Names to Learn Heading in 2024-25

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, we're still trying to highlight some undervalued kids, even myself, and discuss what they do well. That said, we're talking about eight more players today who add something positive to their five-person lineups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='509689' first='Alana' last='Mainville']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I saw Mainville play with her [program_tooltip program_id='713045' first='Wisconsin' last='Lakers'] team earlier in the spring and thought she played well. She's a solid perimeter defender and made shots in the games I saw. I love her preparation when in catch-and-shoot situations. She also does a solid job of playing taller than her listed height. Mainville uses her length around the basket and has been able to get her hands on shots or force kids attacking the rim to alter their shots around the rim. She's a low-volume shooter at the high school level, but I think she's better than she has shown at Ike.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='842266' first='Alexa' last='Rattray']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season was a weird one for West De Pere. The Phantoms lost one of the premier guards in the Bay Conference before the season started due to a severe knee injury and then lost their post player to a severe knee injury halfway through the year. Rattray played well in their absence and was another threat to get downhill and score in the paint. She showed solid touch in her floater game and finished with both hands around the basket. Rattray never had to be a ball-dominant kid, but she could help alleviate the pressure on the Phantom backcourt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='888903' first='Cardin' last='Johnson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A name I didn't see much this summer was [player_tooltip player_id='888903' first='Cardin' last='Johnson']. She was out with an injury for a while at the start of the spring, but I watched parts of some Westosha games on stream and was spacing the floor well beyond the three-point line. Johnson shot a solid percentage from the three-point line while making challenging long-range efforts. I'm eager to see how her style and the Falcons' newcomers' styles mesh to get the best out of the 2024-25 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587028' first='Lizzie' last='Thierer']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players like Thierer are the ones I respect the most. West Bend West knew they weren't winning many games last year, and in some places, that's the luck of the draw. However, the energy Thierer played with even when she didn't make a play is something coaches will love. In their 2-3 zone, if a missed shot whizzed by her face and she couldn't coral it, she got back into defensive mode quickly and would make plays on the ball. Thierer can score it and runs the floor well, but her passion for playing, even when people may excuse her lack of effort in her situation, is something people should remember. She's a kid who can play at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->