Girls Basketball Bracket Breakdown - Division 1 - Sections 3-4
With girls basketball playoffs starting on Tuesday, let’s take a look at the teams competing with the dream of bringing the Gold Ball back home at the end of the tournament. We’ll take a look at every team in the tournament, their ranking according to us at Zaleski Sports, and a key player to watch for each team.
*Stats Courtesy of Wissports*
*Team Records Courtesy of the WIAA*
*Zaleski Sports Rankings are from the complete regular season, including week after Bracket Release*
Section 3 (Final at Oregon)
(1) Oregon Panthers (24-0) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 1 – Badger-Large Champion
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs winner of Middleton/Madison West
Player to Watch: #15 Delaney Nyenhuis, Sr (12.6 PPG, 9.9 Rebounds, 2 Steals)
(2) Arrowhead Warhawks (21-3) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 2 – Classic Eight Champion
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs winner of Waukesha North-South/Janesville Parker
Player to Watch: #22 Natalie Kussow, So (23.6 PPG, 7.8 Rebounds, 3 Steals – 1,074 Career Points)
(3) Verona Wildcats (24-0) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 3 – Big Eight Champion
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Sun Prairie East
Player to Watch: #11 Reagan Briggs, Sr (27.2 PPG, 3.5 Steals – 1,635 Career Points)
(4) Kettle Moraine Lasers (15-9) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 14 – T-4th in Classic Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Sun Prairie West
Player to Watch: #5 Emily Gomez, Jr (13.9 PPG, 2.9 Steals)
(5) Waunakee Warriors (12-12) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 18 – T-4th in Badger-Large
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Beloit Memorial
Player to Watch: #23 Claire Meudt, Sr (16.8 PPG, 6.2 Rebounds, 3.1 Assists)
(6) Madison East Purgolders (13-5) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 28 – 3rd in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Janesville Craig
Player to Watch: #2 Kearra Jones, Sr (22.4 PPG, 11.2 Rebounds, 2.2 Steals – 980 Career Points)
(7) Oconomowoc Raccoons (11-13) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 33 – 6th in Classic Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Mukwonago
Player to Watch: #5 Eve Gricius, Sr (17.5 PPG, 2.6 Assists, 2.9 Steals – 1,122 Career Points)
(8) Madison Memorial (15-9) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 27 – 2nd in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Madison La Follette
Player to Watch: #12 Princess Nwachukwu, Jr (13.3 PPG, 11.5 Rebounds)
(9) Madison La Follette Lancers (12-9) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 36 – 4th in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Madison Memorial
Player to Watch: #3 Alayna West, Sr (22.4 PPG, 13 Rebounds, 4.5 Assists, 4.8 Steals – 1,362 Career Points)
(10) Mukwonago Indians (11-12) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 38 – 7th in Classic Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Oconomowoc
Player to Watch: #45 Rachael Chilicki, So (14.4 PPG, 8.9 Rebounds)
(11) Janesville Craig Cougars (11-13) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 41 – 5th in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Madison East
Player to Watch: #15 Braelynn Bertocchi, Sr (16.2 PPG)
(12) Beloit Memorial Purple Knights (8-12) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 49 – T-5th in Southern Lakes
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Waunakee
Player to Watch: #5 Jocelyn Tibbetts, Jr (12.1 PPG, 5.9 Rebounds, 2.9 Steals)
(13) Sun Prairie West Wolves (8-13) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 51 – T-6th in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Kettle Moraine
Player to Watch: #2 Ceanna Froh, Jr (11 PPG, 2.7 Assists)
(14) Sun Prairie East Cardinals (9-13) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 47 – T-6th in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Verona
Player to Watch: #13 Kaitlin Bindley, Sr (12.8 PPG)
(15) Waukesha North/South Northstars (5-18) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 53 – 8th in Classic Eight
Opening matchup: Tuesday 2/20 vs Janesville Parker
Player to Watch: #11 Bella Nowak, Sr (11.6 PPG, 2.1 Steals)
(16) Middleton Cardinals (5-18) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 58 – 8th in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Tuesday 2/20 vs Madison West
Player to Watch: #22 Brooke Michelotti, So (11 PPG, 1.5 Steals)
