2023s Whose Stock is on the Rise, Part 2

Last week, I talked about the sophomores whose stock is on the rise, the ones who are currently ranked by Prep Girls Hoops but were a little higher up on our list. Look out for those five to make big plays as sections get rolling next week. During sections we start to see the rise of urgency in games, it pushes girls to the next level of play. This time I’m going to talk about the girls who are not on our list. These sophomores have slid under the radar for far too long. Why have they slid under the radar you ask? Well let me give you a few examples. One, could be that they go to a smaller school and their team consists of mostly underclassman. On the other hand they could go to a big school full of talent,  while others just started playing competitive AAU basketball last summer. I spoke about opportunity before and this won’t be the last, because its so important. Different opportunities come at different times in basketball, and in life, so I tell these girls be ready. As the season quickly comes to an end, look for these five girls to continue to get opportunities this spring and summer where they can show their talent. <strong><img class="wp-image-218009 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/201023_AliyaGoodnature_1.jpg" alt="" width="224" height="149" />Aliya Goodnature</strong> – The 5’10 shooting guard from Wayzata and Metro Stars AAU program, has made the huge jump from playing on the freshman team last year to now coming off the bench of a very talented Wayzata group including sophomore teammates [player_tooltip player_id="108345" first="Brynn" last="Senden"] and [player_tooltip player_id="148340" first="Shannon" last="Fornshell"] who have both taken on a big roles this year. Aliya has a beautiful stroke from behind the arc and will knock down the three with no hesitation; her teammates look to her a lot especially when they are double teamed or when her defender helps off a little too much.  Aliya has been playing her role at Wayzata well, she makes the right pass and knocks down the big shots at big times! <strong>Caroline Hemmann</strong> – The 5’9 combo guard from Bloomington Jefferson and Minnesota Stars AAU program, is a natural leader on and off the court. She has led her varsity team in points the last two years and is the type of player that will do it all for you. She’s a seasoned underclassman vet if you can wrap your mind around that. The combo guard sees the court well on defense whether it’s by, being at the right spot at the right time or anticipating the pass to get steals. I’ve seen her guard the 1-4 on defense and even have to help on the 5 at times. Caroline is also very comfortable stepping out and hitting the three when a big bucket is needed. Even though she has gotten the opportunity to play a lot of varsity at a young age, she has had to lead a varsity team full of underclassman. You’ll start to see her and some of her teammates rise to the challenge as experience comes. <strong>Kloey Lind</strong> – The 6’0 power forward from Pine City has joined the varsity lineup this year and starts in the front court for the Dragons, along with the with her talented 2023 teammate [player_tooltip player_id="108318" first="Sophie" last="Lahti"]. Playing the power forward position, Kloey uses her speed to get the advantage on both offense and defense. On defense she is good at jumping and anticipating the pass for a steal and a bucket. She’ll also use her length down low to get a block or a touch on the ball. On offense she has the quickness to beat her defender and score from the outside. When she has a slower defender on her she likes to step out and knock down the three. Look for her to end the season strong and continue to put up good numbers. <strong>McKenzie Wells</strong> – The 6’1 center/forward from Benilde-St. Margaret, has stepped into her new role at BSM with great stride. Not having many varsity minutes last year, the big stage was somewhat new to her, but now proves she belongs. She’s got a very strong body and blocks the ball like you would see her on the volleyball court. She cleans up everything for the team down low on defense. Her footwork and timing on defense is what makes her a great shot blocker. As much as Kenzie is up high blocking, she is also not afraid to dive on the floor for a loose ball. Don’t forget to get back on her because she likes to sprint up the floor on transition to get a drop pass from one of the guards. <strong>Carly Rekstad</strong> – The 5’8 shooting guard from East Ridge is accompanied by two other talented sophomores on the squad in [player_tooltip player_id="148316" first="Grace" last="Knupp"] and [player_tooltip player_id="148315" first="Emily" last="Christensen"]. She starts in the front court being the 3rd leading scorer, and East Ridge looks for her to make and take big shots. Carly finds herself at the three-point line a lot where she is always ready to knock it down. She uses her speed and good anticipation skills to jump the gun on passes for the steal.