfortunately, FMD was unable battle back against Ho-Chunk from Black River Falls, Wisconsin, and were eliminated 40-32. 

Making noise in the ninth and 10th-grade girls division, NWT proved they are still “Natives With Talent” as they defeated Hoop Dancers from Wyola, Montana, 43-14, as well as Sunset Park from Gracemont, Oklahoma, 46-22. They added one more victory against Enchantment from Gallup, New Mexico, but lost 32-29 to the GC3 Stars, who came to Mesa all the way from Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Tribal Force made it to the championship game in the fifth and sixth-grade boys division. Unfortunately, the force seemed to be with the Wookies from Tohatchi, New Mexico, as they defeated Tribal Force in the platinum championship game. Although they were out, Tribal Force had fun throughout the tournament, cheering on their fellow SRPMIC teams on from the sidelines. 

FMD Lions, the third-grade, co-ed hoopers from Fort McDowell, proved they are mighty. Despite a one-point loss to the Florida Warriors in their first game, FMD Lions would go on to win two straight against the Lil’ Rascals from Owyhee, Nevada, and the Tune Squad from Pinon, Arizona. Their tournament ultimately ended on Saturday to Sunset Park from Gracemont, Oklahoma, 26-21. 

Young Gunz proved to be one of the leading teams in the nation in the boys’ 11th and 12th grade divisions, going undefeated in pool play. One memorable win came on Friday when the Young Gunz defeated FZS Nations from Ronan, Montana, 48-2. On Sunday, the team’s first playoff game was against a fellow SRPMIC team, SR Ba’ag. The nail-biter game packed the bleachers with many from the SRPMIC cheering on both teams. Young Gunz won 40-37 but came up short of winning it all, losing to the Rezbombers from Scottsdale 55-54.

Ba’ag 2028 featured the next up-and-coming high school hoopers in the ninth and 10th grades. However, the team had many hoopers out of this year’s tournament due to their attendance at the United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) conference in San Diego, which took place at the same time. Limited on players but still battling on the hardwood, Ba’ag 2028 went 3-1 in pool play. They advanced to the playoffs where they lost to the Fort Apache Runners from Arizona in a close one, 40-33. 

The River, another SRPMIC team in the boy’s 11th and 12th-grade division, battled stiff competition. They suffered two quick losses on Friday against 505 Elite from Shiprock, New Mexico, and Chiefs Nation from Ethete, Wyoming. They ended their tournament play with back-to-back losses on Saturday.

AZ Lady Warriors, competing in the girl’s 11th and 12th-grade division, also lost both of their games to start their tourney play. During day two, the AZ Lady Warriors nearly pulled off the upset victory against Makinaak Majiw from Belcourt, North Dakota, but could not finish the job, losing 37-32. 

Rounding out the SRPMIC teams was Native Clash, who lost four straight in the boys fifth and sixth-grade division. In their final game, they lost to Tribal Force, 25-21.