Idaho women: After graduation of top scorers, Gina Marxen next in line for Vandals

It’s time for someone else to make a splash in Moscow, and it probably will be Gina Marxen.

The Big Sky Conference may never again see the likes of hotshots Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce – the Splash Sisters – who helped the Vandals reach the postseason four straight years.

They also dominated the scoring last year, averaging 41 points (or 53% of the Vandals’ output). That was OK, since Idaho won the Big Sky regular-season title, but now someone else must fill the void.

That figures to be Marxen, a 5-foot-8 guard from Sammamish who was last year’s Big Sky freshman of the year after averaging 8.6 points, three assists and 41.1% shooting from the arc. She also started 31 games, and is the biggest reason the Vandals are picked to finish second in the conference.

Also back are the Klinker sisters of Fairfield, Montana. Natalie, a 6-1 junior post, started all 34 games last year while leading the Vandals in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and field-goal percentage (56.8%).

Lizzy Klinker, a senior guard, was UI’s third-leading scorer last year (9.3 ppg) and second-best rebounder (7.3 rpg).

“I’d like to be able to play a lot of kids early, that’s my plan,” coach Jon Newlee said. “Kind of give everybody that chance, everybody their shot, and see what happens.”

The Vandals will get a boost in January from Arizona transfer Shalyse Smith, a Tacoma product who was ranked the seventh-best wing prospect in the country as a senior at Bellarmine Prep.