PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Brooklyn Bair, South Fremont
Megan Biorn, South Fremont
Tasha Larsen, Sugar-Salem
Andee Petterson, Sugar-Salem
Kapri Eiden, Teton
Maya Orduno, Teton
Written by: Marlowe Hereford
The Mountain Rivers Conference schools’ move to 4A last season did not make the league any less competitive than it was in 3A, nor did it end the league’s streak of girls basketball state hardware.
All three teams ended the 2024-25 season with overall winning records, with Sugar-Salem reclaiming the district title for the first time since 2023 to automatically qualify for the state tournament and South Fremont winning a play-in game to advance to state.
The Mountain Rivers Conference teams were senior heavy last year, with a combined 20 seniors playing on varsity.
With new names on the rosters, and a new coach at Teton with Sean Shockley coming to Idaho from Jackson Hole, this season will reveal who the new leaders are in one of Idaho’s most competitive 4A conferences.
SUGAR-SALEM
The Diggers were dominant last season, going a perfect 26-0 to win its eighth state title in program history and second title in four years. This avenged the 2023-24 season when the Diggers did not advance to state. Sugar-Salem scored an average of 56 points per game and held opponents to an average of 33 points per game last season.
The Diggers graduated seven players including Ashlyn Harris (First Team All-Conference), Nika Nead (First Team All-Conference), Sophia Dougherty (Second Team All-Conference and Ava Rydalch (Honorable Mention All-Conference), but return First-Team All-Conference selection and multi-sport standout, junior Andee Petterson, senior and Second Team All-Conference selection Tasha Larsen and senior and Honorable Mention All-Conference forward Brinley Bradshaw. Sugar-Salem has not lost a game since Feb. 3, 2024.
SOUTH FREMONT
The Cougars went 22-7 last season, reaching the 4A state third place game in their first state tournament appearance since 2018. Those 22 wins were the most in a season for South Fremont in at least 15 years.
South Fremont graduated seven players, including Mountain Rivers Conference Player of the Year and multi-sport athlete Brianne Bailey, who has continued her basketball career at Montana State. She averaged 17 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 steals per game as a senior. First Team All-Conference selection Hayden Larson, Second Team All-Conference selection Kenzley Neville and Honorable Mention All-Conference selection Lily Christensen also graduated.
Junior post Brooklyn Bair (Honorable Mention All-Conference), senior guard Megan Biorn (Honorable Mention All-Conference), senior post Hallie Robles and senior guard Bailey Webster return for the Cougars.
TETON
The Timberwolves went 15-8 overall last season, their fourth consecutive season with a winning record.
Teton graduated six players, including First Team All-Conference selection Abi Barkdull, Second Team All-Conference selections Kadence Hansen and Clara Nykamp and Honorable Mention All-Conference selections Gracie Kincaid and Raegan Moss. Sophomore guard Hallie Brown, junior guard Jimmi Williamson and senior post Maya Orduno are among the returning athletes for Teton. The Timberwolves have four seniors on varsity this season.
The Timberwolves have a new coach in Sean Shockley, who previously coached on the other side of the Tetons in Jackson Hole.
Transition offense is an element Shockley said the Timberwolves aim to improve on this season.
“We will push the ball in transition as much as possible,” Shockley said. “We have several players that can handle the ball, so it should make that part easier. Being a new coach to the team and conference, everything we run will be ‘new.’”
Shockley said the Timberwolves do not have much height this season, but they aim to ‘mix it up defensively’ and rebound well.
“We should be able to pressure the basketball and switch as needed without creating much of an offensive advantage for our opponents,” Shockley said. “We hope to mix it up defensively from man to zone and back, but will have to be able to communicate to be successful.”
Shockley described his team as young, with not many returning varsity minutes, but praised the determination his players have shown. He added that discipline and toughness will be the ‘X factors’ for the Timberwolves this season.
“This team is hungry, cares about each other, and is ‘All-in,’” Shockley said. “We know we are young with limited varsity experience. It’s the perfect time for a new coach and system as most of the varsity minutes graduated from last year. We are young, talented and determined—that’s a very optimistic combination to have.”