Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC has had a phenomenal year from hitting the game winning bucket in the state championship game to committing to play at the next level to now being one of the leaders for her team in points, rebounds, and steals.  She’s explosive on both ends of the court being able to jump in front of passing lanes on defense to grab steals and attack the gaps getting the pass as she quickly cuts to the basket.  She can handle the ball under pressure no matter what her opponents try to throw at her.

Explosive speed and quickness make Rayana a dynamic guard. She takes the defensive end as important as the offensive end. She guards for 94 feet and can get a steal whenever she wants too. Offensively, Minard can attack the rim in an instant. True floor general and leader for Lake Norman.

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC has officially found her home for after high school, but she isn’t finished shining at this level.  She is aggressive on both ends of the court attacking the basket with the ball and making smart cuts without it shifting the defense being prepared for whatever they try to throw at her.  She is a tenacious defender, too, stripping the ball away from her opponents to take the other direction.

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC hit the game winning bucket in the state championship, and she hasn’t slowed down.  She continues to show up each game as the fierce competitor that she is handling the ball well, running offensive sets, and attacking the basket.  Her defensive IQ has been on display a lot as well knowing how to lead opponents into traps and grab the turnover.  Her quickness is sure to help her get some points as she explodes going the other direction.

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC continued to show off her dominance on defense being able to strip the ball from her opponents and push it to the other end.  She showed off her shot fakes to get the open look in transition.  She is constantly moving on the court showing off her conditioning and ability to outrun her opponents.

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC handles the ball well finding the gaps attacking them to get the pass or score off the dribble.  She was quick to make a move using a jab step right off the rebound to open up the court and make her shot.  She runs the floor well being ready for the pass in transition.

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC continues her tough play running all over the court getting to the ball deflecting passes and grabbing steals.  She moves well on offense, too, knowing how to find the gaps to get a play going.  She always seems to be thinking ahead of her opponents knowing where to find the openings on offense or how to get the possession back on defense.

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC is always ready to play every chance she gets making the moves to find the open spot, and she can go to work scoring off the dribble making nice adjustments at the rim.  She’s a tough defender jumping out quickly on the full court press.  She seemed to slide behind her defenders getting lost to make her shot.  She had a tough take getting to the block with her ball handling and finishing with her strength.  She hit the game winner making the roll to the basket and banking it in as time expired.  

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC was making some nice plays attacking the basket and scoring through contact.  She was doing well finishing on both sides using her hesitation moves to get by her defenders.  She was a tenacious defender constantly getting in the way of passes to push the other direction.

Rayana Minard Rayana Minard 5'6" | CG Lake Norman | 2026 State NC was making some nice plays jumping into passing lanes grabbing steals, and she hustled back on defense making sure her opponents didn’t have an easy path to some points.  She showed off her range shooting, and she didn’t back down from driving hard to the rim.  She did a nice job using some jab steps to create space and attack the paint.