The legend of Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA is something that we will speak about for years to come. This has been one of Iowa’s more complete hoopers throughout her years at the varsity level and her production proves that. A week or two ago, Stokes hit the 2,000 point mark for her career. As this might not be a huge deal to some, this is not a mark that is hit too often by prospects out of Iowa. We usually get 1 or 2 every few years that do it but that’s usually with someone playing at a smaller level. It’s a rarity to produce these numbers in the 3A, 4A, or 5A Classes but that just speaks to how impressive this feat really is. In the end, we have to remember that this is a D1 player that choose her fit within a program, over a label. That speaks to how mature she is mentally and that’s only going to help her go further on her basketball journey.

The state of Iowa is going to lose a walking bucket after this season and it’s a shame but it’s how the process has to work. That bucket being Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA . Stokes moves into her highest ranking to date at #8 for this 2025 Class, behind some elite company. This is a situation I’ve been talking about on social media for awhile now in the aspects that just because Stokes plays 3A, doesn’t mean that she couldn’t do it at the 5A level. That does NOT go for everyone or even the majority but in this case, Stokes could have played 5A this past three seasons and put up similar numbers across the board. Which is nothing short of impressive. The ELC Midgets are going to be the favorite to bring home their 3A title this season and that’s cause of Stokes. They do have a few others as well who can hoop but let’s be real. If Stokes goes crazy, no one is stopping her. Plain and Simple.

Double team? Triple team? The entire team? Doesn’t matter. If Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA has space, she is going to make a play when she has the ball in her possession. That’s been obvious ever since Stokes was a Freshman and it still couldn’t be more true today. To begin the past week, she put up 39 Points (15-23) and 8 Assists in her team’s 40 points victory. It’s hard for me to say that a game is, “break-out”, with a prospect like Stokes but this was blood bath quite frankly. The Midgets did their thing and Stokes played some of the best ball she ever has at the Varsity level. Two things you can’t be mad about if you are apart of the ELC fan base moving into Winter break.

Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA is the key to this Estherville Lincoln Central team. Despite nursing a sore ankle, the 5’7″ point guard showed her ability to score from anywhere on the floor and defend at a high level. Stokes can finish through contact at the rim, hang in the air for pull up jumpers / stepbacks, get past defenders, and hit deep threes (we’re talking REALLY deep). Defensively she’s got great hands and poked the ball away from ball handlers a handful of times. She’s a strong on-ball defender – scoring against Stokes is no easy task. Stokes is prepped to have an all-star senior year.

Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA not only gets it done at the point guard spot for Estherville Lincoln Central, but is a monster scorer (24.6 points per game) and rebounds at a high clip too (4.5 rebounds per game). The Missouri State Mankato commit averaged an impressive 6.6 assists per game last year which put her at second most in the state. With the majority of the Midgets’ scoring returning this season, I predict another big all-around year for Stokes.

Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA of ELC High School is going to be someone that I cannot wait to see in this League because of who she has to compete against during the regular season. A lot of evaluators don’t understand that Stokes is the type of player that can light it up offensively from anywhere on the court against any competition. Doesn’t matter when or where. She might not be placed against the hardest opponents throughout the Winter but during AAU season and during Showcases/Elite Camps, she has always held her own in my opinion. I can’t wait for Stokes to show what she does throughout this Fall, leading into her Senior season with her Midget’s team. She is a bucket as soon as she gets out of her car so it’ll be interesting to see how she ends up fairing in the end.

Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA is going to bring her elite scoring ability to the collegiate level when it’s time. We talk about some prospects just having “it” and Stokes has the ability to be an elite producer offensively. It doesn’t matter what court she is competing on. She may play for a smaller high school so she went under the radar these past three seasons but Stokes has proven time and time again that she is one of the best scorers and creators that the state of Iowa has to offer from any Class level. Each season with her Midgets High School team, she put up massive numbers while leading them to a few State appearances and I’m sure she will have the same idea on her mind for this upcoming Winter. She should be a treat to watch at the next level but I’m interested in what she will be able to string together this next eight months. She is good enough to put the team on her back so I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.