Gamechangers of the Tournament: Champions Challenge
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Today’s Gamechangers article will involve kids who can flip a game on its head. All these players do it their way, but they all can help their team win games.
Karissa Smith
Karissa
Smith
5'9" | SG
Appleton North | 2023
State
WI
-Wisconsin Blaze Inferno
Seeing Smith play in an AAU setting is different than watching her play in high school. By watching her play this weekend, she gets more space to operate and find other ways to score the ball. The Appleton native can hurt defenses on all three levels and uses the threat of shooting or driving to get the other. When she waits for a beat, she has the speed to blow by a closeout defender or knock down a perimeter jumper if defenses are playing her to drive. There is no "good" way to defend her because she’ll figure out a way to beat defenses. She’s too good to be guarded well for 36 minutes straight.
Lyla Shelton-Pink Elite 2025 McWaine
I saw Shelton play twice, and it felt like she got into a rhythm. I’d trust her to get a basket in a pinch whenever my team needed it. When I looked at her in-game, I could see her level of self-belief score every time down the floor. She made everything on the offensive end look easy. She’s a 2026 kid, and after a game where she lost, you could feel the disappointment in her voice and body language. I imagine she’ll get better solely to avoid that feeling after a loss as much as possible.
Kyrin Lyle-Wisconsin Impact 2026 Nikolic
The 6-foot class of 2026 forward already has the versatility that coaches will adore. When I saw her play Pink Elite, it felt like a tale of two halves. Lyle played a lot around the basket in the first half and overpowered her opposition in the paint. In the second half, as her team started to get hot from behind the 3-point line, Lyle also got in on the fun. Defensively, Lyle also defended around the basket. The one thing I looked for from her was to see if she could change shots without fouling, and she did that well. So as she gets into high school, I want to see what she can do against older kids this winter.
Kelly Boinski-Wisconsin Impact 2026 Nikolic
In the first half of the Pink Elite game, she didn’t shoot the ball well. However, her team continuously tried to get her shots, so I could tell that she was probably a good shooter, but every one of her teammates trusted her to make the next one. Even if she never made a 3-pointer in that game, I’d have walked out knowing she could shoot at a high level. However, in the second half, the floodgates opened. Boinski hit some unreal shots. She made one with about three defenders close enough to contest and made a few more in the second half. Her shooting blew that game wide open.
Addison Doyle-Wisconsin Impact 2025 Bugajski
Ever since I got to see Doyle play at the state tournament, she’s always been someone I’ve enjoyed watching. Some of the upper-class talent on Brookfield East is also excited to get her back on the court as they try to make another run at a state title. If you ever get a chance to see her and understand how the Spartans play, you’ll understand why that’s the case. Doyle may not score more than five points in any game, but she does all the little things that make her team better. She dives on the floor, earns tie-ups, can press 94 feet, and takes away breathing space at the point of attack. She may never score more than 20 points in a game, but she’ll be involved in winning over the next three years.
Brooke Spychalski
Brooke
Spychalski
5'9" | CG
Yorkville | 2025
IL
-Pink Elite 2025 Herron
The 2025 guard began the game I saw scoring effortlessly for the first half. She knocked down multiple jump shots, but there is one moment in particular that I liked above her 3-pointers. She had an and-one basket that wowed me. Spychalski drove to the basket, got hit, and finished. From that alone, I’m confident she’ll be able to excel at the high school level if she hasn’t already. Her strength as a guard is something that most high school players won’t be able to stop.
Taylor Jacobson
Taylor
Jacobson
5'9" | CG
Monroe | 2023
State
WI
-Let it Rain 2023 Black
In all honesty, I didn’t watch Jacobson play during the high school season, so I wouldn’t have my opinion skewed. I’m happy I made that decision. This weekend she was one of the most athletic kids on the floor, and she has the positional versatility to play at the two, three, or four. She shot the ball well and looked fluid taking perimeter jumpers. She looked solid athletically in Milwaukee, but as a team, they didn’t have their best weekend. I highly suggest that college coaches rewatch Jacobson’s game against Wisconsin Blaze Inferno because she played a role both offensively and defensively in Let it Rain’s near comeback.
