Top players returning in the NWC

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the high school summer play gets underway and players continue their AAU seasons, I am taking a closer look into the NWC to review some of the top players who are returning. Many of the top players are coming back, so the league is filled with talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='281968' first='Devin' last='Coppinger']</strong> - 2024 - Nooksack Valley HS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Devin is already established herself as one of the top 2024 players in the entire state of Washington. She scores at all 3 levels smoothly and creates a lot of open opportunities for her teammates. She is a great vocal leader for her team and excels on the defensive side of the ball as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='580777' first='Grace' last='Hintz']</strong> - 2025 - Lynden Christian HS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grace hasn't reached her full potential yet, she is still improving each year. She hits the deep shot just as good as anyone else in the entire state. She uses her handles and aggressive play style to get downhill to the bucket but also is able to stop and pull up for a mid-range shot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584239' first='Payton' last='Mills'] </strong>- 2026 - Lynden HS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Payton had a fantastic freshman year, playing a big role for the Lions instantly. She has amazing footwork down in the paint and is aggressive with the ball in her hands. She is hard to stop on the boards as she crashes the glass hard every position. She is only going to continue to improve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='593747' first='Lainey' last='Kimball']</strong> - 2024 - Nooksack Valley HS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lainey was a big reason why the Pioneers captured their programs first ever state title. As teams focused on Coppinger, Kimball would step up with ease to help out her team. She is a great glue payer, always doing the little things at 100%. She hustles every play, rebounds hard, boxes out opposing players, and runs the floor in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->