Season Highlights: Northwest Indiana

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='96078' first='Asia' last='Donald'] (2023) of Hobart High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2022-2023 IHSAA girls' basketball season came to an end Saturday, as four State Champions were crowned. Very soon, I will begin my annual rundown of the all-state awards for each classification in their own articles, however, I wanted to take the time to highlight several ladies from different areas of the state. Below is a look at a handful of ladies who stood out in Northwest Indiana.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='96078' first='Asia' last='Donald'], 2023, 5-9 G, Hobart H.S.</strong><br>- Asia was spectacular this season, especially before Christmas, and she finished as the state's leading scorer at 26.7 ppg. She is strong, athletic, and versatile. She has great burst, she uses each hand equally well, and she looks effortless at times. She did struggle with a hamstring injury throughout January and February, but she still produced most nights. She will play at Indiana State University next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='574552' first='Tranika' last='Randolph'], 2023, 5-7 W, Lake Station Edison H.S.</strong><br>- Tranika transferred into Lake Station from Bishop Noll this season, and she helped solidify their lineup immediately. She is a really nice athlete with some strength, she plays with a good motor, and she's a willing defender. She led Lake Station in scoring at 19.9 ppg, plus she contributed at both ends of the floor in other ways. I still have not heard if she has made a college decision at this time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='572802' first='Aniyah' last='Henry'], 2024, 5-8 W, Hammond Central H.S.</strong><br>- Aniyah made a big jump this year, and a lot of it had to do with her changing roles and building her skillset. A year ago, she was more of a physical presence inside, working the boards, and scoring it around the paint. This year, you could see her aggressively attacking the basket from the perimeter, shooting it outside a lot more, and making plays in transition. She averaged 16.9 ppg for Central this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='298252' first='Ava' last='Ziolkowski'], 2024, 6-1 F, Crown Point H.S.</strong><br>- Ava stepped into the starring role this year, following the graduation of a number of key 2022 graduates. Ava has nice size, length, and a really nice perimeter skillset. She is a 3-point shooter and face-up forward first and foremost, but she also has the size and strength to post some inside against smaller defenders. She went from 5.3 ppg last year to 17.9 ppg this year due to her growth and opportunity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='331817' first='Clair' last='Klinger'], 2025, 5-5 G, Washington Township H.S.</strong><br>- Clair was good all season for Washington Township, leading them in both scoring and assists, as Washington Township made it to the Semi-State round. Clair is strong, she plays with a high basketball IQ, and she works hard. She has great touch outside, and she is steady at taking care of the basketball and getting it where it needs to go. She averaged 15.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, and 3.1 spg as a Sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570383' first='Kahlen' last='Robinson'], 2025, 5-6 G, Gary Bowman Academy</strong><br>- Kahlen had a really nice season for Bowman, and she is very under-the-radar at this time. She has nice length, athleticism, and the ability to make plays in the open floor. She's also a willing and capable defender. She improved her scoring by 10 ppg this year, going from 6.5 ppg as a rookie to 16.5 ppg in her Sophomore season. She also averaged an impressive 5.8 steals per game in her second Varsity season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486528' first='Laniah' last='Davis'], 2026, 5-7 G, Marquette Catholic H.S.</strong><br>- When you see Laniah, she doesn't look like a Freshman. She powers through defenders, gets to the basket, and often finishes through contact. She is athletic, tough-nosed, and she works hard. As she continues to polish her perimeter jumper, she'll only be scarier as an offensive weapon. I also like her relentlessness as an offensive rebounder from the guard position. She averaged 18.5 ppg as a rookie.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='567130' first='Gracyn' last='Gilliard'], 2026, 5-10 W, Munster H.S.</strong><br>- There are some better known Freshmen in the area, but Gracyn definitely proved herself as a Varsity contributor this year. She has an athletically strong frame, she moves well in all directions, and she is skilled. She has great vision, the ability to deliver passes on time/on target, and she can shoot/score it from all three levels. She averaged 17.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 4.5 steals per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->