Small-Town Kids to Know

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today will be my last article of the month, and I'll use it to highlight some under-the-radar kids from off the beaten path. I want to highlight some kids for their previous season and give them some shine before we get to the heart of the AAU season and scholastic live period in a few weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1265488' first='Paige' last='Brafford']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6'2 forward moved to Northern Wisconsin from Illinois and had a solid first season up here with Three Lakes/Phelps. Brafford used her size and length well around the basket defensively and blocked plenty of shots on the defensive end of the floor. The Bluejay also was an excellent rebounder and led her team in rebounding last season. She played in the middle of a 2-3 zone and did a solid job controlling the area around the basket defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Paige Liskowski</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After I first saw Liskowski's film from her first season at Whitehall, it was apparent that she was a talented kid. Liskowski is a confident shooter who can get her shot off anytime she wants, and she's unbothered by any contest around her. The Whitehall native also has creativity in her game, which allows her to make plays that most kids can't think of making. She will be a kid who dominates the Dairyland-Large Conference for the next three seasons and become a more prominent figure in that class as the years go by.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ava Cummings</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Alma Center Lincoln guard scored the ball at a high level for the Hornets last season. Cummings is a physical ball handler who can create space for herself using her body and reliably gets to her step-back jumper. Cummings does an excellent job creating shots off the dribble and covering ground on her step back, which has been an easy way for her to create space to shoot. She has the tools to play at the next level but will be someone some coaches may not get to see.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Athena Lehman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 5'10 forward at Shell Lake is a physical and skilled kid who can rebound and score the ball at a high level. Lehmen has an excellent turnaround jumper over her right shoulder and soft touch on her shot. The Shell Lake forward also has excellent hands, which allows her to rebound and catch passes in traffic. Lehman could be a player who lands at a small school in the state and surprises people at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->