2025 Stock-Risers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the best things about watching sports is seeing how far an athlete has come and recognizing all the hard work they put into perfecting their crafts. In this part let's take a look at some players who have really put in some work and elevated their game. Part 1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='410048' first='Mariah' last='Burian']</strong>: 5'6 CG Fargo Davies- Mariah impressed us this season and was a solid player in all 24 games she appeared in. She may not be a starter every game but she contributes and helps her team in every aspect of the game when she gets the opportunity. Mariah shoots well from all levels on the floor, has a nice mid-range jumper but is also a dual threat defensively as she pressures the ball well and has quick hands. Her aggressiveness and how well she makes herself involved in every play make her stand out. She's the type of player that goes out on the court, and you know you're going to get 100% effort every minute she is in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='464291' first='Whitney' last='Welk']</strong>: 5'5 PG Bismarck Legacy- Whitney is a player that has gotten better every year throughout her High School Career. She is an all-around athletic point guard who is aggressive, competitive and plays hard on both sides of the court. She is a quick guard who can slash quick towards the hoop, but also packs a great shot from the mid-range and beyond the arc as well. Whitney has a lot of good qualities to her game it's hard to pick one that really stands out. She is one of those players that does a little bit of everything really well, which makes her versatile on the floor. With more varsity minutes she will be a main player for the Sabers before long.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Isabella Kovash</strong>: 5'9 F Dickinson Trinity- Kovash defensively really stands out. She has quick hands and is a sticky defender weather she is on her opponents back or face guarding. Her ability to be patient, yet see the floor and anticipate the pass, or dribble and swipe it away is impressive to say the least. At 5'9 she isn't the biggest forward on the floor, but she has a ton of upside to her game and does a lot of good things on the floor. Shes aggressive, runs the floor well and has a nice catch and quick release to shot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Amy Mikkelson</strong>: 5'5 G South Prairie- Mikkelson is a true point guard who makes things fall into place and has a great basketball IQ. She may not be the leading scorer for the Royals nightly, but she is a big contributor to her team on both sides of the floor. Offensively with her quick passes, or defensively pressuring the ball and forcing turnovers. Amy has spent a lot of time working on her game from ball handling to shooting and you can tell it has paid off over the last few years. She's fundamentally a sound player, and a leader on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='409049' first='Harper' last='Harris']</strong>: 5'9' G Mandan- Harris is on the verge of really breaking out, and it's only a matter of time when it happens. The Sophomore is flat out athletic and a hard-working competitive player on the floor who loves pressuring the offense, forcing turnovers but also shown her abilities to shoot the ball. Over the last year you can tell her confidence has grown immensely and with more time on the floor she is going to be a very productive leader.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='457913' first='Karew' last='Lamoureux']</strong>: 5'7 G Minot- I can't say enough good things about Karew and how she has developed. Her ball handling and shooting skills are just a few things you can tell she has spent hours working on. Karew has a really smooth jumper that is effective from mid to long range but has a nice touch around the hoop when she slashes to the basket. She is one player that I think is going to have a big year this upcoming season. She is a great prospect and when she is on the floor she is very effective.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->