Nixa Invitational Tournament Top Kiddos

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Girls Missouri takes a look at the top Class of 2026 and 2027 prospects who caught our eye at last weekend's WNIT, which was played at Nixa High.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='317351' first='Brie' last='Rubel'] (Cape Notre Dame): The 5'8" 2026 guard scored a game-high 21 points in the Bulldogs victory over Helias in the game I watched. With her team trailing by 15 points at the end of the first quarter, she took over the second quarter with a number of 3-pointers and buckets to get her team back into the game. She also had a few steals, which led to a nice coast to coast drive to the basket for another score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='803072' first='Peyton' last='Ward'] (Marshfield): It was my first time watching this 6'2" 2027 forward play and I was very impressed with her overall skill set and versatility. She is very effective on the perimeter with her ball handling and ability to shoot it from 3-point range. She could also impact the game on defense with her length and mobility inside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taylor Wood (Nixa): A 5'10" 2026 forward who has an impressive all-around offensive game. She scored 25 points in the third-place game against Fair Grove. She was hard to defend in the low post where she was able to use her strength to get position to score inside. She was just as comfortable on the perimeter with her ability to attack on the drive and hit the 3-pointer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='317348' first='Nevaeh' last='Lucious'] (Cape Notre Dame): The 6'2" 2026 forward scored 16 points against Helias in the consolation bracket victory. She can really control the action in the lane with her ability to rebound and block shots. She also displayed her good offensive fundamentals in the low post with her ability to seal, catch the ball and score with either hand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='317336' first='Kate' last='Rubel'] (Cape Notre Dame): The 6'0" 2026 guard had a strong game in the Bulldogs' win over Helias in the game that I watched. She shoots the 3-pointer well off the catch and she can drive it well. She is physically strong, which makes her hard to defend when she gets downhill on the drive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='722134' first='Quinn' last='Aldridge'] (Marshfield): A 5'10" 2026 guard who helped Marshfield to a berth in the championship game with her impressive offensive skill set. She has three-level scoring ability and she is able to do it in the flow of the offense. In the championship game against Republic, she was hitting pull up jumpers from the elbow and transition 3-pointers. She can also get to the basket on the drive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1235023' first='Claire' last='Morris'] (Helias): A 5'8" 2026 guard who is an excellent all-purpose player with tremendous defensive instincts. Her anticipation and ability to play the passing lanes leads to a lot of steals and deflections. She also rebounds the ball well and she is also a solid ball handler. She plays with a high motor and she can get a bucket without a play being run for her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->