Players I’m Excited to Watch This Summer

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">I will be attending the PGH Victory Region kickoff in Chicago this weekend to see a few teams from Wisconsin. Next week I’ll be putting out a few pieces previewing some organizations going into the summer. Today I want to highlight a few players I’m excited to see over the summer and tell you why that’s the case.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Jenna Shea-5’11 G/F-’23-Kimberly</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Unless you’ve seen Shea play for Wisconsin Blaze, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of her. I only learned about her a month ago myself. For whatever reason, she hasn’t cracked into the varsity team at Kimberly, and to be honest, I have no idea how that’s the case. Shea is an athlete with a lot of range, can knock down shots on the perimeter and attack defenses off the dribble. Her wingspan helps her take away passing lanes that seem as if they’re wide open. I’m eager to see Shea take the floor with her teammates this summer.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="329537" first="Julia" last="Kennedy"]-5’6 PG-’23-South Milwaukee</span></strong> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">L</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">ike Shea, Kennedy got buried a little with the massive senior class at South Milwaukee this season. At the start of the season, Kennedy started and got a chance to play Menomonie. The Mustangs ended up in Green Bay at the end of the year and played Notre Dame tough for 32 minutes, so I think they were a good barometer for the junior. In that game, Kennedy looked like she belonged on the court with plenty of college talent and was trusted to play in extended stretches. Once the injured seniors got healthy, her role diminished. Kennedy will be playing this summer with Wisconsin Fuel.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="206580" first="Taylor" last="Jacobson"]-5’10 G-’23-Monroe</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">When I saw Monroe play for the first time, I knew it would be hard for me to take anything away from Jacobsen’s game. It’s obvious she has talent, and she’s a plus athlete. However, the Cheesemakers as a whole aren’t ready to compete with many teams in the Madison area. There may not be anyone in the state who’s seen the kitchen sink throw at them like Jacobsen has this season. She’ll play with Let it Rain, and seeing her play with high-end talent should display her repertoire.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="209592" first="Sarah" last="Aleknavicius"]-5’11 G/F-’24-Grafton</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">At Grafton, Aleknavicius is a swiss army knife. She can do just about anything. Playing with an uber-talented U16 Gold Chapman Elite team should help display what she does well. Aleknavicius is someone who helps take teams to the next level. Her skillset makes good teams great and great teams special. I’m not sure what role she’ll have on this Chapman Elite team, but whatever role it is, she’ll excel within it and catch the eye of college coaches.  </span>