Emma Close

Teams come in with a plan for Wauwatosa East. They think they know where the danger lives. I’ve watched those plans unfold, possession by possession, and I’ve watched them fail when they lose track of Emma Close. Too many teams treat her like a piece instead of the problem. They shade elsewhere, lose her, and pay for it. Leave her open if you want to. You’ll regret it. I saw it most clearly against Pewaukee. They lost her in transition, the ball swung once, and Emma buried it. The next trip down, they tried to recover late. Same result. By the time the timeout came, the damage was already done. Emma is a double-digit scoring threat in just about every game, and she’s comfortable with the ball in her hands. I’ve seen teams adjust and start guarding her tight. Defender slides one way, Emma’s already gone the other. One step into the lane, soft floater before the help arrives. Possession over. But where she separates herself is on the other end of the floor. She disrupts offense and forces decisions sooner than teams want to make them. Emma reads offenses like you read the paper. If you think the long pass is open, you’re already late. She doesn’t need a play called to change a game. Watch her jump a passing lane, turn it into a quick two, then pick up full court on the very next possession. That swing doesn’t come with fanfare, but it changes the feel of the game. This is a power squad with plenty of weapons. Still, the Raiders benefit in a very real way from what Emma Close brings every night. If you forget about her, she’ll remind you. Follow State of Play Wisconsin on Substack. open.substack.com/pub/stateo… – at Milwaukee, WI