(17) Madison West Regents (4-20) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 67 – 10th in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Tuesday 2/20 at Middleton
Player to Watch: #5 Issra Nafid, Jr (8.3 PPG)
(18) Janesville Parker Vikings (4-20) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 68 – 9th in Big Eight
Opening matchup: Tuesday 2/20 at Waukesha North/South
Player to Watch: #22 Nichari Tucker, So (10.5 PPG, 4.8 Rebounds)
Section 4 (Final at Kenosha Bradford)
(1) Muskego Warriors (19-5) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 11 – 3rd in Classic Eight
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs winner of Racine Horlick/Milwaukee Riverside
Player to Watch: #32 Melena Glysch, Jr (11.1 PPG, 7.2 Rebounds)
(2) Franklin Sabers (16-8) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 15 – Southeast Champion
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs West Allis Central
Player to Watch: #1 Lauren Capstran, Sr (14.2 PPG)
(3) Kenosha Bradford Red Devils (16-7) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 20 – 4th in Southeast
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs West Allis Hale
Player to Watch: #21 Iyanna Green, Jr (15.1 PPG, 5.5 Rebounds, 3.8 Steals)
(4) Kenosha Tremper Trojans (16-8) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 21 – 3rd in Southeast
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Milwaukee Hamilton
Player to Watch: #14 Emily Giese, Jr (17 PPG, 12.4 Rebounds, 3.8 Steals – 980 Career Points)
(5) Oak Creek Knights (14-10) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 22 – 2nd in Southeast
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Milwaukee Reagan
Player to Watch: #22 Ava Hanson, Sr (10.2 PPG, 5 Rebounds, 2.3 Assists)
(6) Milwaukee King Generals (15-6) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 29 – Milwaukee City-Gold Co-Champion
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Westosha Central
Player to Watch: #10 Naomi Wilson, Fr (18.8 PPG, 5.8 Rebounds, 4.3 Assists)
(7) Milwaukee Bradley Tech Trojans (17-5) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 34 – 2nd in Milwaukee City-Blue
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Kenosha Indian Trail
Player to Watch: #20 Leandra Baez, Fr (14.2 PPG, 5.1 Rebounds, 4.3 Assists)
(8) Badger Badgers (13-11) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 35 – 3rd in Southern Lakes
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 vs Racine Case
Player to Watch: #12 Molly Deering, Jr (15.2 PPG, 3.4 Assists)
(9) Racine Case Eagles (11-13) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 39 – 6th in Southeast
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Badger
Player to Watch: #21 Taccarri Hicks, So (22.3 PPG)
(10) Kenosha Indian Trail Hawks (12-12) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 40 – 5th in Southeast
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Milwaukee Bradley Tech
Player to Watch: #10 Adrianna Gonzalez, Sr (19.6 PPG, 7.9 Rebounds, 3.1 Steals – 1,619 Career Points)
(11) Westosha Central Falcons (8-14) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 48 – T-5th in Southern Lakes
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Milwaukee King
Player to Watch: #12 Cardin Johnson, So (13.3 PPG, 2.2 Steals)
(12) Milwaukee Reagan Huskies (9-15) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 60 – 5th in Milwaukee City-Gold
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Oak Creek
Player to Watch: #22 Mariah Speights, Sr (14.1 PPG, 7.4 Rebounds)
(13) Milwaukee Hamilton Wildcats (7-17) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 65 – 7th in Milwaukee City-Gold
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Kenosha Tremper
Player to Watch: #20 Jessiah Collins, Fr (21.6 PPG, 5.6 Rebounds, 3.7 Steals)
(14) West Allis Hale Huskies (4-20) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 63 – 9th in Greater Metro
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Kenosha Bradford
Player to Watch: #12 Emily Eastham, Sr (13.1 PPG, 6 Rebounds)
(15) West Allis Central Bulldogs (2-22) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 70 – 7th in Woodland-West
Opening matchup: Friday 2/23 at Franklin
Player to Watch: #3 Breianna Dean-Lazzari, Sr (10.8 PPG)
(16) Racine Horlick Rebels (4-19) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 66 – 8th in Southeast
Opening matchup: Tuesday 2/20 vs Milwaukee Riverside
Player to Watch: #22 Ameri Lawson, Jr (12.9 PPG, 8.7 Rebounds)
(17) Milwaukee Riverside Tigers (3-20) – Zaleski Sports Rank: 69 – 6th in Milwaukee City-Gold
Opening matchup: Tuesday 2/20 at Racine Horlick
Player to Watch: #3 Brianna Torres, Jr