The goals remain the same for the Becker girls basketball team this season: contending for the conference and section titles as they have been doing annually under Head Coach Dan Baird, who returns for his ninth season on the bench.

“We have won 89 out of our last 90 Conference games spanning six years, and our returning starters are all very skilled and love to compete,” said Baird, who is a two-time Class AAA Coach of the Year.   “All five starters move really well and all can score - all five are really athletic so we should be able to press the entire game if needed.”

Senior Lauren Croal will provide the veteran leadership on this year’s team, and Baird lauded her defensive prowess.

“Lauren does it all for us defensively - she talks and is a fantastic team defensive player seemingly always in the right spot,” Baird said.  “Lauren can also shoot the three really well, and has the capabilities to score.  She is a skilled ball-handler and leads our team well!”

Joining Croal as Captains and starters on the team will be ninth graders Adele Changamire and Josie Reckelberg.

Changamire is a Prep Hoops Breakout Player of Year for 2023-2024 who Baird describes as “very quick, relentlessly attacks the basket, and a nice defender.”

She is the Bulldogs’ leading returning scorer and All Conference Player who Baird said has the potential to be an All State player as a Freshman.

Reckelberg is a true Point Guard who uses her quickness to cause headaches for the Bulldog’s opponents.  Baird called her “an excellent ball-handler, and very athletic . . . defensively she hounds the opposing team’s point guard and can single handedly apply pressure to the opposing team.”

Classmate Tess Brown also returns for the Bulldogs and has a wealth of experience gained a season ago when she played meaningful minutes as an eighth grader.  Baird lauds her balanced game, excelling both on offense and defense.

“Tess is great at attacking the basket on offense and protecting the basket on defense,” Baird said. “She has a lightning quick first step that beats most opponent’s posts up and down the court and she is a great anticipator on defense as well.”

Rounding out the starting lineup will be Andie Changamire, an eighth grader who was an AAU state champion multiple times.  Baird describes her as an “All-State caliber talent and she had a great summer playing for Becker, taking over games at times against great opponents like New Ulm and Staunton, Illinois.”

Baird expects a number of bench players to also contribute important minutes for the Bulldogs, including Eilidh Mrnak and Juliana Stach.

“We are collectively young but very talented, especially our starting five,” Baird said.  “Our bench has some good shooters that will be looking to compete for minutes.”

Baird’s team fell in its season opener against Hill Murray last week in a very close game, and this week were on the road Tuesday (Annandale) and Thursday (Delano) before opening the home schedule with a Friday night game against Elk River.