From Work Stops to Tip-Offs: Veteran Guards who are hard to stop

Last week, I traveled to a few different places for work with KATV. I traveled to Morrilton, Jacksonville, Conway, and, of course, Little Rock. I also had a story based in Dardanelle that I did via Zoom. There are some solid veteran guards in these cities, so let's take a look.    [player_tooltip player_id='1060862' first='Kristyn' last='Cooper'] has been hooping this season, not that it's a surprise. She continues to show just how impactful she is, despite being listed at 5'3".   Cooper started the season on the right track, putting up great performances against eStem (25 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals), Marion (26 points, 5 assists, 3 steals), Hall (22 points, 4 assists, 3 steals), and Monticello (21 points, 4 assists, 3 steals), just to name a few. She is also playing well in conference play, putting up 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals against Sylvan Hills.   Cooper can hit shots from just about anywhere on the floor. Her bread and butter, though, is primarily in the mid-range area, as well as the lane, where she is able to knock down jumpers and floaters with ease. Don't disrespect her outside shooting, as Cooper is more than capable of draining triples in defenders' faces.   In addition to her solid inside-out game on offense, [player_tooltip player_id='1060862' first='Kristyn' last='Cooper'] is a tenacious defender and a good floor general, making her one of the 5A's better point guards and one of the region's more solid veteran players.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093342' first='Chezney' last='Stone'] has proven to be the leader that Conway Christian needs to excel, and she continues to impress on both sides of the ball.   For a guard, Stone is a great rebounder, proving it against White County Central when she grabbed 12 boards to go along with her 16 points. She has had several stat-stuffing performances this year as well, like against Conway St. Joseph, where she had 17 points, 7 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.   Rebounding is one of Stone's specialties, as she outworks everyone on the floor to grab every rebound in sight. She also relies on her athleticism to give her the edge. Defense is also clearly something she prides herself on, as Stone plays hounding on-ball defense all night, forcing numerous turnovers a night. Of course, offensively, Stone will make you pay if you leave her open from beyond the arc.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093342' first='Chezney' last='Stone'] is a complete player who is going to lead this Conway Christian squad a long way into the postseason.     Dardanelle's Audri Weber has taken a big step up this season, and the Lady Sand Lizards would not be as successful as they are without her.   She gave Ozark the work earlier this year when she finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Against Clarksville, she put up 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals while hitting some big shots from beyond the arc.   Weber plays with breakneck speed, beating everyone on the open floor. You also have to respect her shot from the 3-point line...excuse me...from well beyond the 3-point line, actually. Weber has the "deep-range deadeye" badge, as she is truly lethal from way beyond the arc.   Audri Weber is one of the more underrated guards in the 4A classification, but I think she is going to surprise a lot of people in the postseason.     Jacksonville's D'arah Tippitt is another underrated guard mentioned in this article, but she is having a solid season.   This season, Tippitt eclipsed 1,000 career points, which is no surprise with how consistent she has been with her scoring this year. She put up 15 points against Stuttgart in an early-season tournament matchup, and she was even averaging around 12 points and 3 assists a night at one point this season.   Tippitt is a solid guard with some great handles. When Tippitt has the ball in her hands, the defense needs to keep their feet from slipping, because she is liable to break some ankles. But the most impressive part of her offensive game is her ability to move without the basketball. She runs around screens all game long and always seems to get herself open. She is also really good at setting off-ball screens, allowing her teammates to get open.   D'arah Tippitt is a great scorer, but she does a lot of the unsung things that help her team win.     [player_tooltip player_id='549973' first='Stevie' last='Tanner'] has played really well this year with her new squad, and she continues to prove why she is in the top-25 in the state for the 2026 class.   One of Tanner's better games this year was against Watson Chapel, where she put up 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. She has since followed that performance up with solid games against the Little Flames (15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals) and the always-great Pulaski Academy Bruins (13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals).   Tanner is a really good scorer who understands the pace of the game. She is a solid driver who can finish through traffic, but she makes most of her money from beyond the arc, as she is deadly off the catch and off the dribble.   [player_tooltip player_id='549973' first='Stevie' last='Tanner'] did not take long to get acquainted with the Lady Devil Dogs, and we will see how that does in the postseason.

Last week, I traveled to a few different places for work with KATV. I traveled to Morrilton, Jacksonville, Conway, and, of course, Little Rock. I also had a story based in Dardanelle that I did via Zoom. There are some solid veteran guards in these cities, so let's take a look.