The Columbus Catholic stepped onto a high school floor and became the focal point of what the Dons did on the offensive end of the floor. Although she was playing small-school basketball, Gardner had a confidence in her game that few newcomers have at her age. She can get to her spots and is comfortable scoring from all three levels. As any young guard, things haven’t always been perfect, but she has always bounced back and competed, which shows a lot of resolve.

Elly brought steady ball-handling and an aggressive mindset when attacking off the dribble. She did a nice job creating space and keeping defenders on their heels throughout possessions. Her ability to handle pressure and still get into the paint helped create offensive opportunities. Elly’s poise with the ball stood out against tough competition.

Elly was one of the most complete point guard prospects I saw at the Great Lakes Kickoff, and she did everything to help Team Prime Nation EYBL 15U win on Saturday. She was a complete guard with one of the highest IQs on the court. Elly continuously penetrated the defense, got two feet in the paint, collapsed the help, and kicked the ball out to open shooters. She closed out hard on the perimeter to block shots, dove for loose balls, secured rebounds, and pushed the pace to create transition scoring opportunities. Elly used a jab, took one dribble to penetrate, then created space with a step-back to bury a smooth facial three up top. She had deep three-point range and used effective pivots in the paint to score floaters. Her shifty crossovers and behind-the-back dribbles made her difficult to contain. Elly was a court general, high-IQ defender (on ball and in the gap), maintained a balanced/wide athletic stance on defense, and cut off drives with quick lateral slides. She used textbook wall-up technique to block shots and force misses on drives without fouling. She sealed the victory late. Elly swiped the ball away to score a layup, then anticipated a pass on the next possession for another steal, then drove by for a left-handed finish.

Gardner has a calm, controlled skill set, and even as a freshman, she plays with strong poise. The handle is solid, and her ability to run the point guard position while still creating her own looks really stood out. You can see why she’s viewed as a top 10 player in her class.

The Columbus Catholic guard has entered the high school ranks and is one of the more productive small-school guards in the state. Gardner is among the most impressive young guards in Wisconsin. Gardner is a skilled player who has the footwork to work through space and the ability to hurt defenses from all three levels. She is one of the best D5 guards in the state, and she has room to keep developing.

Elly has been unstoppable this month, putting together back-to-back standout performances. On January 13, 2026, she erupted for 33 first-half points and finished with 39, missing just one shot all game—going 16/17 from the field, 6/7 from three, and 1/1 from the free-throw line—while adding 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Just days earlier, she scored 27 points with 9/22 from the field, 5/13 from three, and 4/5 from the line, helping her team topple 5th-ranked Owen-Withee in WIAA Division 5 action.