Way Too Early 2025 Ms. Basketball Storylines

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the dead period underway and AAU ramping back up, let's take a minute to look ahead to the high school season and do some early handicapping of the field for the 2025 Ms. Basketball award. Here's a look at contenders for the award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624398' first='Nevaeh' last='Caffey'] (2025, Incarnate Word)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Caffey is the leader for an Incarnate Team who will look to extend their win streak past potentially 150+ games. The Indiana commit has a ton of elite qualities and should be a prolific scorer/playmaker this season. On a balanced team like Incarnate Word it'll be tough to compile major stats, however, winning and being the top player on a team like this will always earn a spot on the list.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='302779' first='Jordan' last='Speiser'] (2025, Lutheran St. Charles)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Speiser is going to be a high octane scorer in her senior season. Her scoring ability as a 6'2 guard is well documented. Threes, mid-range, and scoring at the rim. Anyway needed she can go get a bucket. Being on the big stage at state paired with a tremendous regular season will help her win once again.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='351752' first='Jayda' last='Porter'] (2026, Rock Bridge)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going into her junior season Porter has a real chance to compete for this award. She's an all-around player that's tough to stop around the basket. A scoring, rebounding, and shot blocking expert. In order for her to win Rock Bridge will need to make another deep run. The sophomore to junior season leap is a big one and should be noticeable.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='317337' first='Addison' last='Bjorn'] (2026, Park Hill South)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When it comes to pure talent and potential, Bjorn might be at the top of the list. Her positional size paired with skill is rarely seen. A combo guard that has the skill to shine vs. the best of competition. She's a true triple-double threat on any given night. Being able to compete and put together those types of performances could be the difference.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Which sophomores will be in the conversation and compete down the line?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2027 class is a strong one and will be in contention for this award down the line. That could be three years from now or a major surprise closing out 2025. [player_tooltip player_id='791650' first='Dasia' last='Scott'] is an obvious name because of her individual impact, stats, and name in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='777605' first='Amaya' last='Manuel'] looks like she could end up leading a Lift for Life program that reached new heights during her career. [player_tooltip player_id='803056' first='Simone' last='Walker'] is a name for Columbia, MO. Her ceiling is high and could put her into contention. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='803061' first='Destiny' last='Manyawu'] seems primed for a breakout at Staley. She has the size and intangibles you can't teach as a forward.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who could be the sleeper in 2025?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='303495' first='Mikayla' last='Pilley'] is a name that comes to mind. She will lead Kickapoo once again and brought them to the biggest stage last year. The do-it-all guard is a tremendous talent trending in the right direction. Another jump in her overall skillset paired with more impact leading to wins makes her a sleeper to win this award.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->