Karissa
Smith
5'9" | SG
Appleton North | 2023
State
WI
-Wisconsin Blaze Inferno
Seeing Smith play in an AAU setting is different than watching her play in high school. By watching her play this weekend, she gets more space to operate and find other ways to score the ball. The Appleton native can hurt defenses on all three levels and uses the threat of shooting or driving to get the other. When she waits for a beat, she has the speed to blow by a closeout defender or knock down a perimeter jumper if defenses are playing her to drive. There is no "good" way to defend her because she’ll figure out a way to beat defenses. She’s too good to be guarded well for 36 minutes straight.
Lyla Shelton-Pink Elite 2025 McWaine
I saw Shelton play twice, and it felt like she got into a rhythm. I’d trust her to get a basket in a pinch whenever my team needed it. When I looked at her in-game, I could see her level of self-belief score every time down the floor. She made everything on the offensive end look easy. She’s a 2026 kid, and after a game where she lost, you could feel the disappointment in her voice and body language. I imagine she’ll get better solely to avoid that feeling after a loss as much as possible.
Kyrin Lyle-Wisconsin Impact 2026 Nikolic
The 6-foot class of 2026 forward already has the versatility that coaches will adore. When I saw her play Pink Elite, it felt like a tale of two halves. Lyle played a lot around the basket in the first half and overpowered her opposition in the paint. In the second half, as her team started to get hot from behind the 3-point line, Lyle also got in on the fun. Defensively, Lyle also defended around the basket. The one thing I looked for from her was to see if she could change shots without fouling, and she did that well. So as she gets into high school, I want to see what she can do against older kids this winter.
Kelly Boinski-Wisconsin Impact 2026 Nikolic
In the first half of the Pink Elite game, she didn’t shoot the ball well. However, her team continuously tried to get her shots, so I could tell that she was probably a good shooter, but every one of her teammates trusted her to make the next one. Even if she never made a 3-pointer in that game, I’d have walked out knowing she could shoot at a high level. However, in the second half, the floodgates opened. Boinski hit some unreal shots. She made one with about three defenders close enough to contest and made a few more in the second half. Her shooting blew that game wide open.
Addison Doyle-Wisconsin Impact 2025 Bugajski
Ever since I got to see Doyle play at the state tournament, she’s always been someone I’ve enjoyed watching. Some of the upper-class talent on Brookfield East is also excited to get her back on the court as they try to make another run at a state title. If you ever get a chance to see her and understand how the Spartans play, you’ll understand why that’s the case. Doyle may not score more than five points in any game, but she does all the little things that make her team better. She dives on the floor, earns tie-ups, can press 94 feet, and takes away breathing space at the point of attack. She may never score more than 20 points in a game, but she’ll be involved in winning over the next three years.
Brooke Spychalski
Brooke
Spychalski
5'9" | CG
Yorkville | 2025
IL
-Pink Elite 2025 Herron
The 2025 guard began the game I saw scoring effortlessly for the first half. She knocked down multiple jump shots, but there is one moment in particular that I liked above her 3-pointers. She had an and-one basket that wowed me. Spychalski drove to the basket, got hit, and finished. From that alone, I’m confident she’ll be able to excel at the high school level if she hasn’t already. Her strength as a guard is something that most high school players won’t be able to stop.
Taylor Jacobson
Taylor
Jacobson
5'9" | CG
Monroe | 2023
State
WI
-Let it Rain 2023 Black
In all honesty, I didn’t watch Jacobson play during the high school season, so I wouldn’t have my opinion skewed. I’m happy I made that decision. This weekend she was one of the most athletic kids on the floor, and she has the positional versatility to play at the two, three, or four. She shot the ball well and looked fluid taking perimeter jumpers. She looked solid athletically in Milwaukee, but as a team, they didn’t have their best weekend. I highly suggest that college coaches rewatch Jacobson’s game against Wisconsin Blaze Inferno because she played a role both offensively and defensively in Let it Rain’s near comeback.
