Summer Review: 2023 Honor Teams
In this article:
The featured image is of Grace Stapleton Grace Stapleton 5'5" | PG Eastern Hancock | 2023 IN (2023) of Eastern Hancock High School and Indiana Showcase Black 17U. Now that it’s August, I have been sitting around thinking about the…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Grace Stapleton Grace Stapleton 5'5" | PG Eastern Hancock | 2023 IN (2023) of Eastern Hancock High School and Indiana Showcase Black 17U.
Now that it’s August, I have been sitting around thinking about the players and games I saw throughout the Spring and Summer. I decided to assemble a handful of post-Summer honor teams, strictly for entertainment purposes. While I realize there are probably several additional girls who could be considered for each of these teams, I selected the five who I thought stood out the most when I was able to see them. Let me be clear…this is based solely on the grassroots season, so it only includes girls who were in uniform when I saw their teams play, and it is not based on high school statistics. I made sure to include each player on only one honor team, and these girls are strictly from the Class of 2023.
THE ENERGIZER BUNNIES
Those players who always bring constant energy to their teams
This team always has as many candidates as any, but I thought these five stood out because they were always entertaining to watch. They bring a great deal of energy to the floor and have nonstop motors.
Evie Bottoms
Evie
Bottoms
5'6" | PG
Homestead | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-6 PG, Homestead H.S., OPS Black E40
Kristin Bukata
Kristin
Bukata
5'7" | PG
Valparaiso | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 PG, Valparaiso H.S., City Elite Prime
Ava Couch
Ava
Couch
5'10" | SF
Indy North Central | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-10 W, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis), Lady Gym Rats EYBL
Eva Fisher
Eva
Fisher
5'8" | SG
Northridge | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-8 G, Northridge H.S.,
Always 100
Black, committed to Marian
Rhylan Kalb
Rhylan
Kalb
5'10" | PF
Northeast Dubois | 2023
IN
, 2023, 5-9 F, Northeast Dubois H.S.,
S.W.I.S.H. City
THE SWISS ARMY KNIVES
Those players who exhibited as much versatility as anyone
There are also always quite a few candidates for this team as well, but these five ladies have a unique combination of different skillsets and demonstrated the ability to affect a game in a variety of ways on a consistent basis.
Riley Flinn
Riley
Flinn
5'11" | SF
West Lafayette Harrison | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-11 W, West Lafayette Harrison H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Lightning, committed to Transylvania
Laila Hull
Laila
Hull
6'1" | PF
Zionsville | 2023
State
#49
Nation
IN
, 2023, 6-1 F, Zionsville Community H.S.,
IGB
GUAA
McKenna Layden
McKenna
Layden
6'2" | SF
Northwestern | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-2 W, Northwestern H.S., Lady Gym Rats EYBL, committed to Purdue
Renna Schwieterman
Renna
Schwieterman
6'0" | SF
Jay County | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-0 F, Jay County H.S.,
Always 100
Elite, committed to Purdue Fort Wayne
Josie Trabel
Josie
Trabel
6'0" | PF
East Central | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-0 F, East Central H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Thunder
THE MICROWAVES
Those players who can get hot quick and put up points in bunches
Everybody likes to score, and there are several players in the 2023 class who can score the ball. These five players stood out as the group who can score ten in a row or 30 points in a game when they get rolling.
Giavonnie Belton
Giavonnie
Belton
5'7" | SG
Pike | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 G, Pike H.S., Lady Gym Rats-Kam
Ashlynn Brooke
Ashlynn
Brooke
5'7" | PG
Pioneer | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 PG, Pioneer H.S.,
Always 100
Elite, committed to Ball State
Asia Donald
Asia
Donald
5'9" | SG
Hobart | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-9 G, Hobart H.S., Example Sports Wolfpack GUAA
Riley Makalusky
Riley
Makalusky
6'2" | SF
Hamilton Southeastern | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-2 W, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Thunder, committed to Butler
Ashlynn Shade
Ashlynn
Shade
5'10" | SG
La Lumiere Prep | 2023
State
#33
Nation
IN
, 2023, 5-10 G, Noblesville H.S.,
IGB
GUAA, committed to Connecticut
TEAM “BUILT FORD TOUGH”
Those players who play with a great deal of toughness and grit
Indiana has quite a few tough-nosed, feisty girls, who really get after it. These five, to me at least, stood out above the rest. They are always willing to seek contact, they never back down, and they play bigger than they are.
