6A 2026 Wings who have the potential to break out this season

As I like to say, having a good wing or forward is about as important as having a great point guard or center. It is even better when your wings have shown potential early. These 6A junior wings are a mix of current stars and undiscovered talent, but regardless, this season is theirs for the taking.    I promise I am not playing favorites for the Lady Charging Wildcats, they just have so much talent that cannot be ignored! [player_tooltip player_id='1060878' first='Elicia' last='Shepherd'] is another talented junior who adds complementary two-way skills next to her teammates. Honestly, this team will be the most excitement NLR has had in years.   Shepherd's main offense focus is on attacking the paint, drawing contact, and finishing with force. She drives extremely hard to the basket and is an incredible finisher. It does not matter how much contact presents itself to Shepherd, she will finish the layup, and probably go convert the and-1. Her finishing ability and willingness to slash and cut pair well to her sharpshooting teammates.   On defense, Shepherd is a master at creating turnovers and wreaking havoc. She may be slightly undersized, but she has a knack for blocking shots, and blocking them with a statement. Those balls are swatted well out of the camera's view, and she can do that in the half-court or when she chases down an opponent on the fastbreak. Shepherd also steals the ball, often just ripping the ball from her opponent's hands and taking it the other way.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060878' first='Elicia' last='Shepherd'] is a great player who can impact the game on both sides of the ball. Lyon College has already offered her, but with a strong junior season, expect her mailbox to start filling up with other offers.     [player_tooltip player_id='1060876' first='Hallie' last='Ford'] can do a bit of everything on the floor, and she has been a force for the Lady Wolverines, especially as a sophomore last season. Ford makes a lot of plays on the offensive side of the ball, but what separates herself from the pack is her defensive ability.   Ford is a highly active defender who can make the opposition think twice before making a move on offense. She reads passes very well, almost like a defensive back or an inside linebacker. Once the pass is in the air, Ford is attempting to take it away, even if she has to stretch like Odell to grab it (it is football season, had to add the references). Ford is also a soccer player, and that sport translates perfectly to basketball defense.   Ford can play the 3 and 4 positions, and when she plays the 4, some of her defensive assignments are on the blocks. If the opposition manages to drive to the basket while Ford is in position, they might as well turn back because Ford is a legitimate shot-blocking threat. She may not be a center, but with her 5'11" frame, she sure can play like one. Having a wing who can protect the rim and cause turnovers is incredibly important.   Ford's offense is not as impactful as her defense, but she has still been able to make plays on that side. Her 3-point shooting is a skill of hers that will continue to improve in 2024/25. Ford knows how to get to her spots and be ready to catch and shoot, particularly from the corners. Ford is also a tough finisher with a solid handle. If Ford breaks away on the fastbreak, she can use her speed and handles to drive to the other end, then finish through contact.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060876' first='Hallie' last='Ford'] could very well be the best player on this Lady Wolverine team. Of course, she is playing behind solid seniors, but I think her junior season will be a fruitful one.     [player_tooltip player_id='1060874' first='Taylor' last='Chrisman'] is a two-way star for the Rogers Lady Mounties. Chrisman has already shown plenty of ability with the Lady Mounties as a sophomore last season, and she has the potential to have a huge junior year in 2024/25.   Chrisman can be described as a two-way player or a 3&D player. I say that because her primary offensive skill is her ability to knock down threes at a high clip. Chrisman is great in catch-and-shoot scenarios, especially when coming off an off-ball screen. Once she has the ball, she uses a great arch and quick release to get the ball up over the defense. She is also a threat to heat up quickly. In a game versus Cabot High School last season, Chrisman hit 3 straight triples to open the game up, which was also the first 9 points for Rogers in that game. Chrisman also has the ability to finish in the paint, primarily off the fastbreak.   Chrisman's defense creates a lot of offensive opportunities for her team. She is known for intercepting passes and taking them coast-to-coast for a number of fastbreak buckets. She is also a threat to chase down the opposition and block shots.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060874' first='Taylor' last='Chrisman'] has a lot of potential and I would not be surprised if she broke out and had an all-conference-caliber year.     Madison Peisert is a lesser-known name in 6A Arkansas girls basketball, but a name that all Lady Wolverine fans should go ahead and start studying up on. Peisert is currently a role-player for Bentonville West, but she could be in store for a sizeable junior season.   Peisert is a great 3-point shooter, who has the ability to get cooking quickly. She has a very quick release and her teammates are looking for her every chance they get. She also has good arch on her shot and she knows where her spots are and how to get to them. Peisert is primarily just an outside-shooting threat for the Lady Wolverines, and she needs to become a stronger finisher in order to add another element to her offensive play.   On defense, Peisert is very active and specializes in stealing the ball on help-side defense. If an opposing ball-handler decides to drive by her, they are lucky if they still have the ball once they reach the paint.   Madison Peisert can have an impact on her team in 2024/25, and I look forward to seeing what kind of improvements she made to her game in the offseason.     [player_tooltip player_id='1060899' first='Brooklyn' last='Kuchinski'] is an interesting player for the Bryant Lady Hornets. She played on Bryant's Junior Varsity squad last season, but she has been able to make plays for the varsity squad previously. Kuchinski is sort of an unknown heading into this season, but she has potential to make a large impact as a junior.   In a game versus Lafayette High School last season, Kuchinski showed her coaches the type of impact she can have on the court. In that tight game, she recorded 5 steals and several rebounds. She is not much of a scorer, getting most of her points on open layups from moving off the ball, but her defense alone will warrant her some playing time.   Those 5 steals against Lafayette High School were mostly from picking pockets and poking away sloppy ball-handling. Kuchinski made a lot of clutch defensive plays, with one steal coming late in the 4th quarter when both teams were tied. She recorded a clutch steal and gave the ball back to Bryant.   Again, Brooklyn Kuchinksi is a bit of an unknown heading into this season. Even though she is playing behind solid senior talent on the Lady Hornets, she can still have an impact on defense.    There are a lot of other 2026 6A wings who have yet to make a name for themselves, but they have a legitimate chance to do so this season. Next up is my article covering 6A junior bigs, so keep tabs on that one.

As I like to say, having a good wing or forward is about as important as having a great point guard or center. It is even better when your wings have shown potential early. These 6A junior wings are a mix of current stars and undiscovered talent, but regardless, this season is theirs for the taking.