Current Placements
The girls varsity basketball team is currently ranked 24th overall in the division 6A girls basketball winter 2025-26 rankings and 10th in the Sunflower League. They finished the season with a record of 6-16.https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/prairie-village/organization/1269/shawnee-mission-east-high-school/team/83677/girls-varsity-basketball
Top Performers
The team is led by multiple standout players.Senior Fina Kessler, senior Paige Stanfield, and junior Coco Reiser have been key players this season. Kessler, the team's leading scorer, averages 14 points per game and a total of 306 points. She also made 71 3- pointers this season, breaking the school record. Another top rebounder is senior Paige Stanfield, who broke the school record for most rebounds in a single season and most rebounds in a career. Reiser scored a total of 196 points this season with 71 being free throws.
Season Recap
The No. 15 seed Lancers played their final game on March 3 at Olathe South in the KSHSAA 2026 Class 6A Sub-State Girls Basketball tournament against No. 2 seed Olathe South. The Lancers lost to the Falcons 59- 39. The Lancers previously played the Falcons this season and lost by 41, so despite the loss, they showed improvement this game. The team improved this game by switching defense from different zones to man-to-man frequently, according to Kessler. The Lancers finished the season 6–19, including an upset win over McPherson when many players expected a loss, and a close battle with Olathe Northwest where the score kept going back and forth. When Kessler reflected on her season she said, “I think the team improved on how to work together and run certain offenses and defenses and just learning each other's skills was great. We were all super close and it was a great group to end my career off with.”
Strengths and Weaknesses
One of the team's strengths was their collective work ethic, according to Paige Stanfield. Before every game, head coach Douglas Archer writes a reminder in the locker room highlighting how important it is to “never get outworked”. However, many of the players don't have a height advantage, which makes it easier for their shots and passes to get blocked by opponents. Having close bonds with teammates makes communication easier and leads to more effective plays, especially in defensive plays, according to players.
Injuries
Senior guard Sydney Eck recently tore her ACL. Eck is a key player, according to her teammates so this was a significant loss as they entered the post season because she was a primary ball-handler.