North Dakota Preview: West Fargo

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The West Fargo Packers won 14 games, competing well against the upper-echelon teams in the EDC before falling in the EDC Tournament. The Packers could be even better this winter, as they return four starters and a great deal of young talent - setting up high expectations for the 2020-21 season.</span> <strong>Go-To Girl: Chloe Pfau</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Only a sophomore, Pfau will be heading into her third year as a starter already, and she’s got the talent to be one of the best players in the EDC. The 5-foot-10 guard averaged about nine points, five rebounds and four assists per game as a freshman, illustrating her ability to impact the game without always putting up points. With [player_tooltip player_id="97882" first="McKenna" last="Becher"] gone to graduation, Pfau figures to have a lot of opportunity to take a big step forward in scoring though too. She’s long, athletic, strong and skilled. The Packers might have three or four players averaging double-figures in scoring, and Pfau may not even lead them in scoring, but she’ll have her fingerprints all over any success this team has this season.</span> <strong>Breakout Candidate: Miriley Simon</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Simon was excellent as a freshman, averaging 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds. She emerged as a consistent double-figure scorer in the second half of the season and could be one of the best forwards in the EDC over the next three years. She’s long, mobile and skilled inside. If she can continue that ascension, and give the Packers a legitimate double-double threat, they’ll contend for an EDC title. </span> <strong>Question: Can the Packers Contend?</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">West Fargo was one of the youngest teams in the EDC last season, relying heavily on multiple underclassmen. The Packers are much more experienced heading into this year, as their starting lineup will consist of two multi-year starting guards and multi-year starting forwards. While two of their best players are sophomores, they have plenty of varsity experience to climb the EDC ladder. Fargo Davies figures to be at the top of the rankings and you can never count Devils Lake or Grand Forks Red River out. Can West Fargo join those ranks?</span> <strong>Outlook: </strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">West Fargo was a distant fifth-best team in the EDC last season. With some of those top teams potentially coming back to the pack plus the Packers theoretically improving through internal development and returning experience, there’s an opportunity for them to contend. They’ve got excellent balance as [player_tooltip player_id="98741" first="Brynn" last="Giesen"] is a rock-solid guard, [player_tooltip player_id="198134" first="Ashlyn" last="Diemert"] was a productive forward and players like [player_tooltip player_id="207394" first="Jessica" last="Walsvik"] and Taylor Van Winkle should provide complementary play.</span>