Winter Rankings Update: 2026 New Additions Part 1

Here are the newest additions to the 2026 class. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/dakotas/rankings/north-dakota-rankings/2026-rankings/">FULL 2026 RANKINGS - CLICK ME!</a>    Red River is known for their 2-2-1 full-court zone press.  Amy is the latest guard to play the top of press and does a nice job in that position.  She moves well on passes and uses her long arms to pressure the basketball.  She is solid against the press in Red River's press break and doesn't seem to get flustered.  She is a three-point threat in the half-court.     Londyn plugs up the middle of Red River's 2-3 zone. She reads passes well and moves to the correct positions. She is an effective piece in their press-breaker. She flashes and meets the pass and catches with two hands. She then makes the right read and passes on target to cutting teammates up the sidelines.     [player_tooltip player_id='1550132' first='Marissa' last='Merkel'] is currently a starter on a very good Legacy squad. This team is one that might have been underappreciated going into the season and could compete for a WDA title. Merkel fits her role perfectly as a secondary ball-handler and quality defender. She is a good athlete that plays hard and brings the juice to the floor. She has a good looking shot and quick release.     Blessum has All-Region potential and is someone the Panthers need to play well if they are going to compete in Region 3. She is off to an excellent start to her senior season. She is a solid 6' forward with tremendous defensive ability. I really like her timing around the basket and how she keeps her feet set when opponents utilize shot fakes. She keeps her long arms up and defends without fouling. Rugby is doing a great job of finding her scoring opportunities near the basket where she can bully opponents with her strength.     Sara is a second year varsity starter for Rugby. She had an excellent junior season, having averaged 5.2 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 50 recorded steals, and 34 recorded assists. She is another senior Panther having a great senior season and helping Rugby to a handful of early season victories. The 5'7 guard is a utility knife for her team, often being tasked with playing multiple positions throughout any given game. She plays with great effort, crashing the glass for offensive rebounding opportunities. I really appreciate her willingness to dive for loose balls on the floor.     Quick is an appropriate name for this 5'6 guard. She has a quick first step and great defensive anticipation. She shoots the gap well and is able to get easy steals. She can convert in transition and finish over bigger girls. She puts her head down and drives with conviction to the basket. She plays the wing of Glenburn's half-court 1-3-1 zone defense exceptionally well.     Gullickson is an All-Region returning guard.  She is a crafty combo guard that is really effective for her size.  She is great at pitching the ball ahead in transition to the open girl.  She is a capable scorer, having averaged double figures as a junior and following that up with similar numbers as a senior.  She can stretch the floor from deep, get to the free throw line, and hit the mid-range.  She is a true three-level scorer.

Here are the newest additions to the 2026 class. FULL 2026 RANKINGS - CLICK ME!