Two-Way 2023 Guards to Start the Season (Part 1/2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A few seniors who have been nothing short of consistent on both ends to start the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='95219' first='Briasia' last='Johnson'] - Denver South </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson brings constant energy to Denver South's offense, often looking for scoring opportunities in the paint. The 5'8 combo guard possesses an especially low center of gravity, allowing her to dig into opponents to leverage space. Johnson has proven adept getting into the lane with either hand, showing confidence scoring in tight angles. To start her season, Johnson has posted 14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 6 steals per game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='210292' first='Macey' last='Huard'] - Valor Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Huard has been a key shooter for Valor Chrisitian, knocking 39% of her three point attempts to start the season. The Montana commit is a key scoring threat from the perimeter, largely thanks to her quick footwork to shot relocations. To start the season, the 6'2 shooting guard has put up 17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game on steady efficiency. Huard is an especially intriguing guard due to her positional length, allowing her a bit more freedom on both ends. Her defensive upside will be a key area to monitor, possessing the ability lock down three positions within Colorado. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='381345' first='Madison' last='Bates'] - Golden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bates has kicked off the season with quite a few dramatic performances. The senior guard most recently put up a quadruple double, totalling 21 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals in a win versus Overland. Bates can do a variety of things out on the perimeter, all tied back to her ballhandling skillset. She has great timing against contests, waiting for the defense to be off balance before pouncing. To start the season, the combo guard has averaged 13.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and a baffling 8.6 steals per game. Bates has a deep understanding of opponent tendencies, constantly keeping her head on a swivel. Any type of lob pass in the area of Bates will be stolen, simply put. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='95213' first='Ali' last='Wetta'] - Valor Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wetta will slowly work back into full game endurance throughout the season, however her talent is obvious. The senior guard who committed to Utah State, will be Valor's x-factor this season. Although not playing a significant amount of minutes, Wetta has posted 10.3 points, 6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while knocking down 61% of her two point attempts. Wetta's efficiency within the arc is no accident. The excellent spacing provided from this group creates greater space for scoring opportunities and decisionmaking. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='145436' first='Tay' last='Williams'] - Denver South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams is another defensive pest on Denver South's dominant group. The 5'6 guard leaves no stone unturned on the defensive end, staying assertive as a help defender. The senior guard has played a vital role with this group's defensive intensity. To start the seaon, Williams has posted 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 4.2 steals per game. The guard is adept attacking those passing lanes, proving to have a sixth sense for what the opponents will do next. Her ability to generate steals has created quite a few fast break opportunities for the guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->