Players to Watch: Bay Conference

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The next conference to be previewed is the Bay Conference. Xavier won the conference a season ago and will have a new look this season. However, this conference should be competitive with plenty of talent on rosters. Today, I'll highlight four of those players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156055' first='Mara' last='Rieder']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Menasha forward was a co-player of the year in the Bay Conference last season, averaging 17 points and over seven rebounds. She excels around the basket with her strength and athleticism. Few kids can match the physical skillset that Rieder has. When the rising senior gets two feet in the paint, she's challenging to defend. I fully expect her to continue to excel in the conference after a successful AAU campaign with Wisconsin Blizzard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carsyn Stempa</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Xavier guard is a disruptive force on the perimeter. She recorded nearly five steals per game as a sophomore, which helped her earn co-conference player of the year. That level of disruption at the point of attack ruins offensive rhythm, and she was a reason why her team made it to the sectional semifinals last season. I expect her to continue to improve this season and lead Xavier to more success this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='206582' first='Lizzie' last='Steingraber']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The New London rising senior is a smooth wing who can score in any way you can imagine. She is a highly competitive wing that plays to win at a high level, and that's my favorite part about her game. If I had to guess, Steingraber also loves being a part of a team. She was out with injury throughout the AAU season. However, when I saw her this summer, she was supportive, invested, and present. I can't wait to see her healthy and back on the floor. She'll figure out how to be successful quickly. She's the kind of kid you root for without knowing her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448251' first='Faith' last='Walder']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The West De Pere rising sophomore is advanced skill-wise for her age, and it showed last season. She may not be the tallest guard, but she always seems to find a way to score around rim protectors. Another quirk of Walder's game is that she's more comfortable finishing with her left hand. Something like that shows that she has the skill to shine over the next few years. I think she has an excellent base to build off her game. After everything I've heard about her, she'll work to improve and become the best player she can become.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->