Class of 2021 Players You Should Know, Part One

This season gave us lots of talented juniors that should make us over the moon excited we all get to watch them for one more year. Here’s five semi under-the-radar players who all had excellent junior seasons and are primed to be even better in their last year. <strong>Danea Mackey</strong> Guard, West Potomac. Gunston district first team and first team all-defense. It’s not that Mackey breaks ankles all the time, it’s that she’s able to handle the ball well even when it seems like she’s too quick for her own body. Able to blow by defenders and score inside and well as hit threes, the Wolverines will be reliant on her athleticism and talent to lead them further into the playoffs next winter. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="142994" first="Megan" last="Baxter"]</b> Guard, Chantilly. Concorde district first team. Northern region second team. Baxter has arguably the best handles in the region and can also blow by you if you look away even for a second. She is also able to hit off the three and create opportunities for teammates. Has a high basketball IQ and will be leading a Chantilly squad next season that will only see one senior departure. <strong>Mackenzie Koch</strong> Guard, Herndon. Liberty district first team. Northern region second team. Koch is a gritty, versatile guard who has good instincts on defense and can hit from three as well. She is very good at converting defense into offense, often finding teammates ahead of her in transition and hitting them with on-point passes. She was the leading scorer several of the Hornet's games this past year will be even more dangerous in her final year. <strong>Nicole Forbes</strong> Guard, South Lakes Going from a sixth man to starting playoff games this year, Forbes improved throughout the season and gelled right alongside the rest of the Seahawk seniors and was pivotal in momentum-shifting moments in the postseason. A lock down defender who can also score when needed, she’ll be leading the way for South Lakes next year among the guards. <strong>Kara Vietmeyer</strong> Forward, Oakton. Concorde district and Northern region first team. Vietmeyer is a talented forward who has the ability to go off scoring or fill in wherever she needs to for the Cougars. On a team that has many players who can go off scoring, she knows where to put herself to be productive and contribute. With the departure of some Oakton's talented guards, she will be their centerpiece next season. Stay tuned for part two and five more players...