Martinson provided a pretty good snapshot of her game almost immediately on Sunday. The pesky 5’7 guard from BOLD (Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian District to be precise) opened 5-on-5 action by intercepting a long pass and turning defense into offense. Soon afterward, she attacked the basket and finished with a smooth reverse layup – a difficult play she made look remarkably easy. That combination of effort and skill has always defined Erika. She’s scrappy, constantly hustles and rebounds well for her size, but she can also handle the basketball and land shots from considerable distance. Martinson has added strength, improved as a playmaker and become more disciplined with her shot selection over time. She remains a dangerous outside shooter but it is the growth in her overall game that is the most important.

Following a sophomore season where she averaged 11.9 points per game for BOLD, Martinson (pictured above) has been a key piece for the Minnesota Rise Levendowski squad all summer. At the Meltdown, the 5’6 guard showed off her characteristic hard-nosed defense. Erika stayed involved at all times, using her ample speed to make plays on the ball, stop her opponents on the drive, and force turnovers out on the perimeter. On the other end of the floor, she controlled the game’s pace, shifting speeds to create openings for herself and her teammates. With 47 points over the course of the weekend, Martinson found much of her scoring at the rim. We saw her get downhill often with a serious burst of speed, then finish with a soft touch off the glass.

Martinson brought the speed, hustle, and quickness all day long at Sunday’s showcase. The bouncy, 5’6 guard was a pest on the defensive end, using her quick reaction time to force turnovers and grab loose balls. The Minnesota Rise guard showed off her ability to score at multiple levels, using her explosiveness to get downhill to the rim. Erika’s was one of the few voices we heard talking on the defensive end of the floor, calling out helpside and ball screens for her teammates. With strong fundamentals and an even stronger motor, Martinson is ready to face her sophomore season head-on.