The elite of Utah girls' basketball
Stars shine many ways
There have been times Skyline's Dani Peterson has been angry. Times when she has been upset at the referees and times when she has been frustrated by opposing defenses. It's hard to blame her, considering the attention she gets from other teams.
Defenses play her physically, slip her an elbow to the gut when officials aren't looking and are always battling for position. When she gets the ball, three players guard her.
"It's hard because some games, you have a great first half," Peterson said. "You get stuck and you have to get yourself together."
That's what makes Peterson so valuable to her team. Even if she's not scoring, she's contributing. She creates opportunities for her teammates by drawing defenses. Without her, Skyline would be a completely different team. That's one of the reasons Peterson is the best player in the state.
Photo by Jeremy Harmon, The Salt Lake TribuneDani Peterson: The Skyline senior contributes in every facet of the game
These rankings are based on what a player means to a team, the ability to do anything she wants (i.e. drive to the basket, ability to hit shots, create opportunities) and statistics. These are the Top 10 girls' basketball players in the state.
Top 10 players
1. Dani Peterson, Skyline
2. Sheila Adams, Layton
3. Amanda Farish, Lone Peak
4. Mandy Munns, Box Elder
5. Morgan Wood, Beaver
6. Nicole Yazzie, Bingham
7. Tara Gehring, Wasatch
8. Kaycee Mansfield, Am. Fork
9. Jenteal Jackson, Skyline
10. Dani Hosking, Davis
Utah's Top 10 players
1. Dani Peterson
School: Skyline
What makes her a Top 10 player: She can take you outside, she can take you inside. There's nowhere on the court Peterson doesn't excel. She can score over double teams if she gets the ball in the key, but she also has three-point range. Peterson is extremely quick for a post player. She plays at the top of Skyline's press and wreaks havoc with her long arms. Peterson moves well without the ball, can draw defenses and then dish the ball off when she draws them.
Stats: 21.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 75 percent FT, 63 percent FG
2. Sheila Adams
School: Layton
What makes her a Top 10 player: Adams is the best scoring guard in the state. She works for her points, and that means getting through screens, shooting over outstretched arms and driving to the basket against taller players. No other player in Region 1 is marked like Adams is. Still, she's the second-leading scorer in 5A. She's also one of the best three-point shooters in the state, but she's not all about stats. She's creative with her passes and looks for her teammates.
Stats: 19 points, 4 steals and 4 assists per game
3. Amanda Farish
School: Lone Peak
What makes her a Top 10 player: Farish can play any spot on the floor and play it well. She's 6-foot-1 and can handle the ball. She has been the point guard at times, but her natural position is forward. She has also been a center and can just go around her defender. She's not afraid of contact and what she does best is drive to the basket. What makes her stand out is her great court vision and awareness.
Stats: 17 points, 8 rebounds 4 assists, 3.5 steals per game
4. Mandy Munns
School: Box Elder
What makes her a Top 10 player: Munns is the most dominant center in the state. She has learned to use her body and her height and can have her way in the paint. It's inevitable a player of her caliber is going to be double- and triple-teamed, but when that happens, Munns can find the open player. She sees the court well, she's a good passer, and for her size, she's quick on her feet. She changes shots on defense, and on offense, she has an array of solid post moves.
Stats: 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds per game, 45 percent FG
5. Morgan Wood
School: Beaver
What makes her a Top 10 player: Try to guard Wood one-on-one and she'll find a way to get to the basket. Play behind her and she can take you right or left or just score right over you. Play in front of her and she'll seal you off, and if she gets the lob pass, she's got an open lane to the basket. Of course, not many teams are playing her straight up. Wood is seeing double and triple teams every game but is Class 2A's top scorer. She's not afraid of contact, but she's also capable of draining the 15-footer.
Stats: 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds per game, 42 percent FG, 71 percent FT
6. Nicole Yazzie
School: Bingham
What makes her a Top 10 player: There's an argument that there are point guards who can handle the ball better and who are quicker than Yazzie. But when it comes to game-time situations, she is among the best. She doesn't get rattled, she can handle pressure, and most importantly, she makes the right decision. If the game is on the line, there's nothing else coach Rand Rasmussen would rather see than the ball in her hands.
Stats: 9.5 points, 5.5 assists per game
7. Tara Gehring
School: Wasatch
What makes her a Top 10 player: Gehring is the epitome of a high school player. She is a blue-collar player who delivers hard-nosed basketball. She doesn't play summer ball and basically plays only during basketball season, but her statistics are a testament to her athleticism. She is among the top five in scoring and assists in 3A, and she'll do whatever needs to be done to help her team win.
Stats: 17.4 points, 4.2 assists per game, 64 percent FG, 81 percent FT
8. Kaycee Mansfield
School: American Fork
What makes her a Top 10 player: Mansfield isn't flashy but she's consistent. She could score 20 points in a game and you wouldn't know it. Her coaches call her a "silent assassin" because of that. She causes matchup problems because she's 5-foot-10 but is the team's second-best three-point shooter behind Amy Krommenhoek. Mansfield also has the best field goal percentage on her team.
Stats: 15.5 points, 6.9 rebounds per game, 62 percent FG
9. Jenteal Jackson
School: Skyline
What makes her a Top 10 player: It isn't unusual to have a player on the opposing team concentrate solely on stopping Jackson. But, she finds ways to be productive, and that doesn't always mean scoring. She controls the tempo for Skyline. Jackson makes the offense go. And if the offense isn't clicking, she'll take it upon herself to get to the basket and score.
Stats: 17.2 points, 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, 2.5 steals per game
10. Dani Hosking
School: Davis
What makes her a Top 10 player: Hosking has a 43.6 shooting percentage and is the team's leading scorer. That's the role she has taken, but she doesn't mind sharing the spotlight. She doesn't need to score to have an impact on the game. She moves well without the ball and draws defenses with her scoring prowess, creating more opportunities for her teammates.
Stats: 14.7 points, 3.7 assists per game, 38.7 percent 3FG
Second and 9
Also considered for the Top 10:
| Jenna Johnson | Spanish Fork | Sr. | Has a nose for scoring |
| Mechel Hunt | Fremont | Sr. | Physical and knows how to get to the basket |
| Cassie Platt | Canyon View | Sr. | Floor leader who has good court vision |
| Haley Holmstead | American Fork | Jr. | Plays bigger than her size |
| Alexis Kaufusi | Timpview | Sr. | Steady presence for the Thunderbirds |
| Aubrey Lindgren | South Sevier | Jr. | Paired with Parsons, forms a formidable 1-2 punch |
| Jadie Parsons | South Sevier | Jr. | Leads the Rams despite her youth |
| Erika Newbold | Bingham | Sr. | Has great basketball IQ |
| Shanae Vaifanua | Hurricane | Sr. | A top guard who is also a defensive stopper |
Players on the Rise
| Gabriella Rodriguez | West Jordan | Jr. | Could develop into the best point guard in the state |
| Brooke Larsen | Kearns | Jr. | Has an unorthodox style but plays hard-nosed basketball |
| Ashley Kroneburger | Spanish Fork | Jr. | Has pure athleticism, just needs the basketball IQ to match |
| Jaquel Christensen | Richfield | Jr. | Developing into a solid post |
| Amy Krommenhoek | American Fork | So.. | Can shoot the lights out |
| Erika Martinez | Judge Memorial | So. | Can score from anywhere on the court but best from beyond the three-point line |
| Jasmine Porter | Layton Christian | So. | Has amazing athleticism and potential to be a college player |