AAU State Tourney: 2022 recap & All-Tournament Team
The debut of the Minnesota Metro Stars premier 2022 team was much anticipated. Nearly 11 months had passed from the time Tara Starks assembled her new unit last fall until the girls finally made their debut on the first weekend…
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Continue ReadingThe debut of the Minnesota Metro Stars premier 2022 team was much anticipated. Nearly 11 months had passed from the time Tara Starks assembled her new unit last fall until the girls finally made their debut on the first weekend in August. One week later they became Minnesota’s 2022 AAU State Champions. It took one incredible comeback in the semifinals, and another impressive run from behind in championship game, but on Sunday afternoon in Shakopee the Metro Stars prevailed by defeating Marqus McGlothan’s strong North Tartan team 66-64. It was an excellent contest between two great basketball teams loaded with some of the very best players in the state.
In a year full of disappointments I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise that yet another eagerly anticipated event came and went this summer. We all waited for what seemed like forever for the state to give the OK for AAU teams to begin practice. It didn’t take nearly as long to learn that the Starks team did not have its full complement of players at workouts due to concerns about COVID-19. It became obvious that the squad wasn’t going to travel to Iowa where the rest of Minnesota’s elite teams were spending their weekends.
As we approached Summer Jam two weeks ago, however, word travelled fast that the Starks team had entered the event and were about to make their debut. Are we ever glad that they did! The Hopkins-centric lineup – seven of the 11 players are members of the high school powerhouse Royals – is young and gifted and driven. Even down 22 points in their semifinal with Minnesota Stars Nilsen they figured out a way to win. Trailing by a dozen to North Tartan in the championship game, the girls kept on pushing and eventually prevailed. After just two weeks of competition the Metro Stars were state champs.
How they did it
Yesterday we offered you the details of the Metro Stars dramatic comeback against Stars Nilsen in the semifinals, but the championship game was also a nail-biter. In a rematch of their Friday night encounter, a game North Tartan had won by three, round two for all the marbles was bound to be a good one.
North Tartan jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead but a pair of baskets by Savanna Jones Savanna Jones 6'2" | PF Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN and a Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN transition bucket midway through the period seemed to spark the Metro Stars. Still North Tartan owned most of the first half as North Dakota import Logan Nissley dominated, sharpshooters Maddie James Maddie James 6'0" | SG Princeton | 2022 State MN and Ronnie Porter Ronnie Porter 5'2" | CG Como Park | 2022 State MN knocked shots down from long distance, and Myra Moorjani Myra Moorjani 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2022 State MN applied her energy and athleticism to put her stamp on the game in a big way. McGlothan’s team led 36-28 at the half.
In the early stages of the second period Battle went to work, scoring on a pair of free throws, a sweet jumper, a bank shot, and a three. With North Tartan’s Nia Holloway Nia Holloway 6'0" | PF Eden Prairie | 2022 State #45 Nation MN in foul trouble, Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN was able to make hay on the inside. The Metro Stars drew even at the 7:45 mark when Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN drove into the lane, bumped hard off her defender, and scored on a layup to make it 47 each.
As the clock wound down, North Tartan was having a devil of a time finishing at the rim. Meanwhile, Battle continued to score as she deposited three more field goals in the stretch run. With just 30.2 seconds remaining, a free throw by Alayna Contreras Alayna Contreras 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2022 State MN gave the Metro Stars a 63-61 margin. Battle went to the line seven seconds later and cashed in on both attempts for a four-point lead. With just under 16 seconds remaining Nissley put up a shot from beyond the arc and got fouled. Making it look oh so simple, Logan calmly deposited all three attempts to cut the lead to a single point at 65-64.
When play resumed Nissley immediately fouled Battle who made one of two free throws to give the Metro Stars a two-point cushion. North Tartan roared up the court for one last gasp but James’ shot was blocked, there was no foul whistled, and the game was over. The final score: Metro Stars 66, North Tartan 64. Battle finished with 27 points giving her 48 on the day and 97 for the tournament. Nissley ended up with 26 points giving her 56 on Sunday and 100 for the tournament. If there were two better guards in Shakopee this weekend we must have missed them!
Here is a complete list of the players who got the job done for the Metro Stars, enumerated in the order of their Prep Girls Hoops prospect ranking. Their graduation year is indicated in parentheses.
#2 Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN , Hopkins (2023)
#3 Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN , Hopkins (2022)
#13 Savanna Jones Savanna Jones 6'2" | PF Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN , Eden Prairie (2023)
#24 Alayna Contreras Alayna Contreras 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2022 State MN , Hopkins (2022)
#24 Kelly Boyle Kelly Boyle 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2023 State MN , Hopkins (2023)
#26 Mikayla Aumer Mikayla Aumer 5'9" | CG Cambridge-Isanti | 2022 State MN , Cambridge-Isanti (2022)
#41 Ari Gordon Ari Gordon 5'10" | SF Maple Grove | 2022 State MN , Maple Grove (2022)
#97 London Salberg-Thornton London Salberg-Thornton 5'11" | PF Maranatha | 2022 State MN , Hopkins (2022)
Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN , Park Center (2024)
Also on the roster, but not participating due to injury, are 2023 #3 Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN and 2022 #42 Selam Maher Selam Maher 5'7" | CG St. Louis Park | 2022 State MN , both of Hopkins.
