Undersized yet DANGEROUS 2026’s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I hear the phrase "small but mighty," the following ballers instantly come to mind! These ladies are undersized and underrated but can light it up on the court. Whether they're giving you buckets or putting the clamps on defensively, these six rising juniors are surely ones to keep an eye out for! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='559029' first='Ava' last='Fajardo'] | Blair | 5'4" PG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Rank #15 | Position Rank #6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ava's first season with the Bucs was a super successful one. She ran the point with full command, dishing out a team-leading eighty-six assists while putting her elite court vision on full display. Her gritty play helped Blair win the MAPL Championships and achieved All-League Honorable Mention honors along the way. She averaged 9.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.9 apg &amp; 1.6 spg and knocked down twenty-four 3's, proving to be a dangerous jill-of-all-trades for a Bucs squad who played a wildly difficult schedule!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='635514' first='Imani' last='Mullings'] | Plainfield | 5'5" CG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Rank #26 | Position Rank #7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Imani had the buckets falling in rapid succession all winter long. Increased production from her freshman year on the defensive end helped Plainfield gut out tough wins and make a run to the semis of North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. She knocked down forty-one 3's to go along with season averages of 13.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.3 apg &amp; 3.8 spg while leading the Cardinals in points, assists and steals. Imani did it all and dazzled along the way!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601517' first='Ava' last='Coyle'] | Shore | 5'4" SG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Rank #31 | Position Rank #7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ava doubled her production in nearly every category from a season ago, going from x-factor to legitimate threat! She was exceptional in Shore's Group 1 state semifinal win against Wildwood, making big plays and getting crucial stops to help the Blue Devils achieve a come-from-behind victory late in the 4th quarter. Ava was one of the feistiest players in Central Jersey, Group 1 all season long, swiping 104 steals and causing headaches for opponents time and time again. She averaged 8.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 apg &amp; 3.5 spg in Year 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854614' first='Liana' last='Lopena'] | Brick Memorial | 5'4" PG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Rank #64 | Position Rank #17</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Liana's workhorse mentality took her game to new heights this season. All of the hard work she put in during the off-season and between games at practice paid off as she led her team in made 3-pointers, ranked third in scoring and second in assists. Her laser-focus and commitment saw her average 8.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1,7 apg &amp; 1.3 spg as she helped Brick Memorial achieve a quarterfinal appearance in Central Jersey, Group 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='559081' first='Olivia' last='Moore'] | Trenton Catholic | 5'5" CG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Rank #95 | Position Rank #21</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>TCA played a gauntlet of a schedule and the bigger and badder the opponent, the bolder Olivia played. The way she commanded the floor, executed the offense and dished out some impressive dimes was definitely impressive. She posted ten games with double-digit assists to go along with six games in double-digit scoring. And she didn't just stop there... she also locked down on defense and wreaked havoc on ball-handlers! Olivia helped her team get big wins over out-of-state foes George (PA) and West Catholic (PA) and finished the season with averages of 7.4 ppg 4.9 apg &amp; 2.1 spg.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='669303' first='Abbey' last='Cappelletti'] | Middle Township | 5'3" PG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Rank #109 | Position Rank #26</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Abbey saw a big jump in playing time and turned it into efficient minutes for the Panthers. She gave them quality buckets and was the difference-maker in close regular season wins against Ocean City (37-31, 6 points including two 3's), Atlantic City (46-38, 11 points including three 3's) and Howell (47-38, 16 points, four 3's). She was clutch in Middle's South Jersey, Group 2 semifinal win against Manchester Township where she knocked down two clutch 3's. She closed out her sophomore campaign averaging 3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg &amp; 1.0 apg while being ultra-reliable from behind the arc!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->