More Potential 2025-26 Breakout Candidates

Brady Peterson June 24, 2025 @ 08:39 AM

Now that the AAU season is nearing an end, I want to highlight a few kids who could be breakout candidates in the 2025-26 season. There could be many reasons a player breaks out from injuries, increased opportunity, or any other reason you could imagine. Today, we'll look at a few players to know as the AAU season enters its final stage.   [player_tooltip player_id='904623' first='Emilia' last='MontMarquette']   The Appleton East rising sophomore was a significant reason her Patriots team returned to the State Tournament for the first time since 2022. Her ability to be a complementary talent to the talent around her makes her an impossible player to take off the floor. Now that a chunk of the talent in the program graduated this spring, MontMarquette could be a player who takes a step forward and becomes a prominent figure in the FVA.   [player_tooltip player_id='992479' first='Ahviana' last='Dean-Baker']   Madison East had a ball-dominant guard who was a volume scorer for the Purgolders. Dean-Baker is a talented kid who can make plays off the dribble and score at all three levels. The Madison native could be a player who earns a more prominent role and plays as a ball-dominant guard in the Big Eight next season, and becomes a kid who ends up as a first-team All-Conference player next season. Dean-Baker may not be a name that people think of initially as a breakout candidate, but the role could be there for her to impress people at East.   [player_tooltip player_id='992488' first='Ava' last='Hendrickson']   I've talked about Hendrickson ad nauseam over the spring. The West Salem forward could be a double-double player in the Coulee Conference next season. She played behind a multi-time All-Conference and POY kid in her position in the conference. Hendrickson practiced against her every day last season and will be ready to assume that role as a sophomore. She may not have earned an abundant amount of minutes in her first season, but she could be a prominent figure in the Coulee Conference in the 25-26 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1092830' first='Heidi' last='Olson']   Olson was excellent for Albany/Monticello in the 24-25 season, but could find another gear next season. The Space Ponies have lost numerous talented kids who helped lead the program to win a state title in 2024. Now, there will be more on Olson's plate to help her team compete in a challenging Six Rivers Conference. Olson has been a productive two-way player in her first season, and she'll get to expand her game in the 2025-26 campaign in D5.

Now that the AAU season is nearing an end, I want to highlight a few kids who could be breakout candidates in the 2025-26 season. There could be many reasons a player breaks out from injuries, increased opportunity, or any other reason you could imagine. Today, we'll look at a few players to know as the AAU season enters its final stage.