Class 6A: Day 1 Stock Risers

The opening round of the Kansas 6A state championships opened on Wednesday with quarterfinal play at Wichita State University in Wichita. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Olathe East beats Wichita-Heights, 49-48.; Topeka over Olathe North, 79-55; Liberal over Olathe South, 41-33; and Derby beats SM Northwest, 44-39.</span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="93981" first="Sania" last="Copeland"]</b><b>, 5’7, G, 2022, Olathe North</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">A standout guard who can shoot from 3-point range, handle the ball and create something in transition. Copeland showed a lot of potential as she has a lot of confidence in herself and just sort of makes plays without thinking about it. Copeland moves well off the ball and can play either guard position well. Copeland had an impressive outing against Topeka with 15 points, one block, one assist and one rebound. She shot 40 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free throw line, hitting 6-10 attempts.  </span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="121725" first="Molly" last="Kaemmer"]</b><b>, F, 2020, Olathe East</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Kaemmer has been an impressive rebounder all season and her last game didn’t disappoint. She ended with a game-high 12 rebounds and added 12 points, two assists, one block and three steals as well. Kaemmer is great at finishing plays and can handle contact and make something happen around the glass. She is aggressive and looks to contest shots and use her frame and link to her advantage wherever she can find an opportunity. Keammer led the Sunflower League in rebounding this season. </span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="91872" first="Laniah" last="Randle"], G/F, 2021, Heights</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">An athletic player who has good balance and length in the ability to collapse on the ball. She’s also good at making place in open space and runs the floor well as a transition player. Randle can do a little bit of everything and has good athleticism as well. She led all scores with 22 points and added six rebounds and three steals.</span> <b>Kiki Smith, 5’7, G, 2023, Topeka</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">An elite freshman who is just scratching the surface. Smith has had a phenomenal regular season for a freshman and continues to look sharp at state. She led all assists for the day with 10 as she looked to push the tempo and feed opponents inside. She is shooting a high percentage from the floor. Hitting 9-13 attempts and was 2-4 from three-point range. Also a good defensive player who came away with four steals as well. She can find her shot from distance and also has the ability to score in transition and through contact. A skilled player overall. </span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="47074" first="Aubrey" last="Warden"], 5’10, F, 2021, Liberal</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">An underrated and often overlooked player who is an essential piece to Liberal’s success. Warden is a two-way performer who adds size, strength, mental toughness and a strong IQ to the floor. She can create for herself inside and has a soft touch and good movement inside. A tough player when she’s locked in. Warden ended the game with eight points, one assist and four defensive rebounds. </span>