EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Natalie Leuzinger, So., G, Black Hawk girls basketball
Natalie Leuzinger finished with a game-high 14 points, six rebounds and four steals in Black Hawk’s 57–31 a WIAA Division 5 state semifinal victory over Wausau Newman Catholic at the Resch Center in Green Bay last Friday. The Warriors’ unbelievable season came to a heart-breaking end a day later with a stunning 39–29 loss to Bangor in the D5 title game. Leuzinger, this year’s Six Rivers East Player of the Year, finished with six points, eight rebounds and two steals.
Leuzinger was also named to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 5 all-state first team, along with freshman teammate Bailey Butler. Leuzinger averaged a team-high 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.4 assists per game for the Warriors, who finished 28–1 and a perfect 12–0 in the Six Rivers East.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Hannah Jones, Sr., G, Dodgeville girls basketball
Jones was recently named the Southwest Wisconsin Conference Player of the Year and picked up WBCA Division 3 first-team all-state honors after leading the Dodgers to the outright conference title. Jones, a DII Sioux Falls recruit, averaged a conference-best 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 5.2 steals per game for Dodgeville, which finished 21–3 overall and 10–0 in the SWC.
Abby Kaiser, Sr., G, Potosi girls basketball
Kaiser was recently named the Six Rivers West Player of the Year and was named Division 5 honorable mention all-state by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association over the weekend after leading the Chieftains (18–5, 10–2) to a share of this year’s conference title. Kaiser averaged a conference-best 23.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals per game. The four-year varsity player also finished her career with a school record 1,668 points.
Briana Leahy, Sr., C, Shullsburg girls basketball
Leahy was recently named Division 5 first-team All-State by the Wisconsin Coaches Basketball team. Leahy led Shullsburg to a 21-6 record and sectional final appearance before falling to state champion Bangor 55–41. The UW–River Falls recruit averaged 14.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 5.8 blocks per game and recorded four triple-doubles this season.
Kaylee Myers, Jr., F, Darlington girls basketball
Myers was recently named the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League Player of the Year after leading the Redbirds to the outright conference title. Myers averaged 17.8 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game for the champion Redbirds, who finished 19–5 overall and 13–1 in the SWAL. Myers was also named WBCA Division 4 all-state honorable mention over the weekend.
