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5 to Watch: 5 of The Times area’s girls basketball players poised for a huge 2025-26

Marquette's Kaitlyn Davis reacts after draining a three-point basket late in the fourth quarter against St. Bede during the Class 1A Regional semifinal game on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 at St. Bede Academy.

There’s a lot of talent across The Times area this girls basketball season. Here are just five of the players we’re expecting big things from during the 2025-26 season.

Abby Hohmann, Somonauk/Leland, G, sr.

A returning Times All-Area Team honoree, the Bobcats’ leader put up per-game averages of 8.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3-1 steals in 2024-25 and looks poised – assisted by a battle-tested, talented roster – to help the co-op to a winning winter.

Somonauk-Leland's Abby Hohmann

Macy Gochanour, Fieldcrest, G, sr.

The leading scorer in the area last season and a Times All-Area Team honoree, Gochanour – who averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals per contest last winter – returns for what looks to be a loaded Knights team.

Fieldcrest's Macy Gochanour poses for a photo on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Fieldcrest High School. Gochanour is the NewsTribune's 2024-2025 girls basketball player of the year.

Mary Stisser, Ottawa, G, sr.

The top returner from last season’s mostly senior-led 24-8, Class 3A regional championship Pirates, Stisser looks like a lock to increase her per-game averages of 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals.

Ottawa's Mary Stisser

Ava Gwaltney, Streator, G, sr.

Gwaltney was the focus of every defense the Bulldogs played last season and still earned Times All-Area third-team honors thanks to her 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per outing.

Ava Gwaltney

Kaitlyn Davis, Marquette, G, jr.

An all-around threat and returning Times All-Area performer, Davis put up 17.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 3.3 spg and 1.8 bpg in 21-11 Marquette’s up-and-down-the-floor, wide-open attack.

Marquette junior Kaitlyn Davis
J.T. Pedelty

J.T. Pedelty

J.T. is a graduate of Streator High School, Illinois Valley Community College and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale who is some 26 years into an award-winning sports journalism career and serves as a regional sports editor for Shaw Local Media and Friday Night Drive.