SHAWANO (NBC 26) — Shawano girls basketball Head Coach Ryan Koenig knows he has a one-of-a-kind talent on his team in Leah Nordin. He said that the junior, who has already broken the Shawano girls basketball all-time scoring record, excels on both sides of the ball and is a special player.
"Every coach I’ve talked to in the last couple of years who has come to watch practice says she’s a unicorn and a very generational player," Koenig said. "It’s awesome to see. She really gives us a calming presence for the other players. When things go wrong, she can do something by herself."
While Nordin has amassed nearly 1,300 career points, surpassing the previous record set in 1989, Koenig said it’s her defense that sets her apart.
"She’s two-dimensional," Koenig said. "She's not one side of the ball. She plays both sides very hard all the time. Her motor is unlike anybody I've ever seen, and our team feeds off that."
Koenig first recognized Nordin’s potential when she was in eighth grade and began playing AAU basketball. Since then, she has earned accolades including Co-Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-State, and back-to-back first-team All-Conference honors.
Despite her accomplishments, Nordin remains focused on improving her game.
"I want to develop my three-pointers, and I’m also working on getting my teammates more involved—kicking out and just focusing more on the team and making that state run," Nordin said.
After a lengthy recruiting process with numerous Division I offers, Nordin chose to stay close to home and play for the Wisconsin Badgers.
"The atmosphere there was amazing," Nordin said. "When the Jumbotron told the fans to get loud, it got super loud. You could feel the energy in the air. It was amazing. At halftime, I was like, 'Dad, I’m going to commit. I’m going to commit.' It was magical."
Though Nordin still has plenty of high school basketball left with the Hawks, she’s relieved to have her college decision finalized.
