Saturday at Kipp’s Hoopsfest: Players Rising to the Occasion

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While a few athletes typically grab most of the attention, there were many others who stepped up and helped their teams perform well on Saturday. In this article, I'll highlight players who might not have filled up the stat sheets, but still played solidly and made meaningful contributions. Their effort and energy played an important role in their teams' performance and showed that every player can make a difference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["882032"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696d84f7b2228"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Bainbridge has a motor that didn't quit against a super fast and talented Mother McCauley team. She was always on one gear-hustle! Not only was she a help on the offensive end contributing to the score, she showed her determination by pulling down a bunch of rebounds. Her work on the boards stood out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["897619"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696d84f7b2298"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Coming off the bench, O'Shea brought effort and energy for her team even though the final score may not have reflected it. When she was on the court, she gave her teammates a lift with her hustle. She looked for open teammates and set them up for shots. While her team didn't come out on top, her effort stood out as a positive in a tough game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["488602"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696d84f7b22e7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sullivan is a great example of how basketball should be played. Every time I watch her on the court, I end up saying, “That was such a smart play.” She makes good decisions, knows when to pass, and always seems to be in the right spot at the right time. Her court vision stands out, and she doesn't play selfishly. Her attitude and high IQ help everyone around her play better and show how important it is to be a smart, team-focused player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["626814"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696d84f7b232d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mersinger does so much for this Benet team. Her speed and ball handling set her apart, but her most valuable asset is her nonstop effort—she's always wherever the ball is. She had 4 blocks against a talented Glenbrook South team (one was called a foul, but it looked clean), which speaks to how hard she plays from the moment she steps on the court. You don't get that kind of defensive effort without giving 110% every possession.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1133773"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696d84f7b236e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Little made a noticeable impact coming off the bench on Saturday. She scored key points for her team, but it was her defense that really stood out. Hustling all over the court, she covered a ton of ground making it tough for the other team to get easy looks. She will be a key reason we see this team deep into the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->