Player Profile: Kierra Winkeler
In our series of player profiles as we lead up to the 2018-2019 season next on our list is Kierra Winkeler a 5’9 guard from Breese Mater Dei. Kierra had a very good junior season that ended in her being named a 3rd Team…
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Continue ReadingIn our series of player profiles as we lead up to the 2018-2019 season next on our list is Kierra Winkeler a 5’9 guard from Breese Mater Dei. Kierra had a very good junior season that ended in her being named a 3rd Team IBCA 3A/4A selection. She averaged 14.3 points per game, almost 6 rebounds per game and 2.3 steals per game.
Kierra has prepared for her senior year by playing with the Blue Star Silvey team in the spring and summer while also having a successful June with her school team. The Mater Dei team only lost 1 game in June and Kierra felt they played very well in preparing for the upcoming year. She really enjoyed the time with her Blue Star team. Due to an injury and the usual vacation time of players the team spent a good part of the year very guard heavy and lacking true post players. This was a challenge but Kierra felt they worked very hard and played well together. She feels like that challenge and the tough competition they played will really help her in her basketball career. She really enjoyed the team trip to Louisville this summer. She loves the city and the competition they faced. Being there for two straight tournaments really allowed her to experience the community and get to spend time with her team in their last season of summer ball.
Kierra has been working on her ball handling skills and getting her shot off quicker since the end of last season. She will definitely need these skills at the next level as the players are all taller and quicker than she will typically see in high school games. The other big focus for her this off season has been gaining strength. Kierra has been spending the time in the weight room to increase over all strength and specifically she wants to increase her vertical to gain more lift on her jump shots and become a better rebounder from her guard spot.
The goal for the Mater Dei team is to make it to state. They have made it to the Super Sectionals the last two years and they are determined to take that last step to Redbird arena in her senior season. She knows that they need to take it one game at a time and improve throughout the season to get there, but clearly there is a focus on going out with a bang.
Kierra feels that her quick thinking and quickness on the court are two of her strongest attributes that she can bring to a college team. She is good at seeing the opportunities and reacting. She can get by most defenders and make her way into the lane with her quickness. She also feels like she is very competitive and takes every game very seriously. She has been gaining interest from D3 teams and hopes to expand her options to higher levels with a good senior season. She also hopes to go somewhere south for college but is open to any good fit.She sees herself studying either sports psychology or physical therapy in college and would love to make her career revolve around her love for sports.
She admires Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart for the way the play the game but also their attitude and confidence in the way they attack the game and handle being the focus of the opponents defense each game. That will certainly be something that Kierra has to handle her senior year. Although Mater Dei has many talented players returning, no doubt the focus for many teams will be to slow down this talented guard.