#18 – While not necessarily the flashiest player in the gym, Gess plays her role with exceptional consistency. Standing at 6 feet tall, the West Central United wing is a fluid athlete who runs the floor with ease. She’s calm, plays with poise, and plays a style of fundamentally sound, high IQ basketball that’s remarkably well suited to the college game. She may not light up the scoreboard every night, but Lauren does all the little things that contribute to team success. She makes smart decisions with the ball, is disciplined on defense, and is an efficient shooter from beyond the arc. On top of that, Gess gives her full effort on each and every possession.

Easily 6 feet tall, Gess has the length and physical tools that immediately get your attention, but it’s the completeness of her game that makes her such an intriguing long-term prospect. The Moorhead guard is remarkably comfortable in her growing frame, moving fluidly with quick feet while rarely appearing hurried or out of control. Gess plays fundamentally sound, no-nonsense basketball, consistently making good decisions and positioning herself with purpose. She’s crafty with the ball, shoots with a high release, plays effectively off two feet and reads rebounds exceptionally well. Defensively, her combination of length, mobility and anticipation can be disruptive. Gess may not depend on highlight-reel plays to make an impression, but her height, length, skill, athleticism and basketball IQ make her an extremely appealing college prospect.

One of the key stories of this AAU season has been the strength of West Central United as a program, but particularly that of their 2030 Blue team, who brought the program their first AAU State Championship back in May. The roster is chock-full of high level collegiate prospects, and Gess is no exception. Long, wiry, and light as a feather on her feet, the 6’0 guard (pictured above) is athletically gifted in nearly every aspect. In addition, she’s incredibly fundamentally sound. While Lauren generally doesn’t score the most points or garner the most defensive attention, she thinks the game at a high level, makes very few mistakes, and plays hard on every possession. Crafty with the ball in her hands, a proficient shooter, and a disruptive defender, Gess has been a tremendous asset for her team this spring.