Fall Rankings Update: 2026 Small Forwards
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The featured image is of Whitney Ankenbruck-Shooting Guard Whitney Ankenbruck-Shooting Guard 5'9" | SF Homestead | 2026 State IN (2026) of Homestead High School. Last Tuesday we released the updated rankings for the Class of 2026. We expanded the watch…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Whitney Ankenbruck-Shooting Guard Whitney Ankenbruck-Shooting Guard 5'9" | SF Homestead | 2026 State IN (2026) of Homestead High School.
Last Tuesday we released the updated rankings for the Class of 2026. We expanded the watch list from 50 prospects to 75 prospects, so if you include the Top-50 as well, there are now 125 members of the Class of 2026 listed on Prep Girls Hoops Indiana. Below, I wanted to highlight all of the small forwards in the class who we currently have listed, as well as highlight those new to the list, and point out a handful of ladies who stood out throughout the Summer and early Fall.
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NEWCOMERS:
Sydney Bonds
Sydney
Bonds
5'10" | SF
Carmel | 2026
IN
, 2026, 5-9 SF, Carmel H.S.
– Sydney is a long, wiry-strong athlete who plays with a nice motor. She has nice fluidity to her movements, and I think as she gets stronger, she’ll be even more explosive. She has a solid skillset to where she can play in the mid-post or around the perimeter productively.
Kenna Conrad
Kenna
Conrad
5'9" | SF
Columbus North | 2026
IN
, 2026, 5-9 SF, Columbus North H.S.
– Kenna saw a little Varsity action a year ago, but she could see more minutes as a Sophomore. She has an athletic frame, nice length, and she is a solid all-around athlete. She plays with effort and physicality, she will rebound and defend, but she can also knock down an open jumper.
Grace Goldman
Grace
Goldman
5'11" | SF
North Harrison | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, 5-10 SF, North Harrison H.S.
– When I saw Grace in early July, I felt like she stood out because of her athleticism and motor. She was all over the floor, trying to make plays offensively and defensively. She has nice length, strength that will continue to develop, plus she has skillful versatility offensively.
Aleia Sultzer
Aleia
Sultzer
5'8" | SF
Ben Davis | 2026
IN
, 2026, 5-8 SF, Ben Davis H.S.
– Aleia saw a little action on a talented Ben Davis squad in 2022-2023, and she should be more of a centerpiece this coming season. She is a really nice athlete, with speed and quickness, plus she plays with a motor. She attacks the basket effectively, and she will defend.
Braelyn Williams
Braelyn
Williams
5'8" | PF
McCutcheon | 2026
IN
, 2026, 5-8 SF, McCutcheon H.S.
– Braelyn is a strong, physical forward who can play inside-out. She is strong enough/physical enough to play in the mid-post, plus she can rebound and defend the interior. At the same time, she can handle and shoot it a little outside, and she will defend multiple positions.
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SUMMER/FALL STOCK-RISERS:
Kayla Stidham
Kayla
Stidham
6'0" | SF
Hamilton Southeastern | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, 6-0 SF, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.
– A year ago, I felt like Kayla was primarily a jump-shooter, and while she does shoot a great ball from the perimeter, she was limiting herself to just floating around the arc a lot. This July, she played with much greater urgency in all facets of the game. She was more physical defensively, she pursued rebounds more aggressively, and she attacked the basket off the bounce with more determination. She also looked more explosive.
Khala Williams-Thomas
Khala
Williams-Thomas
5'10" | SF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, 5-9 SF, Fort Wayne Northrop H.S.
– Khala is another kid who seemed to flip a switch late in May and carry that through the Summer. She played with more intent at both ends of the floor, she defended much more effectively, rebounded the ball extremely well, and she was explosive to the rim. She has learned how to finish through and around contact, and she earns her share of and-1s. I also like her defensive versatility, as she can take on some PGs, too.
Whitney Ankenbruck-Shooting Guard
Whitney
Ankenbruck-Shooting Guard
5'9" | SF
Homestead | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, 5-9 SF, Homestead H.S.
– Whitney put together a great Spring & Summer grassroots season, and I’m anxious to see how that translates to the Winter season. She is strong and physical, very active, and she can score the ball at all three levels. She has touch outside, she is a nice North/South driver, she’s great in the mid-post, but she can also play physical around the rim. She often plays much bigger than she is, and she typically produces.
Sophie Skidmore
Sophie
Skidmore
5'8" | SF
Seymour | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, 5-8 SF, Seymour H.S.
– When you talk about kids who are active and play with motors, Sophie has to be near the top of that list. She is always around the basketball, and she plays much bigger than she is. She has nice perimeter skill, she can handle it, attack off the bounce, and knock down an open jumper, but she’s also willing to get inside, rebound and defend, and do a lot of the “little things” to help her team(s) win games.