Players to Watch: Mississippi Valley-Valley
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Today, we shift our attention to the Mississippi Valley-Valley Conference. Last season, Waterloo West and Iowa City West finished with 14-1 records in conference play to share the conference title. Waterloo West went on to play in the 5A title…
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Continue ReadingToday, we shift our attention to the Mississippi Valley-Valley Conference. Last season, Waterloo West and Iowa City West finished with 14-1 records in conference play to share the conference title. Waterloo West went on to play in the 5A title game last year, so this conference has winners and teams who’ll threaten for a state title. Let’s talk about a few of these kids.
Sahara Williams Sahara Williams 5'11" | SF Waterloo West | 2023 State IA
The future Oklahoma Sooner finished a gold medal campaign with All Iowa Attack teammate KK Arnold in 3×3 across the pond. The Waterloo West wing showed why she dominated on the floor, grabbing countless offensive rebounds and playing with an incredibly high motor. Williams finished last season averaging 19.7 points and 6.7 rebounds and has impressed on every floor she’s played on while in high school. She could have a massive senior season.
The recent Lindenwood commit has a unique skill set. She’s a versatile 6-foot wing that can play at the four or even a small-ball five at the high school level. She moves well for a six-footer, shoots the ball from anywhere, and rebounds. Sain finished fifth in the conference rebounding as a junior, and it’s easy to understand how after seeing her play over the summer. She’s long, athletic, and boxes out, which leads to rebounds. The rising senior also plays as a defacto point guard for Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Sain may not be a natural lead guard, but she’s shown that she can initiate. It’ll only help her going forward as a senior and at Lindenwood.
The 5-foot-10 future Ivy Leaguer at Dartmouth is a fluid athlete who creates havoc at the point of attack on defense. Tate has quick hands and makes running in transition look like an art. She scores well from the paint and scores anywhere on the floor. I can tell she’s a player I’d love because she creates easy-scoring opportunities and defends at a high level.
Emma Slings Emma Slings 5'9" | PG Jefferson | 2023 State IA
The McKendree commit plays with one of the highest motors I’ve seen. She’s an intense competitor and composed with the ball in her hands. Slings does an excellent job of excelling with her in-between game. She has a good floater and can pull up from 8-12 feet because she has good touch. She was one of my favorite kids to watch this summer due to her aggression and skill. She’ll do great things at McKendree, but we’ll enjoy one more season of Slings at Cedar Rapids Jefferson.