The State of WIAA Division 2 Girls Basketball: 30 Days In

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Standout Performers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't think anything in the country stands out more than [player_tooltip player_id='374229' first='Amy' last='Terrian']'s shooting. Through seven games, she was shooting over 70% from the three-point line, which is as close to superhuman as anyone's getting. She's been the player I've seen this season, leading her team to massive non-conference wins over two top-five teams in the state in Notre Dame on the road and Hortonville on a neutral court. Even if the Polar Bears were at full strength, I don't know how many teams compete with the Pirates the way they played that night. They look like the best team in the state as of today.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>"The Rest" Making a Case to be Part of "The Best"</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before the season, we all expected Pewaukee to square off again with Notre Dame, which I still believe will happen. However, we've had teams make a case for themselves to play the "spoiler."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team that has made the best case of that has been Monona Grove. They have everything a team wants. [player_tooltip player_id='329598' first='Abbey' last='Inda'] is their aggressive downhill driver with the size and athleticism to defend premier wings, Karsyn Nelson is an excellent point-of-attack defender who's grown into a solid offensive force, [player_tooltip player_id='209606' first='Aubrey' last='Smith'] is a five who can battle with post players down low and win the Silver Eagles the rebounding battle, Tia Justice and [player_tooltip player_id='209611' first='Brooklyn' last='Tortorice'] are lengthy athletic wings that can make shots and have defensive versatility. Even bringing a kid like [player_tooltip player_id='842251' first='Danielle' last='Becker'] off the bench adds a different dimension to the Silver Eagles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After the Silver Eagles, I'd say six other teams have a shot at making a game out of a matchup with any of those teams for various reasons. Beaver Dam has the size and kids who can score it at a high level on any given night. Menomonie is a well-rounded group who's played in high-profile postseason games and made a good account for themselves. It also helps that [player_tooltip player_id='329548' first='Mary' last='Berg'] has been on an absolute heater shooting the ball. McFarland showed how dangerous they were last season with [player_tooltip player_id='209586' first='Teagan' last='Mallegni'] in the fold. Sneakily, Pius XI, Tosa East, and Wisconsin Lutheran all have excellent guard play and can run if they get the green light. However,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game Wreckers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the craziest stuff happens in D2 because some schools have one kid who's more talented than most in their conference and has the ultimate green light to go to work. I'm looking at kids like [player_tooltip player_id='844201' first='Serenity' last='Metcalfe'], [player_tooltip player_id='209900' first='Sydney' last='Cherney'], [player_tooltip player_id='209586' first='Teagan' last='Mallegni'], [player_tooltip player_id='401056' first='Ella' last='Hamacher'], [player_tooltip player_id='474774' first='Leah' last='Nordin'], [player_tooltip player_id='533077' first='Adaline' last='Sheplee'], [player_tooltip player_id='342360' first='Eliana' last='Sheplee'], [player_tooltip player_id='338940' first='Kristina' last='Ouimette'], and [player_tooltip player_id='533068' first='Kyrin' last='Lile']. All those kids are the best players on their team, without a shadow of a doubt, and their teammates get the ball to them to make things happen. In turn, all those kids have had high-scoring games and led their teams to solid starts to the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who's Been the Biggest Surprise?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have to go with the Silver Eagles here. They have a significant Badger-Large game tonight with Beaver Dam, who recently returned to full strength. If they win that game, that'd be a statement win for the Silver Eagles, who've separated themselves from the rest of the contenders in D2 and could widen that gap with a win over the Golden Beavers, who've been a traditional power since joining in Badger Conference.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->