The Race for Ms. Basketball

The Minnesota Girls Basketball Coach’s Association has announced a “first cut” of 34 players who remain in the hunt for the coveted Ms. Basketball award. As always, there are some surprises, some disappointments, some complaints. Readers of the girls basketball Hub complained, for example, that Makayla Van Nett of St. Paul Como; Natalie Steichen of Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton; and Syd Schultz of Owatonna were among those who didn't make the cut. Someone responded concerning Van Nett that her coach is not a member of the association and did not nominate Van Nett for the award. So any complaints must be with the thought in mind—Was she nominated by her coach? Well, I’d be fairly sure that Steichen was nominated. He coach’s dad runs the coach’s association—well, the boys association, not the girls. So, who knows? But Steichen was one of the 2 biggest surprises not making the list. Northstar Girls Hoops has her rated #19 among the senior class. The other is Erica Hicks, Champlin Park guard, whom we rank #20. One has to wonder whether her decision to sit out AAU ball last summer and to forego basketball at the college level had anything to do with her status off the list? Or was she not nominated? Well, in any event, here are the nominees. <table style="width: 741px" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Carmen Backes</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Chisago Lakes</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Bailey Becker</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Sauk Rapids-Rice</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Taylor Brown</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Lakeville North</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Tayzha Buck</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Red Wing</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Mary Burke </span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Mountain Iron-Buhl</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Krystal Carlson</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Hastings</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Monika Czinano</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Watertown-Mayer</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Kristie Fett</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Lyle-Pacelli</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Bren Fox</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Norwood-Young America</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Audrey Gadison</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">St. Croix Lutheran</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Emma Grothaus</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Mahtomedi</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Sam Haiby</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Moorhead</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Teana Hakamaki</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Cromwell-Wright</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Rachel Hakes</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Woodbury</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Heaven Hamling</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Grand Rapids</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Angie Hammond</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Hopkins</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Nicole Herbranson</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Barnesville</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Morgan Hill</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Minneapolis South</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Cayle Hovland</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Willmar</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Jaclyn Jarnot</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Maranatha Christian</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Kelsea Lund</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Lac Qui Parle Valley</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Ayoka Lee</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Byron</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Maddie Loder</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Orono</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Sydney Lodermeier</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Goodhue</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Kayla Mershon</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Minnetonka</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Shea Oman</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">New London-Spicer</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Kelsey Peschel</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Sauk Centre</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Kylie Post</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Maranatha Christian</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Mackenzie Rensch</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Hutchinson</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Sydney Stapleton</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Centennial</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Maesyn Thiesen</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Sauk Centre</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Autumn Thompson</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Stephen-Argyle</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Megan Walker</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Minnetonka</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Megan Walstad</span></span></td> <td style="height: 30px"><span style="font-family: times"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt">Eastview</span></span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Let the record show that our top 13 and 16 of our top 17-rated seniors are on the list. Our top 5—Sam Haiby, Carmen Backes, Megan Walstad, Yokie Lee and Morgan Hill—all remain in the running, and still look like a pretty good list of finalists from here. MIA are our #14 Raena Suggs, Hopkins; #18 Brynne Rolland of Apple Valley; Steichen, #19; Hicks, #20; #24 Claire Orth, Centennial; #28 Tiahna Nicholson, Thief River Falls; #29 Sommer Blakemore, Park Center; #30 Emma Schmidt, Wheaton; Schultz, #32; and Betsy Schoenrock, NRHEG, #33. So their top 34 and our top 34 contain just 23 of the same names, while each of us has 11 unique names on our list. Also MIA, by the way, is our #36 Grace Touchette of Northfield who would probably move into our top 34 if we happened to update our 2018 rankings today. I don’t see any other major oversights, but I think Steichen, Hicks and Touchette qualify as major oversights. But, again, were they nominated? Among those who were nominated Bailey Becker, Sauk Rapids-Rice (#78); Audrey Gadison, St. Croix Lutheran (#64); Teana Hakamaki, Cromwell (#84); Cayle Hovland, Willmar (#142); Kelsea Lund, LQPV (#51); Kelsey Peschel, Sauk Centre (#86); Kylie Post, Maranatha (#56); and Autumn Thompson, Stephen-Argyle (#53) are not among our top 50. I’m not saying we’re right and they’re wrong. Just, for the record. Regardless, now the focus shifts away from Steichen, Hicks and Touchette to the 34 who are still in the running and especially to the obvious candidates including our top 5 (above) along with #6 Krystal Carlson, Hastings; #7 Emma Grothaus, Mahtomedi; #8 Monika Czinano, Watertown-Mayer and #10 Heaven Hamling, Grand Rapids.