Closing the Book on Live at the Lakes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, we're closing the book on Live at the Lakes. I've got a few more names I want to highlight from the Twin Cities, and then we'll move on to rankings content in a few days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='734932' first='Lillie' last='Johnson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were a handful of teams who people knew had some highly-touted kids in Minnesota, and I'm not sure if [program_tooltip program_id='715386' first='Great' last='Northern Elite'] was one of them coming in, but they had some talented kids in the gym, including someone I highlighted on Friday, [player_tooltip player_id='734932' first='Lillie' last='Johnson']. As the focal point of her team's offense, she got to her spots well and took shots that her coaches were likely okay with, and although she didn't make every shot, coaches left knowing who she was and probably wanted to see her again in July.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='804247' first='Brielle' last='Gray']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing up is a challenge for anyone, and it's no different for Gray. However, I've liked seeing her play as a complimentary piece to the size of her [program_tooltip program_id='713332' first='Team' last='Wisconsin'] group. She's not forcing anything and allowing her team to play to its strengths instead of her strengths. Gray is a talented kid and a heck of an athlete, but an eighth grader who sacrifices for the betterment of their team is rare. Whenever she gets going, I'm sure she could score 20 in a game, but watching her find ways to help her team win outside of that will help her going forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='497476' first='Maya' last='Kovacic']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some kids have a quirk to their game that stands out, and Kovacic has a few. For one, Kovacic loves getting to her little five-foot jumpers that she makes consistently and has a direct style of play that doesn't require much sizing up on the perimeter. The Brookfield East guard is as direct of a player as they come, and she scored the ball well this weekend. There haven't been many kids who've been as much of an offensive threat as Kovacic has been since the 2026 class got to high school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='914305' first='Erin' last='Schauer']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The offense was hit or miss this weekend, but small schools should take a look at Schauer when they get a chance. She has the physical tools to guard multiple positions and is a solid off-ball guard or wing that can make a lead guard's life easier with her threat to shoot and ability to finish over the top of smaller guards at the basket. The Edgewood wing had solid moments on the defensive end of the floor and has shown she's willing and able to take high-pressure shots, and she's shown she can make them when needed most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->