Names I’d Like to Highlight

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, I'll highlight some players I haven't discussed in a while. Thousands will play varsity basketball this season, and we'll feature many of them before the season starts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1134483' first='Gwenn' last='Elliott']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kohler guard has excellent size for a ball handler and is a player who will exploit mismatches anywhere she plays going forward. Elliott is a 6-0 guard and the primary ball handler for her high school team, and did an excellent job setting the tone at the point of attack last season. She moves the ball well, and in the game I watched, the Blue Bombers played; they moved the ball as well as any unit I saw in the 2024-25 season. She is a player who contributes to winning no matter where she plays, and I'd expect her Blue Bombers group to take a step forward in the 25-26 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874386' first='Maisie' last='Hinz']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season, Notre Dame had plenty of players who had been in the program for at least a year and understood how their coaches wanted them to play. Hinze played a role in her first season and even started at least one game when I watched her Triton group play at Bay Port. The fact that she earned a role on the varsity unit in her first season is impressive, and she has a solid place to continue growing from. I'm eager to see what year two looks like for her at Notre Dame.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885270' first='Aubri' last='Elmore']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lake Country Lutheran guard played through an injury late last season when I saw her play, and was behind a few upperclassmen in the pecking order. However, the talent is there for her to grow into a more prominent role in her sophomore season. Elmore is a talented ball handler who can create shots off the dribble and can generate open shots for her teammates. She is a player that others enjoy playing with, and will be an intriguing prospect to watch next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='888035' first='Jacela' last='Fields']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The La Follette may be the most significant x-factor in D1 basketball next season. Fields will be the primary ball handler for a young Lancers team that wants to leave its mark in their sectional. The talent is there for the Lancers to make a run to the second weekend of the tournament, and surprise some more prestigious programs around the Madison and Milwaukee areas. Fields is a player who will be a good barometer of how elite the Lancers could be this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->