A well-balanced team
It’s not easy to single out players on such a quality team, especially one that is stacked with D1 prospects. Younger players like incoming sophomores Jones and Boyle did their fair share. McGill, a highly-talented guard who will be a freshman this fall, showed flashes of her future brilliance. Incoming junior Salberg-Thornton contributed key minutes, as well. And then there are the unsung heroes Gordon and Aumer.
Gordon is one of the state’s best defenders, a player who quietly goes about the business of shutting down opponents while occasionally offering a glimpse of what’s possible at the other end of the floor. People sometimes use the term ‘glue player’ for athletes like Gordon. Likewise for Aumer, who made the squad last fall through open tryouts. That’s almost unheard of for an elite team of this caliber, but then Aumer’s whole story is unique. The versatile guard has risen from obscurity by outworking every other player in the state. Both Gordon and Aumer proved their worth this weekend.
All that aside, nobody wins a state championship at any level without its stars. For Metro Stars Starks, the three athletes who shone brightest in the spotlight this weekend were Battle, Contreras and Woodson.
Now that the incomparable Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers 5'11" | CG Hopkins | 2020 State MN has graduated from Hopkins and moved on to the rarified air of the University of Connecticut, Battle is the heir to the throne. Although she is one of the premiere talents in the state, and the target of multiple high major collegiate programs, she has had a relatively low profile to date. This weekend Amaya showed everyone in attendance and the coaches watching online that she has taken charge and taken over.
Contreras has long been one of the most underappreciated talents in the Hopkins lineup. In a role she appears to have relished, Alayna has been a quiet contributor, with tremendous talent and potential, who has improved her skills on a continuous basis while preparing for a spot in the sun. This tournament may have been her coming out party. Alayna was everywhere!
And then there was Woodson, the big forward who is one of the top talents in the state. She’s fast and strong and highly skilled, with a Eurostep to admire, nice touch around the rim and guard-like skills in a power forward’s body. Some lucky college program is going to get a special talent three years from now. In the meantime Taylor is going to go up, over and through opponents on behalf of the Metro Stars and that’s exactly what she did this weekend.
2022 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Here are the Prep Girls Hoops 2022 All-Tournament Teams. Selections are based on the grade at which the team competed. Players who aren’t in the 2022 class have their graduation year indicated in parentheses. Choices were made regardless of a player’s position.
1st team
- Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN – Metro Stars Starks (Hopkins)
- Alayna Contreras Alayna Contreras 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2022 State MN – Metro Stars Starks (Hopkins)
- Logan Nissley – North Tartan (Bismarck, N.D.) (2023)
- Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN – Fury 2022 UAA (Chaska)
- Desiree Ware Desiree Ware 5'8" | CG Minnetonka | 2022 State MN – Stars Nilsen (Minnetonka/Alabama-Birmingham)
2nd team
- Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN – Metro Stars Starks (Hopkins) (2023)
- Myra Moorjani Myra Moorjani 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2022 State MN – North Tartan (Eden Prairie)
- Maddie James Maddie James 6'0" | SG Princeton | 2022 State MN – North Tartan (Princeton)
- Lily Fandre Lily Fandre 6'2" | SF Eagan | 2022 State MN – Stars Nilsen (Eagan)
- Callin Hake Callin Hake 5'8" | PG Chanhassen | 2022 State #64 Nation MN – Fury 2022 UAA (Chanhassen/Nebraska)
3rd team
- Lizzie Holder Lizzie Holder 6'1" | PF Stillwater | 2022 State MN – North Tartan Elite (Stillwater)
- Emma Lade Emma Lade 5'9" | CG Mayer Lutheran | 2022 State MN – Comets Blue (Mayer Lutheran)
- Ava Stier Ava Stier 5'10" | PF Waconia | 2022 State MN – Stars Bjorgaard (Waconia)
- Kyla Overskei Kyla Overskei 5'11" | SG Maple Grove | 2022 State MN – Fury 2022 Yellow (Maple Grove)
- Coco Duininck Coco Duininck 5'7" | CG Central MN Christian | 2022 State MN – MN Rise Wright (Central Minnesota Christian)
Top photo: MN Metro Stars Starks celebrated with their championship rings. Back row (left to right): Savanna Jones Savanna Jones 6'2" | PF Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN , Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN , Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN , Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN , Alayna Contreras Alayna Contreras 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2022 State MN , Kelly Boyle Kelly Boyle 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2023 State MN and London Salberg-Thornton London Salberg-Thornton 5'11" | PF Maranatha | 2022 State MN . Front row (left to right): Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN , Mikayla Aumer Mikayla Aumer 5'9" | CG Cambridge-Isanti | 2022 State MN , Selam Maher Selam Maher 5'7" | CG St. Louis Park | 2022 State MN and Ari Gordon Ari Gordon 5'10" | SF Maple Grove | 2022 State MN . (Photo courtesy of Crissha Walton)