Lily Fisher could become the Libertyville girls basketball team’s all-time leading scorer in her next game.
Fisher needs just 22 points to break her older sister Emily‘s record. That wouldn’t happen until next season, when the 6-foot-1 guard will be a senior. But the mere possibility reflects the sisters’ remarkable impact on the Wildcats over the past seven years.
“We’ve won seven consecutive regional championships and six of the last eight conference championships,” Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen said. “A large part of the success is because Lily and Emily both really want to win and will do whatever is necessary.
“They both worked hard to learn the system and contribute in ways the team needed. They are selfless and are so basketball smart, make great plays, and as new kids, they came in and seized the opportunity to add to the legacy.”
Fisher, the 2025-26 New-Sun Girls Basketball Player of the Year, continued to add to that legacy in her junior season. She averaged 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.9 steals and 3.9 deflections to lead the Wildcats (27-7, 13-1) to the North Suburban Conference title and the Class 4A Rockford Guilford sectional championship game.
Fisher, who has 19 college offers, also was the conference co-player of the year and a Class 4A all-state first-team pick by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
“I’m the most proud of how we always come out with a good and successful season,” she said. “But it’s definitely bittersweet feelings considering I’m a senior next year and only get to play with my best friends one more time.”
Count Stevenson coach Regan Carmichael among those who won’t miss game-planning for Fisher after next season.
“With Lily, I would describe her as the sun, and the other players orbit around her,” Carmichael said. “I don’t mean that in a way that diminishes her teammates, but it’s more about her presence and influence. Where she goes, her team follows. Her confidence is contagious, and her teammates embody the edge and competitiveness she plays with.
“She carries a significant load offensively and plays with a fearlessness that shows up especially against high-level competition.”
Not that Fisher takes any games for granted.
“What I appreciate most about Lily’s junior year is her refusal to treat any opponent as more or less important than another,” Pedersen said. “She goes hard every game. She preps and learns the scouting reports and utilizes game plans to break down opponents. So the first way she handles these expectations is through mental preparation.”
Such preparation allowed Fisher to set Libertyville’s single-season scoring record with 654 points. She also became the single-season leader in blocks and the career leader in steals, and she ranks second in career assists.
More important for the Wildcats, Fisher became a leader among her teammates as they adjusted to the loss of three of the top seven players in their rotation during the preseason.
“The change was definitely a learning experience,” she said. “Having to be a caption and to take a bigger part as a leader was a change overall, especially with how young and new our team was.”
Libertyville junior guard Charlotte Harrison said Fisher handled it well, just like she handles everything else.
“Even when the other team’s main focus is to stop her, she stays calms and makes smart decisions,” Harrison said. “She also leads by example with her confidence and work ethic.
“When games become intense, she keeps everyone focused and motivated. Her ability to stay composed and make the right plays under pressure is a big reason why our offense runs so smoothly and why the team trusts her to lead us on the court.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
