Time moves slowly for Napavine High School’s Hayden Kaut on the basketball court. Especially in the biggest moments.
Her sophomore year of sinking the game-winning bucket to put the Tigers on top of the Class 2B world. Then in the final game of her prep career, she hoisted a one-handed prayer in the third/fifth place game to tie the contest and eventually leave smiling.
“It felt like an eternity to throw that ball,” Kaut said. “There is a lot of adrenaline running through you. Win (or) lose, you make the shot (or) miss the shot, it is going to be super memorable either way.”
Kaut’s time as a Napavine hooper is done. Yet not without one final piece of recognition.
One of the most consistent players throughout her five years playing in the black and orange, Kaut was named as The Chronicle’s all-area girls basketball MVP on Wednesday. It marks the first MVP honor for the 6-foot-2 senior.
She was also named the 2B State Player of the Year by the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association (WSGBCA) at the senior all-star game last week. And to boot, she was the MVP of the game itself.
Add it to the list that also included a Co-C2BL MVP.
“I’m super grateful,” Kaut said.
Her time for Napavine ended with the state title in 2024, a fifth place finish her freshman season and back-to-back third place performances in Spokane. Within SW Washington, the Tigers won three District 4 championships and three league titles.
Very quickly after getting back from the east side, Kaut dove right into softball practice. The reminiscing of it all hasn’t happened yet in totality.
Still, it hasn’t left her mind.
“When I see old pictures and videos pop up, that hits me like ‘Wow, it is really over and it was an amazing ride,’” Kaut said. “I couldn’t have asked for any better team to do it with. A state championship wasn't on anybody’s mind.”
One part of her game that evolved over the last two years was her post presence and rebounding. She didn’t have to worry about it early on, but had to adjust quickly as a junior. Napavine coaches Shane Schutz and Josh Fay challenged Kaut to be more aggressive in the paint.
While clipping at 37 percent from behind the arc, Kaut averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds this winter and also had two blocks and two steals per game. Her total field goal percentage was 48 and from the charity stripe, she was at 76 percent.
Kaut finished with over 1,900 career points, one of the best marks in school history.
“Teams started denying me and double teaming me,” she said. “Scoring comes from rebounding. If you offensive rebound, you’re going to get a lot more points just on putbacks. I got a lot more comfortable with it this year.”
Up next for Kaut after softball will be Division I basketball at Montana. She wants to give herself the opportunity to play right away, but didn’t shut down the idea of redshirting. She also understands she’ll need to gain muscle in the offseason.
She departs for Billings in mid-June.
“It is a goal to try and experience getting on the court,” Kaut said.
Still, her heart will always be with Napavine and she made it an emphasis to give flowers to the community for being with her and her teammates every step of the way.
“It is an amazing support system,” Kaut said. “The amount of people we had in Spokane is insane. I’m grateful for all of them.”
Here is the rest of the all-area team:
Dilyn Boeck, W.F. West
The Bearcats junior guard earned her first EvCo MVP award by pacing the league and district champs with 20.8 points per game and recording over five rebounds, four assists and three steals per night. Boeck now sits in second place in school history in several statistics.
Joy Cushman, W.F. West
Back in the fold after missing her sophomore season with an injury, Cushman shined by averaging 15.4 points per game and canning 51 3-pointers. She set a new career-high in points with 26 in a win over Black Hills. The junior also pulled down north of three rebounds a game.
Taylen Evander, Napavine
The other Co-MVP in the C2BL, the Tigers point guard was a two-way phenom this winter. She guarded the opponent’s best player while also scoring 10.5 points per game plus clipping her boards and assists a game at four. Evander also shot 71 percent from the charity stripe.
McKenna Torrey, Adna
In a brand new role this season, the junior thrived by averaging nearly 18 points a night and being one of the best defenders in the area. Her steals per game average of 4.6 tops the team and she also pulled down six rebounds. Torrey led Adna to another extended stay in Spokane.
Lexi Beckman, Rainier
At 6-foot-1 and just a freshman, the Mountaineers forward was the key cog in helping them reach the district tournament. Beckman averaged a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds all while shooting around 50 percent from the field.
Natalie Buchanan, Black Hills
Buchanan was a primary factor in bringing the Wolves back from an 0-3 start in league play to finish runner-up for the second straight season. The junior averaged nearly 17 points and eight rebounds plus shot 37 percent from the field and 80 percent from the charity stripe.
Emalie Jacoby, Onalaska
A pure scorer for the Loggers, Jacoby led them to a winner-to-state game in the Class 2B District 4 tournament. She averaged 18.5 points a night and almost nine rebounds per game. Defensively, her active hands allowed her to register four steals per game.
Karli Phelps, Pe Ell
The Columbia Valley League MVP for the third consecutive season helped the Trojans get back to the 1B state tournament in Spokane. Phelps averaged 14 points per game and roughly four rebounds, steals and assists a night as a complete player.
