Season Wrap-Up: Class 3A Awards

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='624877' first='Juliana' last='Davis'] (2026) from Madison Consolidated High School.   With the 2025-2026 season ending just a couple of weeks ago, and after already announcing the Prep Girls Hoops Indiana version of all-state teams, I wanted to finish off the season with a handful of specific awards in Class 3A. These postseason awards are an attempt at honoring ladies who stood out in Class 3A all Winter. There are going to be multiple candidates for each award who can be debated, but at the end of the day, I chose the individuals below because I felt like they best represented each category. Some awards are based solely on talent and skill, while others take into account statistical merit and team success. This is simply a fun activity for entertainment purposes, and while they can be debated, please appreciate and respect the individuals below for the seasons they have had.   .   TOP CLASS 3A AWARDS   Most Outstanding Player: [player_tooltip player_id='486508' first='Mollie' last='Ernstes'], 2026, 5-11 G, Jennings County H.S. - The meaning of most outstanding player to me points to the best all-around basketball player, regardless of team quality, depth, etc. This was a toss-up for me between Mollie and [player_tooltip player_id='486543' first='Brooklynn' last='Renn']. Both are going to the University of Kansas, and both are skilled/talented, but at the end of the season Jennings County defeated Silver Creek by 11 with Ernstes scoring 29 points and pulling down 11 boards, so I used that as the tiebreaker. Mollie is a talent who I think is still under-appreciated on a statewide level. She is long and athletic, smooth with the ball in her hands, she can create for others off the bounce, plus she is an excellent shooter with range. Additionally, she is an effortful defender who can guard a variety of positions on the floor. She averaged 24.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game this season, helping to lead Jennings County to the Final Four of Class 4A, including consecutive postseason wins against Greensburg, Silver Creek, and Washington.   Most Valuable Player: [player_tooltip player_id='492324' first='Madalynn' last='Shirley'], 2026, 6-1 F, Evansville Central H.S. - As opposed to the most outstanding player award, to me at least, the most valuable player award leans more toward the idea of if you removed this player from their team, how would their team continue to perform. Nothing has ever been more evident, than the four games Maddy missed for Central this Winter. Throughout her career for the Lady Bears, she has been one of the most fundamental, skilled, and productive players in the 2026 class. She has always shown the ability to play with her back to the basket and step out and knock down jumpers consistently. She's also a high IQ ballplayer, she sees things in advance of others, and she rarely makes the same mistake twice. On the season, Maddy averaged 23.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 blocked shots per game, and for her career, she topped 2100 points and 1000 rebounds. She will be attending the University of Southern Indiana next season, and I suspect she will be an immediate contributor.   Most Outstanding Newcomer: [player_tooltip player_id='1263963' first='Riley' last='Suarez'], 2029, 6-1 W/F, Hamilton Heights H.S. - Sometimes this award goes to a transfer student, sometimes it goes to an injury returnee, but in this case, it goes to a Freshman. Riley is part of a talented Freshman class at Hamilton Heights, but she stood out from the group in a number of ways, helping the Huskies improve by 9.5 games this year, from 5-17 in 2024-2025 to 14-7 in 2025-2026. Riley's skill & ability to play around the perimeter at her size, but also operate effectively in the mid-post and on the block, create matchup problems for opposing teams and coaches. In her rookie season, she averaged 21.6 points and 5.4 rebounds, while burying 34 of 79 3-point attempts for a 43% rate. She was also an 83% free throw shooter but only attempted about 3 attempts per game, so I think as she appreciates the charity stripe more in the future and utilizes her size & strength inside, she could be an even more effective multilevel scorer over the course of her career.   .   ADDITIONAL CLASS 3A AWARDS   Toughest Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1225040' first='Ashley' last='Bleke'], 2028, 5-9 G/W, Bellmont H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id='1194486' first='Kendall' last='VanderWal'], 2028, 5-9 G, Angola H.S. Best Shooter: [player_tooltip player_id='486476' first='Shaylyn' last='Hawk'], 2026, 5-7 G, Washington H.S., committed to Taylor University Best Scorer: [player_tooltip player_id='1263959' first='Arianna' last='Rowell'], 2029, 5-7 G, South Bend St. Joseph H.S. Best Passer: [player_tooltip player_id='751035' first='Alexis' last='Finchum'], 2027, 5-4 G, Charlestown H.S. Best Rebounder: [player_tooltip player_id='492324' first='Madalynn' last='Shirley'], 2026, 6-1 F, Evansville Central H.S., committed to the University of Southern Indiana Best Shot-Blocker: [player_tooltip player_id='624881' first='Leah' last='Shappell'], 2026, 6-0 F, Leo H.S., committed to Ferris State University for Softball Best On-Ball Defender: [player_tooltip player_id='624877' first='Juliana' last='Davis'], 2026, 5-7 G, Madison Consolidated H.S. Best Athlete: [player_tooltip player_id='1050683' first='Laine' last='Lyles'], 2029, 5-10 G, Culver Academy Most Versatile: [player_tooltip player_id='1144630' first='Nyomi' last='Hahn'], 2028, 6-1 W/F, Marion H.S. Biggest Mismatch: [player_tooltip player_id='486543' first='Brooklynn' last='Renn'], 2026, 6-3 W/F, Silver Creek H.S., committed to the University of Kansas

The featured image is of Juliana Davis Juliana Davis 5'7" | CG Madison Consolidated | 2026 State IN (2026) from Madison Consolidated High School.