More Names to Note Before Heading to Appleton Today

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Scholastic Live Period tips off on Thursday, and for the second year in a row, more teams are participating than the previous year. We'll highlight a few names to watch for coaches at every level before Summer Slam tips off over the next few days. I thoroughly enjoyed the event last year, as coaches from every level attended, and I expect it to be just as good, if not better than it was in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hailey Hafner</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the kids I enjoyed watching the most last season was this sophomore from Xavier. Hafner flew around the court on both ends and was a perfect energizer off the bench for the Hawks. I thought when they played Edgewood in Madison, Hafner's spark got them back into a game that the Crusaders were threatening to run away with. Sometimes, she gets tunnel vision on the offensive end of the floor, but she can beat her initial defender off the dribble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1045915' first='Bailey' last='Olson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cameron wing is a kid I saw last season at the WIAA/WBCA Summer Slam in Appleton, and I was impressed with what she brought to the floor. Her ability to score in volume helped the Comets reach Sectionals this season, and she showed she could score at all three levels this past season. Olson improved from her first to second high school seasons, and she probably will take another step forward in her junior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='654832' first='Riley' last='Ward']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Whitnall guard has led her Falcons group to two straight Sectional Final appearances. Ward is the engine for her team on the offensive end of the court. Her ability to score the ball and create shots off the dribble gives her team a dynamic presence that nobody else has in the Woodland East. Ward has improved as a perimeter shooter and has always been able to put pressure on the rim by attacking the basket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751263' first='Kennedi' last='Harden']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Madison native is a creative guard who can make things happen with the ball in her hands. Harden may be the best player in the state at beating her defender off the dribble. The Vel Phillips Memorial rising junior has the ball on a string and finds ways to get around her initial defender and attack defenses with numerical advantages. She was an excellent passer and creator for her teammates last season and wouldn't be stunned if her team needed her to score more this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->