Names That Have Stood Out To Me This Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've attended roughly 25 games this season in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Today, I'd like to highlight a few kids who've stood out in individual games I've attended thus far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992501' first='Kinslee' last='Nelson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2028 came off the bench for Oshkosh West but made a significant impact in her minutes against Kettle Moraine. Her athleticism and aggression played a part in the Wildcats cutting a once 20-point deficit down to six in the second half, and six of those points in that run. Three of those came from a left-wing three-pointer and an and-one where she finished over and through one of the best athletes in Southeast Wisconsin. Moments like that showed the talent in Nelson's game and why West is excited to have her in their ranks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751242' first='Ava' last='Spratt']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having kids around Fenske who can make plays is massive, and Spratt has stepped her game up early in her sophomore season. Against Muskego, when all systems failed on offense, Spratt made enough shots to keep them in that game longer than they probably deserved, which is what your top players need to do when teams don't have their best games on a particular night. She's a steady kid who never seems to get too high or low, and as a kid who does plenty of catching and shooting, that's what you want to see.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751283' first='Rowan' last='Counsell']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Counsell in a competitive game against Waunakee was eye-opening. We knew she was talented, but watching Counsell figure out ways to get matchups she wanted to attack off of ball screens was intriguing because you could see her thinking things out on the offensive end and not simply putting her head down and attacking. The first step allowed her to blow by most defenders she attacked, and for a kid who's made a killing knocking down perimeter shots, she punished the Warriors by getting to the rim whenever she wanted. The way she thinks the game will allow her to expand her arsenal on the offensive end of the floor</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874384' first='Keira' last='Van Wie']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Waunakee newcomer had a bench role for the Warriors but played heavy minutes due to others in foul trouble, and I loved what she did. She's a mobile 5'11 wing who played around the basket. I thought she was active, moving from block to block and making herself available when her teammates drove to the basket and in the thick of fights for loose rebounds. I loved her motor and confidence for a kid playing in her second high school game. In most young players, you can see some hesitancy and them not trying to step on anyone's toes, but probably because of the trust her teammates have in her and how good the culture is amongst the players at Waunakee this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->