One of Oregon’s best in the class of 2026, Lainey Day Lainey Day 6'0" | SG Adrienne C Nelson | 2026 OR already has gathered lots of attention from coaches at the next level. After an impressive freshman season at 1A Damascus Christian that ended in a state championship, Day had no trouble transitioning to the 6A level in her sophomore season at Nelson due to Damascus’s inability to field a team. She was the Mt. Hood Conference’s defensive player of the year and made the first team. She is playing for Jason Kidd Select this grassroots season, and her defensive prowess, 6’0 size and athleticism, and her ability to create on the offensive end in a variety of ways make her difficult to miss. She and her young squad at Nelson will be a team to watch over the next few years in the state.

After earning first team all-state honors and leading Damascus Christian (who did not have enough for a team this year) to a 1A state championship as a freshman, Lainey Day Lainey Day 6'0" | SG Adrienne C Nelson | 2026 OR has been one of the most valuable assets on Nelson’s squad, picking right where she left off. The long, athletic wing is oozing with collegiate potential in all aspects of the game. She had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals against Grants Pass, and 20 points, 3 rebounds, 5 steals, and a block over Reynolds in two of the Hawks’ most recent games.

A season ago, Day led 1A Damascus Christian to a state title and was named first team all-tournament as well as first team all-state… as a freshman. With Damascus not having enough to field a team this season, Day transferred to the brand new Nelson High School where she is picking up right where she left off. Day’s scoring ability is undeniable, as she is averaging over 10 points per game in the first few games of her sophomore campaign, but perhaps even more impressive are her abilities to put up big contributions in just about every statistical category, particularly rebounding. In their win over a talented Cleveland team, Day had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists for an overall impressive performance. Hers will be a name we will be hearing quite a bit over the next three years. Nelson is competing in the Emerald Bracket of the POA Holiday Classic. They already had a big win over Annie Wright (WA) today, and they have an exciting matchup with Southridge tomorrow (12/29) at 8pm that will be a test for this young team, and will also determine who and when they play on 12/30.