Elena Flansburg Elena Flansburg 6'1" | SF Garfield-Palouse | 2026 State WA anchored Garfield-Palouse with toughness, athleticism, and relentless effort. A dominant presence in the paint, she embraced the physical side of the game—doing the “dirty work” that often defines winning basketball.

Using her length and positioning, Flansburg altered shots, controlled rebounds, and finished effectively around the rim. Her scrappy style set the tone for her team, and her leadership was evident in every possession.

She didn’t just play hard—she made everyone around her play harder.

Elena is a dynamic wing who excels on both ends of the court. Defensively, she is electric, effortlessly blocking shots and providing crucial support wherever her teammates need her. Offensively, Elena showcases a smooth mid-range game and demonstrates creativity in scoring, finding unique ways to get buckets. Her versatility and relentless energy make her an invaluable asset to her team.

This versatile wing has shown remarkable growth over time, continually refining her game to become a dynamic offensive threat. She effortlessly scores from all three levels, though she truly thrives inside the paint, where her elite footwork sets her apart. Her strength on the glass is undeniable, securing rebounds with ease and contributing significantly on both ends of the court. With the ability to attack inside and out, she poses a constant challenge for defenders, showcasing her evolving skill set each game.

Flansburg delivered a huge performance in the Vikings’ one-point semifinal win, scoring 25 points while going 8-of-14 from the field and 7-of-11 from the free throw line.

Her ability to generate offense and get to the line kept Garfield-Palouse afloat during several key stretches of the game.

Elena is a player who can change her style of play and adjust to what the defense is giving her. She has a solid deep shot, letting it fly often and with confidence. Her 6’1″ height helps her get down-hill and have mismatches with smaller guards. She continues to get better and coaches need to take notice.

Elena Flansburg Elena Flansburg 6'1" | SF Garfield-Palouse | 2026 State WA stood tall—literally and figuratively—as the most dominant player in the league this year. At 6-foot-1, she brought a rare combination of size, shooting touch, and court vision to the Garfield-Palouse roster. Whether working the paint or stepping outside to knock down threes, Flansburg was a matchup nightmare for opponents. Her 35-point explosion in a key win over Pomeroy was just one highlight in a season filled with big performances. Agile and intelligent on the court, she led her team all the way to the state championship game, where they fell just short. Still, her impact was undeniable—and unforgettable.

How do you think your team and yourself performed throughout the season?

–I think that our team performed really well in the less competitive games during the first couple months of the season. The other starters and I often played a short number of minutes, but I thought we all left it all out on the court and worked together really well.

As the season progressed, we played better teams and started evenly spreading the points across our roster every single game. I think this sets us apart from the teams that placed below us in the state tournament; where they might have two or three scorers, we have five on the floor at all times. Each of my teammates has her own bag of things she’s skilled at, which I think sets us apart from those other teams.

What was the biggest obstacle you and your team faced this season?

–The biggest obstacle my team faced this season was definitely sickness and minor injuries which made it hard for us to play at 100% full steam all the time. Personally, I had pneumonia following the flu and was fighting to recover from those, trying to keep on weight and stay in shape all at the same time so that was a huge obstacle I had to face.

What do you think you improved most on the court?

–I’d say something I improved on this season is confidence in coming off screens and catch and shoot quickness as I had a lot of opportunities to get a lot of reps. My teammates also got better, and I could count on them. I often made an extra pass because I was face guarded most games, my assist stats improved a whole lot, and I was really glad to get everyone included in our offense. The minutes I played were reduced in a lot of lopsided games, so I really had to focus on my productivity during my time on the court. That involved me being more efficient on offense in any way I could, which a lot of times was making extra passes or kicking it up.

What are you looking to improve during AAU and before next season?

–I’m looking to improve my finishing ability through contact and physically growing through reps in the weight room. I’m currently doing the high jump in track, and increasing my vertical will help with multiple aspects of the game.

Who are some teammates that you think stood out this season? Who are some teammates who could have breakout years next year in your eyes?

-I feel like my teammate Morgan Lentz has always been underrated. She is always making the extra pass, working her tail off on defense and being in the gap when you get beat. You can always depend on her to put her head down and get to the rim in really tense games and rack up points that really make a difference every single game.

I also think that my teammate, Molly Huffman, is one of the nicest people that I’ve ever played with. She’s never had a negative thing to say about anyone in practice, at a game, on the bench, or even outside of basketball and I think she has a lot of potential. She reminds me a lot of Dennis Rodman because she rebounds so well.

I see a lot of potential in my teammate Taia Gehring Taia Gehring 5'11" | SG/PG Garfield-Palouse | 2028 WA as well. She and Molly are both freshmen and still have a long road ahead of them, but I think their futures can be super bright. We’re still a young team.

Our point guard, Ellie Collier Ellie Collier 5'7" | PG Garfield-Palouse | 2029 WA , is only an 8th grader and is taking on a huge role. She did a great job and she is going to be, or maybe even is, the best point guard in 1B basketball for sure, but also the state of Washington.

As stats will prove, this season Kyra Brantner stepped up and scored a lot of points in numerous games. You can count on her to outrun teams and tire them out.

There are a ton of younger girls on our team that I think will really blossom in the coming seasons who will make appearances at the state tournament very soon, but the one I’m most excited to watch grow as a player is my 14 year old little sister, Lauren Flansburg.

Elena is a high level player who attends a small school. She steps up against high level competition during AAuU, proving she can play at the Division 1 program. Flansburg scores well from the mid-range and can attack from the high post smoothly. She was crowned SE 1B Wheat Division Player of the Year this season.

Elena has great size, standing around 6’1″. She uses her length well on the defensive side and on the glass. She is always doing the little things in boxing out, filling open lanes, and communicating to her teammates. She finishes through traffic in the paint easily, having the length to get shots off above opposing players.

A player with great size and a dynamic offensive game, Elena has great potential. She can stretch the floor well with her ability to shoot the ball, and she also finishes well in the paint. She runs in transition, and if she makes a statement with her rebounding, she could shoot up in the rankings.