TOP 10 TEAMS
1. St. Charles North (12-3): Erin Stack, a 6-foot-3 senior, and Alyssa Hughes, a 5-8 junior, are all-conference players and return to lead the North Stars’ defense of DuKane Conference title, the first in program history. Experienced seniors Morgan Klug and Eva Saltsman join 6-1 sophomore Reagan Sipla to provide plenty of talented depth.
2. South Elgin (12-6): Upstate Eight favorites return all five starters from team that lost three times to conference champion Bartlett. That group includes three who averaged double figures in scoring with senior guards Ella Winterhalder at 13.7 points and Caroline Croft at 12.9 and junior guard/forward Zoie Lewis at 11.5.
3. Geneva (11-4): Talented quartet of 6-1 senior Zosia Wrobel, 6-0 junior Cassidy Arni, 5-11 sophomore Leah Palmer and 6-1 junior Lauren Slagle return to signal Vikings once again will be a player in DuKane race.
4. Burlington Central (13-2): Defending Fox Valley champion Rockets have three starters back, led by Princeton commit Taylor Charles. A 6-foot-3 forward, Charles averaged 10.7 points and 10.7 rebounds after transferring from Montini. She’s joined by senior guards Becca Carani and Rylie DuVal.
5. West Aurora (7-7): Riley Mont, a Class 4A all-state guard who averaged 26 points and 6.0 rebounds, is set for a January return from knee surgery. Blackhawks will be bolstered by five transfers, four of them from Aurora Christian. That group is led by Aspen Weeks, a junior guard and 1A all-state selection.
6. Batavia (5-11): Powered by Wisconsin recruit Tessa Towers and sophomore guard Brooke Carlson, Bulldogs look to be a factor in the DuKane race. The 6-5 Towers averaged 17 points last season, while Carlson checked in at 14.5.
7. St. Charles East (7-9): Four starters return for Saints, led by fourth-year varsity player Torrie Kortan, who averaged 12 points last season.
8. Kaneland (9-4): Senior guard Megan Noel and junior guard/forward Katharine Marshall are returning starters from team that finished second last season in Interstate Eight.
9. Yorkville (5-9): Foxes will be led by a pair of third-year varsity players in returning starters Alex Stewart, a junior guard, and Kenzie Phillips, a senior forward. Four juniors — Courtney Morse, Ava Hendershott, Kaelie Moreno and Karson Davey — all played varsity last season as well.
10. Bartlett (15-3): Mackenzie Hare, the Beacon-News/Courier-News Girls Basketball Player of the Year, has transferred to Naperville North. That means no starters return and first-year coach Tanner Gardon is the Hawks’ fourth in four years. Junior guard Sophia Desarden and sophomore guard Laney Stark have varsity experience and will lead a very young team.
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cassidy Arni, Geneva, junior, guard/forward; Brooke Biggins, St. Edward, senior, guard; Becca Carani, Burlington Central, senior, guard; Brooke Carlson, Batavia, sophomore, guard; Taylor Charles, Burlington Central, senior, forward; Caroline Croft, South Elgin, senior, guard; Alyssa Hughes, St. Charles North, junior, guard; Emily Hurst, Rosary, senior, forward; Sayuri Ishikawa, Streamwood, senior, guard; Baylei Johnson, Larkin, junior, center; Katie Jorgensen, Oswego East, senior, guard; Torrie Kortan, St. Charles East, senior, guard; Hannah Laub, Waubonsie Valley, sophomore, forward; Mackenzie Leahy, Jacobs, senior, guard; Riley Mont, West Aurora, senior, guard; Mia Moore, East Aurora, junior, guard; Khaliah Reid, Metea Valley, junior, guard; Kaila Schlinger, Oswego, senior, center; Reagan Sipla, St. Charles North, sophomore, forward; Erin Stack, St. Charles North, senior, forward; Alex Stewart, Yorkville, junior, guard; Tessa Towers, Batavia, senior, forward; Aspen Weeks, West Aurora, junior, guard; Ella Winterhalder, South Elgin, senior, guard; Zosia Wrobel, Geneva, senior, forward.
