WIAA/WBCA Summer Slam: Friday Names to Note

Brady Peterson June 16, 2024 @ 09:16 AM

I should have a few more days of things to highlight from Summer Slam regarding players and teams. However, I'd like to talk about some other players that impressed up in Appleton.   [player_tooltip player_id='533065' first='Rowan' last='Klesmit']   I firmly believe that Klesmit will surprise people next season. Since she's been at Neenah, Klesmit has played a secondary guard role, and due to how talented No. 1 was, it made sense. However, I don't think people realize how skilled and effective [player_tooltip player_id='533065' first='Rowan' last='Klesmit'] is with the ball in her hands. The Neenah guard is as dynamic as anyone you'll find. I see some guards from around the Midwest getting offers early on in the process, and I've thought, I'd rather have Klesmit than that kid. She's not the most physically imposing kid you'll find, but Klesmit's aggression, energy, skillset, quickness, and refusal to quit are things that most guards in her class can't match. Someone will end up with a steal, and I don't use that term about players lightly. We're about to see a new version of her this season that we didn't in her first two seasons.   [player_tooltip player_id='828946' first='Kenly' last='Frey']   I wouldn't say any one thing in particular makes Frey stand out amongst her peers. It's more an accumulation of all the positive things she does on the floor. Frey takes care of the ball, gets downhill, doesn't get beat off the dribble often, and has poise with the ball in her hands. Frey isn't someone I hear or read about elsewhere, but it's difficult not to appreciate the value she brings when she's on the floor. You can tell her high school teammates trust her to make things happen, and she'll be the senior leader of an extraordinarily young Wisconsin Lutheran team this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='914305' first='Erin' last='Schauer']   The Edgewood wing popped onto my radar in a significant way, helping her Crusader team win a D3 state title this past March. Schauer is a perfect three or four at the high school level. However, she'll likely be a two or three at the next level. Regardless, there aren't many weaknesses in her game. You can stick her anywhere on the floor, and she'll find a way to make winning plays. She is an excellent athlete, can score at all three levels, a versatile defender, and an aggressive rebounder. Kids like Schauer win games for a reason.   [player_tooltip player_id='842232' first='Kiarrah' last='Micolichek']   I've wanted to see the Denmark guard in person for months, and Summer Slam was the perfect chance to do that. I loved her confidence to shoot whenever she found space from the games I watched, but I thought she looked quicker in person than she did on stream. She was aggressive with the ball and got to the free-throw line. She showed some toughness, quickness, and touch on her shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='400915' first='Mikaia' last='Litza']   There aren't many kids who can finish around the basket with the wonky angles that Litza can. The Tosa East guard also does an excellent job at finishing through contact and battling through contact around the basket. She earned an uptick in usage in her sophomore year, and her ability to be the focal point of an offense is why the Red Raiders got to their first state tournament in decades. Her future is bright, and she continued to impress college coaches who sat and watched her games.

I should have a few more days of things to highlight from Summer Slam regarding players and teams. However, I'd like to talk about some other players that impressed up in Appleton.