Intriguing Performers From the Pewaukee Fall League

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For about the last month, I've gone over to Pewaukee to watch their fall league on Sundays. Today, I figured we might as well talk about some of the stuff that went down in Pirate Country, from players to teams. First, we'll highlight players and then close with teams in a separate article.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='374235' first='Maddy' last='Jensen']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I spent a few halves of separate games solely watching Jensen. I never felt I had a grasp on who she was as a player before, which is why I wanted to zero in on her. From watching her play in the past, she's a tough-shot taker and confident enough to take big shots. From the past few weeks in Pewaukee, I thought she played with excellent energy and played as hard as she could when she was on the floor, which I can't say for everyone. Whenever you watch her, you'll see her take shots that you scratch your head over, but then you see her make some of them, and you understand why she takes them. The biggest takeaway was her engagement level. She loved watching her teammates succeed, and they responded to her. Of everyone who played in Pewaukee's fall league, I thought Jensen was the "winner."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751285' first='Taressa' last='Hennes']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In settings like fall league, Hennes had some free reign to try things that may not have been asked of her with [player_tooltip player_id='338945' first='Makena' last='Christian'] on the floor, but there were plenty of positives to take from her game. I thought she played aggressively and knew what she wanted to do before she caught the ball. She didn't look like she was winging it. Hennes' process to get to her shots was also repeatable. Everything was quick, and her movements all had a purpose. Now, there's room to improve with her shooting, but if she figures that out, we could be talking about one of the premier kids in the 2027 class, and I don't say that lightly because we didn't even talk about some of the athletic plays that she makes without breaking a sweat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='333100' first='Kennedy' last='Retherford']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Retherford carved out a role for herself last season at Pewaukee, and I assume she'll be in a similar spot for them this season. However, I thought she looked much better than she did last March. Her standout skill is her jumper, which looked less "busy." She looks stronger than she was in her sophomore season, which probably is why her shot looks effortless this fall. Retherford could play a more prominent role in the Pirates season than some may think right now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338955' first='Lola' last='Bond']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It may be due to not seeing Bond a ton since she won the State Title with Kettle Moraine last season, but I love how she moves with the ball in her hands. When she gets a chance to run in transition, it feels like she changes directions without losing any of her speed. The junior class that the Lasers return from the team that won a state title will be heavily relied upon this winter, and Bond will be a significant part of that group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448299' first='Addison' last='Doyle']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everyone who's played minutes at Brookfield East has brought serious grit to the floor defensively, which is what I've Doyle for doing the last few seasons. I thought she played some excellent offensive minutes for a team that lost a significant amount of their punch. She made shots throughout the Fall League and was a consistent offensive threat as a third scoring option behind Kelley and Kovacic. Of everyone who played in Pewaukee, Doyle could take the most significant jump in production this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='444796' first='Erica' last='Bub']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've always been a fan of Bub's game. She can do a bit of everything, and she provides some size for a team that may need it if they want to make a deep postseason push. She's among the best "connectors" in the state this season. The way she can move in the open floor, shoot, use her length, and use her voice makes me believe that she may be Arrowhead's x-factor in games against some of the best teams in Wisconsin and Illinois.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->