Names to Know Heading into the Weekend

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Later tonight, I will head over to Whitefish Bay to watch the Blue Dukes lock horns with North Shore Conference foe Hartford in a matchup that will give the winner the edge to potentially win an outright conference title this coming season. Before I head out, I'd like to discuss a handful of players who have had solid seasons and highlight some of them before I leave this evening.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751263' first='Kennedi' last='Harden']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vel Phillips Memorial guard has had an excellent season to this point. Harden has always been a creative player with the ball in her hands, and has continued to make plays off the dribble for herself and others this winter. She has also shown that she can knock down shots from the perimeter when she's left alone. Harden doesn't shoot many perimeter jumpers, but has made enough to earn the respect of opposing defenses. She has also continued to improve on the defensive end of the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1215023' first='Allie' last='Nordness']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The DeForest guard has been a solid creator for her Norskie's group, who have competed well in the Badger-Large this season. Nordness has stepped into a more primary ball-handling role and done an excellent job of getting her teammates involved offensively. However, she has also had a significant impact on the defensive end of the court, creating live-ball turnovers, which have helped her team get out in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992515' first='Sydney' last='Loerke']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Deerfield has been one of the premier teams in Division 4 this season, and Loerke has been a critical part of the Demons' success in the first half of the season. Loerke is a physical front-court prospect who can control the area around the basket on both ends of the court. The sophomore is also a skilled player who can put the ball on the floor, get her teammates the ball in positions to score, and put the ball in the basket from all three levels of the court. I'm a fan of what she brings to the floor, and she is only scratching the surface of the player she can become.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='884601' first='Ava' last='Calhoon']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Freedom guard has been an intriguing guard who can play on or off the ball and find ways to make plays. Calhoon has been a solid defender who has helped her team generate live-ball turnovers this season, which has helped her team earn transition points. The sophomore is also able to get downhill and put pressure on the basket offensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->