Future Prospects: Omaha Mercy and Omaha Gross

Two of the bigger surpises in Class B met up Thursday night when River Cities Conference rivals Omaha Gross and Omaha Mercy clashed at Omaha Mercy.  Omaha Gross, out to a 9-2 mark coming into the contest, has worked its way into the #2 seed in next week's conference tournament, while Omaha Mercy has ridden the wave of five returning starters to push the .500 mark this late in the season for the first time in over a decade.  Mercy got off to a great start, and Gross Catholic struggled handling Mercy's 1-3-1 3/4 court pressure. A 35 foot buzzer beater at half put Mercy up 15 at half, which led to the Monarchs cruising to a 63-43 victory. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/summer-mann/">Summer Mann</a> (5'6" Guard, Senior, Omaha Mercy): </strong>Mann is a slashing, athletic wing player who plays the top of Mercy's 1-3-1 zone, where she reads passing lanes well.  She likes to get out on the break and attack the rim in space, and her strong upper body allows her to play through contact really well.  She is an energy player who doesn't come out of the game, but continues to play with high intensity throughout the contest. <strong>Elizabeth Rosenthal (5'5" Guard, Sophomore, Omaha Mercy): </strong>Rosenthal is the lone, non-senior starter in the lineup for the Monarchs, and she has a chance to be a very nice player.  Very slight of build, she needs to get into the weight room and add 10-15 pounds of muscle so she can be more physical on the floor.  However, she has a nice feel for the game and sees the floor very well.  She's got a quick first step and undestands how the game is played, and as she grows and matures, she will continue to develop. <strong>Willavena Tokporo (5'7" Guard, Sophomore, Omaha Mercy): </strong>Tokporo is the most athletic player in the Monarch's rotation, and she has a nice shooting form.  She needs to work on her skill work and play within the five on five game, but she has a very good vertical and has great end to end speed.  Tokporo has a great upside; it's just up to her how much work she puts into her game to see where her game takes her. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/mackenna-sidzyik/">Mackenna Sidzyik</a> (5'5" Guard, Senior, Omaha Gross): </strong>Sidzyik is an uncommitted senior who might be a good addition for an NAIA or Division III school.  She is a streaky shooter, but when she gets her shot going, she can score in bunches.  A heady passer and player, she has a nice understanding of the game and plays within herself and doesn't try to do too much.  She needs to work on her ball handling and creativity to really expand her game at the next level, but she would be worth a good look for smaller schools in the area. <strong>Theo Mba (5'10" Post, Junior, Omaha Gross): </strong>The most athletic player on the floor, Mba struggled with foul trouble in this contest, which greatly hurt the Cougars as the game wore on.  An outstanding rebounder, especially on the offensive end, Mba is an explosive athlete who plays on the ball in Gross' diamond pressure.  She times passes well and gets a lot of tips and finishes well around the rim.  At her size, she needs to improve her ball skills to really give herself the best opportunity possible to take her game to the highest level possible. <strong>Jenna Skradski (5'8" Wing, Sophomore, Omaha Gross): </strong>An athletic wing player who does a great job attacking the ball on defense, Skradski is perhaps the biggest key to Gross' state tournament aspirations.  She is perhaps the most capable player on the remaining roster to be that third scorer that Gross needs to excel, but she needs to be more aggressive and look to score more in 5 on 5 situations.  She is a very good defensive player that is a capable scorer with good shooting form.