25 of the area's best girls basketball players to watch in 2023-24, and 15 under the radar

The Milwaukee area lost some top talent after last season, as four of the five candidates for Ms. Basketball in the 2022-23 season came from the region.

All four are playing Division I basketball now, including the award winner Kamorea "KK" Arnold from Germantown, who now plays at Connecticut, and Minnesota forward Grace Grocholski, from back-to-back WIAA Division 1 state champion Kettle Moraine. Former New Berlin West center Meghan Schultz is at UW-Green Bay, while former Union Grove forward Sophia Rampulla stayed in the area at UW-Milwaukee.

Here are 25 players around the Milwaukee area to watch in the 2023-24 season, listed alphabetically:

Note: Wilmot senior McKenna Johnson would've been included on this list, but according to athletic director Jerry Christiansen, Johnson has committed to Minnesota and will enroll on Jan. 1, which means she will not play for the Panthers this season.

Jasonya "JJ" Barnes, 5-8, jr., The Prairie School

Barnes was an Associated Press second-team all-state selection after leading the Hawks to a Division 4 sectional final last season. She averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game and has garnered a lot of Division I interest, including in-state offers from Marquette and Wisconsin.

Makena Christian, 6-0, jr., Hartford

Christian will be one of the frontrunners for every player of the year award, including the North Shore Conference honor she shared with Homestead's Madison Fitzgibbon a season ago. She has earned a lot of Division I interest already, for good reason: she averaged 24.8 points and 13.0 rebounds as a sophomore.

Jordan Fenske, 5-10, jr., Waukesha West

The Wolverines will have to replace four of five starters, but Fenske returns after landing on the all-Classic 8 Conference first team with some of the area's best players. The Illinois State recruit averaged 9.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals as West reached sectionals in Division 2 a season ago.

Semaj Ferguson, 5-7, jr., Milwaukee Pulaski co-op

The Pulaski co-op shared the Milwaukee City Blue title with Milwaukee North a season ago and Ferguson was a huge reason. She averaged more than 26 points a game and had five games in which she scored more than 31. She dropped a season-high 46 in December against Milwaukee Madison.

Madison Fitzgibbon, 5-7, jr., Homestead

The co-player of the year in the North Shore returns for the conference champion after a strong sophomore season. Fitzgibbon averaged 19.8 points, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals, including a season-high 34-point performance against Hartford last December when she hit seven three-pointers.

Adrianna Gonzalez, 5-5, sr., Kenosha Indian Trail

The Iona recruit averaged 25.7 points and 2.9 steals a season ago on her way to a second straight all-Southeast Conference second-team selection. She had six games of 30-plus points as a junior, including a season-high 42 against Racine Case in February.

Ameerah Grant, 5-4, jr., Brown Deer

Grant is of the better guards in the area and already holds Division I offers from North Dakota and Southern Illinois. She averaged 28.2 points and 6.2 rebounds as a sophomore, including 10 games of 30-plus points. Her best was a 48-point outing against Greendale in which she hit 4 threes and made 16 of 20 free throws.

Giselle Janowski, 5-8, soph., Pewaukee

It runs in the family for the Janowskis. On the boys side, Nebraska recruit Nick will look to lead the Pirates to their fourth straight state title. For the girls, younger sister Giselle will look to lead Pewaukee to its third straight state championship game appearance. Janowski, who also helped the Pirates reach the Division 2 state semifinals in volleyball this season, was an AP all-state honorable mention selection as a freshman, when she averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Lucia Jensen, 5-11, sr., Brookfield Academy

Jensen is the Midwest Classic Conference's top returning scorer. She averaged 19.8 points, including a season-high 32 against Kenosha Christian Life in January, and was named to the all-MCC first team.

Shae Kelley, 5-10, sr., Brookfield East

With the program's all-time leading scorer Annika Pluemer moving on after graduation, the Spartans have become Kelley's team. She was stellar as a junior, averaging 14.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.8 steals and 4.2 assists, helping lead the Spartans to the Greater Metro Conference title and the Division 1 state title game. She's generated plenty of Division I interest and already has more than 900 points, 400 rebounds and 400 steals.

Maya Kovacic, 5-7, soph., Brookfield East

Pluemer and Kelley took the headlines for the Spartans on their run to state, but one of the underlying storylines was the rise of Kovacic. She had 21 points in a 62-57 win over D3 state qualifier (and 2022 state champion) Waupun and 21 points in a victory over Germantown in the D1 state semifinals. She already holds an offer from Eastern Illinois.

Natalie Kussow, 5-10, soph., Arrowhead

Kussow was one of just two underclassmen (with Jordan Fenske) named to the all-Classic 8 first team last season. She averaged 18.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals for the 23-win Warhawks. She has had some Division I interest already and that is likely to grow.

