Mother McAuley will have another group of young, talented guards this season, and Lainie’s name is in that group. From an activity standpoint, she has a strong motor that shows on both ends, especially in the passing lanes defensively. Offensively is where she hangs her hat right now, and the handle and ability to get to the rim are there. The shot is solid too, and as the mechanics tighten and become smoother, she’ll be able to add another layer to her game on that side of the ball.

Lainie was a complete player and all-around difference maker for Team Two during the PGH Illinois Freshman Showcase. Good length, versatile skills, the high motor/hustle you want to have on your team, and a stat stuffer. Lainie ripped by with a burst on a baseline drive to cause a foul, set a defender up with a pocket dribble, and split the gap with a quick crossover to blow by, driving with long strides on her way to the rim for a left-handed finish in traffic. She has a confident stroke from beyond the arc. Lainie buried a smooth wing three and drilled a deep moonshot off the hop later on–swoosh. Her aggressive drives resulted in fouls and she knocked down free throws efficiently from the charity stripe. Lainie pushed the ball out using both hands in the open court and kept her eyes up. She split a sideline trap with a low crossover dribble, befuddled the final defender with a sweet fake-pass move, and earned another trip to the line. Look out, high schoolers.