Who are Some of the Toughest Players We’ve Seen This Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Girls Hoops Missouri is taking a look at some of the toughest players we've seen over the months of watching games from around the state. Toughness can manifest itself in a variety of ways. These young ladies really fit the bill. There are many more around the state, but these are just a few that stand out to me. I may make another list real soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rian Lenox (Lift for Life): A 5'9" 2027 power forward who is one of the top rebounders in the St. Louis area. She is physically strong and she attacks the boards with great tenacity. She will get out of her area or battle much taller players to corral boards through her sheer effort. She is averaging 10 rebounds a game this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='493496' first='Kumani' last='Clark'] (Battle): A 6'2" 2026 post player who is physically one of the strongest players in the state. When she establishes her position in the post, she dares anyone to try to move her off the spot. She rebounds with authority and squeezes the ball to make it impossible for anyone to take it from her. What I like about her is that she has battled repeated injuries during her career and she's has come back to play well and earn a Division II scholarship to Lincoln University</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ashli Carr (Marionville): A 5'9" 2027 forward from the SWMO area who does one thing that I really enjoy. She sets screens. I mean, not regular screens, but bone crunching screens that can jar a defender. And she looks to find people to screen. I noticed it in a game I watched as she routinely sent players flying in the other direction. And defender in her area had better keep her head on a swivel. It takes a very unselfish player to do what she does over and over again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1133677' first='Morgan' last='Robinson'] (North Point): A 5'11" 2027 forward who I enjoyed watching play when I saw her at the St. Dominic Christmas Tournament. She brings toughness and extra effort on every possession. She is constantly working for post position and rebounding position. When she gets the ball, she is constantly in attack mode and she doesn't mind the contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='783128' first='Addy' last='Seyfert'] (Grain Valley): A 5'11" 2026 forward who was having an excellent career in the season and on the grassroots level. But she suffered a broken ankle during the summer and also had pre-season surgery. I like she has come back strong to have a big senior season. She has returned to be the versatile scoring threat that she has been throughout her entire career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='813615' first='Jayla' last='Smith'] (Jackson): A 5'7" 2026 guard who is a veteran leader on a very young and talented Jackson team that is one of the best Class 6 teams in the state. She plays hard and she plays much bigger than her actual height. She is always in the mix to get to loose balls and to rebounds in traffic against taller players. She's tough and she's physical and her competitive spirit is very high.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='982968' first='Mya' last='Robinson'] (Troy): It is hard to have a list of tough kids without having a play from Troy on it. Mya is a talented offensive player, but her toughness stems from her relentless motor and her willingness to guard anybody at any time. She will pick up people in the full court and she does not stop. She can be physical, but she also has excellent speed and conditioning to keep her effort at a peak level for the entire game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1233021' first='Cara' last='Cutbirth'] (Republic): A 5'7" 2027 forward who mainly plays in the post, but she is able to hold her own because she is physically strong and she plays with a lot of tenacity. She sits down in the post very well and she is able to move taller players with her positioning. She attacks the boards hard as she plays much bigger than her actual height.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->