Makenzie Luehring, 5-5, jr., Kettle Moraine Lutheran

Luehring led the East Central Conference in scoring (20.9), was named to the all-ECC first team and had four 30-point games, including a season-high 43 points against Sussex Hamilton in which she hit 5 threes. She'll challenge Waupun forward (and Marquette recruit) Kayl Petersen for the conference player of the year honor.

Keona McGee, 5-7, sr., Dominican

McGee was the catalyst for 23-win Dominican, which shared the Metro Classic Conference title with The Prairie School. She averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 steals, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists on her way to scoring her 1,000th career point and being named to both the all-MCC first team and the AP all-state honorable mention list.

Natalie Meaux, 5-6, sr., Franklin

Meaux had a wonderful junior season with the Sabers, who were one game away from the Division 1 state tournament and ended Oak Creek's reign atop the Southeast Conference. The point guard averaged 17.5 points, including a 40-point game against Racine Case in which she hit 10 threes, and was also the only Saber named to the all-SEC first team.

Natalie Mueller, 5-6, jr., Homestead

Three sophomores were named to the all-North Shore team and here's the third. Mueller joined her teammate, Fitzgibbon, on the top all-conference team after a sophomore season when she averaged 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals. She had a pair of 30-point games last year, including 32 points against D1 state qualifier Germantown in which she hit five threes.

Jayla Rankin, sr., Wisconsin Lutheran

Rankin was named to the all-Woodland West first team as a junior when she averaged 14.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals. Rankin had five 20-point games, including a 30-point outing against Shorewood in December.

Amelia Rigel, 5-9, sr., Brookfield Academy

Rigel was named to the all-Midwest Classic Conference first team after averaging 18.6 points and putting up a pair of 30-point performances. Rigel should help in the the Blue Knights' battle for the MCC crown with the likes of University School and Lake Country Lutheran.

Clare Shea, 5-10, jr., Menomonee Falls

Shea, a Marquette soccer recruit, led the 17-win Phoenix with 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds last season, including seven double-doubles and a 40-point game against Whitnall. She also made the all-Greater Metro first team.

Amy Terrian, 5-8, jr., Pewaukee

Pewaukee will be one of the favorites in Division 2 again with the twin Terrians and Giselle Janowski all back. Amy Terrian was named to the all-Woodland West first team and to the AP all-state fourth team last season when she averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals. The Michigan State recruit is one of the state's best shooters with 13 games last season in which she hit at least three triples.

Anna Terrian, 5-8, jr., Pewaukee

The Pirates have loaded their schedule against the likes of 2022 D2 state qualifier McFarland and three-time D2 champion Notre Dame, along with Hortonville, Brookfield East, Homestead and Arrowhead in D1. Terrian averaged 10.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.5 assists last season and was named to the all-Woodland West second team.

Ally Timm, 5-11, sr., DSHA

The DePaul recruit not only made the all-Greater Metro first team, she was the only Dasher to average in double-figure scoring last season at 16.1 points with 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals.

Sophie Trimble, 5-9, jr., Menomonee Falls

The younger sister of North Carolina guard and former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Seth Trimble, the wing is establishing her own legacy. As a sophomore, Trimble averaged 16.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists as she made the all-Greater Metro first team. She holds an offer from Northern Illinois and has plenty of other Division I interest.

Jaeda Turner, 5-5, jr., Milwaukee Academy of Science

With the graduation of Beautiful Waheed and Lalani Ellis, the two leaders of a the Novas' run to the Division 3 state title game last season, Turner will take on a much larger role. She averaged 14.1 points last season, including a 42-point game in which she made 18 of 22 shots against Racine Case. She's quick with the ball at guard and can put pressure on with her defense.

Delaney Winkelmann, 5-8, soph., Living Word Lutheran

There were only 13 players in the state last season who averaged more than 5.5 assists a game, and Winkelmann was one of them as a freshman. She had eight games with double-digit rebounds, six games with at least eight assists and had three games with at least 20 points.

15 'under-the-radar' players to watch

Ola Bahhur, 5-6, soph., Salam

Rachael Boldt, 5-7, soph., Lake Country Lutheran

Amaya Bridgewater, 5-9, sr., Pius XI

Megan Geason, 5-10, jr., Oak Creek

Taylor Gifford, 6-0, soph., Waukesha West

Teresa Kescenovitz, 6-0, jr., Arrowhead

Tailor Lawrence, 5-10, sr., Wauwatosa West

Megan McDowell, 5-11, jr., New Berlin Eisenhower

Serinity Metcalfe, 5-7, jr., Shorewood

Marissa Morgan, 5-8, jr., Grafton

Kennedy Retherford, 5-9, jr., Pewaukee

Lucy Sarna, 6-2, soph., Mukwonago

Jazzmine Smith, 5-7, sr., Wisconsin Lutheran

Rachel Simmons, 5-11, jr., Brookfield Academy

Jade Warren, 5-8, jr., Menomonee Falls

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 25 girls basketball players to watch around the Milwaukee area