AAU State Tourney: 2024 recap & All-Tournament Teams
The first time I saw the Minnesota Fury’s 2024 UAA squad this season was on a hot summer evening in June at a park in Maple Grove. As I sat in my lawn chair under a tree at one of…
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Continue ReadingThe first time I saw the Minnesota Fury’s 2024 UAA squad this season was on a hot summer evening in June at a park in Maple Grove. As I sat in my lawn chair under a tree at one of the first socially-distanced, COVID-19 era, this-really-is-a-bizarre-way-to-play the game practices, it was obvious right then and there that this squad was going to be special. The last time I saw Nick Storm’s girls do their thing was on Sunday afternoon in Shakopee when they were steamrolling to yet another victory and hoisting a trophy as champions of the Minnesota AAU State Tournament. With so much talent and so much length and two of the very best incoming freshmen in the state, Fury 2024 UAA is simply a terrific basketball team.
We have written at length about budding stars Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN of Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'1" | CG South Dakota | 2024 MN of New Prague, but this team has so much more. It would not be hyperbole to suggest that all 10 players are serious candidates to play scholarship-level basketball at the collegiate level. In our recaps of the 2021 and 2022 classes we offered a recap of game highlights. After all, there was plenty of drama and intrigue and both finals came down to the last seconds before the outcome was determined. In recapping the 2024 final, there’s really not much to say.
The Fury’s final opponent – Greg Amundson’s 2024 Minnesota Stars – was the feel-good story of the tournament, a #12 seed that knocked off a string of supposedly superior teams. Could they do it again against the best team in the class? They could not. Reality hit hard for the Stars, and it happened in a hurry. The Fury were dominant right out of the gate, sprinting to an early 15-2 lead. Ouch! The lead soon stretch to 27-2 and by halftime the Fury were ahead by 29 and, for all intents and purposes, it was over.
Storm’s squad simply has too much length and athleticism with a lineup that includes players who stand 6’1, 6’0, 6’0, 5’10, 5’9 and 5’9. Stars Amundson does not. In fact, one of Amundson’s players is under 5 feet tall – Yes, Quinn Danielson of Cloquet is a terrific little player in spite of her diminutive stature! – and that makes for a tough match-up. The final score was 60-24.
These are the girls of Fury 2024 UAA who carried home the hardware on Sunday. The prospects in this class have not been ranked yet so they are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
- Ava Cossette – Maple Grove
- Kayla Christy – Elk River
- Kaylie Cox Kaylie Cox 5'7" | CG St. Michael-Albertville | 2024 State MN – St. Michael-Albertville
- Marisa Frost – Centennial
- Lydia Lakanen – Anoka
- Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN – Benilde-St. Margaret’s
- Claire Stern – Maple Grove
- Amy Thompson Amy Thompson 5'10" | SG Stillwater | 2024 State MN – Stillwater
- Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'1" | CG South Dakota | 2024 MN – New Prague
- Sophie Zay – Holy Family
2024 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Until the semifinals and finals, the majority of the 2024 games were played at Bloomington Kennedy while the rest of the top-tier teams were competing at Shakopee. That’s where we were, so unfortunately we didn’t get as much opportunity to see the 2024s compete. That’s why we have chosen two All-Tournament Teams in this class rather than three.
1st team
- Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'1" | CG South Dakota | 2024 MN – Fury UAA (New Prague)
- Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN – Fury UAA (Benilde-St. Margaret’s)
- Marisa Frost – Fury UAA (Centennial)
- Sophie Zay – Fury UAA (Holy Family)
- Karley Franks – Stars Amundson (Fargo, N.D.)
2nd team
- Nicole Maenke – Suns Bluestar (Shakopee)
- Lauren Arnold – North Tartan Ohnstad (Chanhassen)
- Bella Sutch – North Tartan Elite (Spring Lake Park)
- Kadence Hesse Kadence Hesse 5'10" | PG Sleepy Eye | 2024 State MN – MN Rise Geistfeld (Sleepy Eye)
- Anisa Longs Anisa Longs 5'8" | PG Mpls South | 2024 State MN – MN P.R.E.P Scott (Minnehaha Academy)
Top photo: Minnesota Fury 2024 UAA dominated the 8th grade division at the AAU State Championships. Pictured in the back row (left to right) is head coach Nick Storm, Kayla Christy, Lydia Lakanen, Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'1" | CG South Dakota | 2024 MN , Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN , Claire Stern and assistant coach Mady Shafer. Front row (left to right): Amy Thompson Amy Thompson 5'10" | SG Stillwater | 2024 State MN , Kaylie Cox Kaylie Cox 5'7" | CG St. Michael-Albertville | 2024 State MN , Marisa Frost and Sophia Zay. Not pictured is Ava Cossette.