Isabella Gizzi
Isabella
Gizzi
5'7" | PG
New Palestine | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 PG, New Palestine H.S.,
Indy Magic
BlueStar
Lizzie Graham
Lizzie
Graham
5'8" | SF
Triton Central | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-8 F, Triton Central H.S., Indiana Select Red, committed to IU-South Bend
Karsyn Norman
Karsyn
Norman
5'7" | PG
Bedford North Lawrence | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 PG, Bedford North Lawrence H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Thunder, committed to Butler
Kailyn Terrell
Kailyn
Terrell
5'7" | PG
Brownsburg | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 G, Brownsburg H.S.,
Indiana Pride
Attack
Linzie Wernert
Linzie
Wernert
5'8" | PF
Lanesville | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-8 F, Lanesville H.S., Indiana Flight Sharks
TEAM WINDEX
Those players who rebound, block shots, or both, at a high level
Obviously, a lot of the candidates for this team are sizeable interior players. These ladies stood out as the better glass cleaners (shot-blockers, rebounders, or both). They definitely pose a major presence in the paint.
Asiah Baxter
Asiah
Baxter
5'10" | SF
Warren Central | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-10 F, Warren Central H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Thunder, committed to Ohio U.
Amiyah Buchanan
Amiyah
Buchanan
6'0" | PF
Evansville North | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-0 F, Evansville North H.S., Lady Gym Rats-Kam, committed to Southeast Missouri State
Cristen Carter
Cristen
Carter
6'3" | C
Ben Davis | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-3 C, Ben Davis H.S., Ty Harris Elite, committed to Miami (Ohio)
Kelsey DuBois
Kelsey
DuBois
6'2" | PF
University | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-2 F/C, University H.S.,
Indy Magic
BlueStar
Skyla Tomasek
Skyla
Tomasek
6'2" | C
Norwell | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-2 C, Norwell H.S., OPS Black E40
TEAM LOCTITE
Those players who flat out lock up their opponent at the defensive end of the floor
This team is absolutely fun to watch, because they use a combination of speed, quickness, strength, and desire to flat out defend the basketball, whether it’s in the half-court or 84-feet from the rim.
Olivia Brown
Olivia
Brown
5'7" | PG
Hamilton Southeastern | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 PG, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Thunder, committed to Akron
RaShunda Jones
RaShunda
Jones
5'7" | PG
South Bend Washington | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 PG, South Bend Washington H.S., Legends U., committed to Purdue
Hailey Smith
Hailey
Smith
5'10" | SG
Fishers | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-10 G, Fishers H.S., Lady Gym Rats EYBL
Olivia Smith
Olivia
Smith
5'10" | SG
Fishers | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-10 G, Fishers H.S., Lady Gym Rats EYBL
Adelyn Walker
Adelyn
Walker
5'8" | SF
Bella Vista Prep | 2023
State
AZ
, 2023, 5-8 G,
Bella Vista Prep
(AZ),
Indy Magic
BlueStar
TEAM ANNIE OAKLEY
Those players who tend to shoot it well every time they take the floor
This is a group of the better shooters in Indiana’s Class of 2023. There are other good ones in this class, but these five shot it consistently all summer. If you’ve never heard of Annie Oakley, look her up…she’d likely be proud of this team.
Kyndell Jochim
Kyndell
Jochim
5'11" | SF
Franklin Community | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-11 F, Franklin Community H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Lightning
Grace Stapleton
Grace
Stapleton
5'5" | PG
Eastern Hancock | 2023
IN
, 2023, 5-5 G, Eastern Hancock H.S., Indiana Showcase Black
Hannah Stutsman
Hannah
Stutsman
5'9" | SF
Scottsburg | 2023
IN
, 2023, 5-9 F, Scottsburg H.S.,
Indiana Elite
Lightning
Bailey Tabeling
Bailey
Tabeling
5'10" | SG
Trinity Lutheran | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-10 G, Trinity Lutheran School,
Indiana Elite
Thunder, committed to Ohio U.
Lilly Toppen
Lilly
Toppen
5'9" | SG
Kankakee Valley | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-9 G, Kankakee Valley H.S., Indiana Showcase Select