Fall Exclusive Week 2: Leading performers in 2021-2024
We saw some great games once again at Bloomington Kennedy during week 2 of the Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Fall Exclusive, but the basketball gods definitely saved the best for last on Friday night. With the games on adjacent courts…
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Continue ReadingWe saw some great games once again at Bloomington Kennedy during week 2 of the Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Fall Exclusive, but the basketball gods definitely saved the best for last on Friday night. With the games on adjacent courts already coming to a conclusion, and the evening’s events wrapping up, the battle between Nicole Maenke and her Sparks and Gabby Betton and the Storm went all the way to overtime, and these two high-level 2024 prospects were right in the middle of the drama.
With just seconds remaining in regulation, Maenke buried a pair of free throws to give her team a three-point cushion and what looked like a victory before Betton roared up the court and knocked down a calm-as-you-like it three-pointer to force overtime. This should not come as a surprise to those who have been watching Betton in recent months. The 5’9 guard from Lakeville North is a terrific outside shooter who can use her excellent speed and strength to beat defenders one-on-one and get to the rim through contact. She is a well-rounded talent with high-level potential.
In the extra period Betton scored in transition to put the Storm ahead by two before Maenke tied it with two more free throws. Then Holy Angels freshman Jenna Buer scored to put the Sparks ahead with just 9.6 seconds left before Maenke iced it with two more free throws for a final score of 60-56. That Maenke could help her team pull out a victory in the waning moments in that way shouldn’t be surprising, either. Nicole had a tremendous summer with Suns 2024 Blue Star and the Shakopee guard’s stock just keeps on rising. When the first ranking of the class of 2024 is released later this month, the athletic guard with plenty of bounce is definitely going to be featured prominently.
Both the Storm and Sparks are now 3-1 in the WNBA West, the division that features primarily players in the classes of 2024 and 2023. The Wings are also 3-1. Among their top performers has been Edina guard Isa Nelson, a 2023 prospect whose tenacity, speed and aggression continue to impress. Now 5’9, Nelson keeps on improving, and her impact on the game is growing. She just does so many of the little things well. Shannon Fornshell Shannon Fornshell 6'1" | SF Wayzata | 2023 State MN of Wayzata has also been terrific for the Wings. The 6’0 10th grader is improving rapidly and figures to play a significant role this winter for the Trojans. Kelcie Meitz, also of Edina, did some nice stuff for the team as did Minnesota Stars teammates Mattea Henry of Woodbury, Sidney Klauer of East Ridge and Kiya Hegdahl Kiya Hegdahl 5'7" | PG St. Louis Park | 2024 State MN of St. Louis Park.
One more player who stood out in the WNBA West on Friday was Eastview freshman Britta Hagen of the Mercury. I have heard Britta’s name many times – she’s part of a solid group of youngsters who will lead the Lightning in the next few years – but Friday was the first time I have watched the 5’10 forward for an extended period of time. I was impressed. Hagen has a bigger body with light feet and long strides. She plays hard and is very vocal on the court, especially on the defensive side of things. Hagen has nice handles, is adept at playing fast, and is highly focused on the task at hand. This won’t be the last time we write about this excellent prospect from the class of 2024.
BEST OF WNBA EAST
We didn’t spend as much time watching the WNBA East this week. That’s the oldest division in the Minnesota Fall Exclusive. It features primarily 11th and 12th graders with some high-quality 10th and 9th graders joining the party, as well. Indiana is leading the way, having gone 4-0 to date. On Friday they scored a four-point win over the Dream and an 8-point decision over the Sky. There are plenty of big names on the Fever roster, led by Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN of Wayzata, Amber Scalia Amber Scalia 5'9" | CG Stillwater | 2022 State MN of Stillwater and Drew Johnston Drew Johnston 5'9" | PG Roseville | 2023 State MN of Roseville. One of the primary reasons the Fever are undefeated, however, is because of the play of Champlin Park shooting guard Amelia Valentino Amelia Valentino 5'10" | CG Champlin Park | 2022 State MN . When we say Valentino is a shooting guard, we mean a real shooting guard. On opening night of the Fall Exclusive, the high school junior had a half dozen threes in her team’s first game establishing very quickly that she should get the ball outside the arc as often as possible.
None of this is surprising. Valentino is one of the state’s premier long-ball artists, and Amelia has worked extremely hard to raise the possibilities of earning a scholarship. She is no longer just a one-trick pony. Her foot speed has improved, her lateral movement has improved, her ability to score off the bounce has improved. Amelia trains with Mikayla Aumer Mikayla Aumer 5'9" | CG Cambridge-Isanti | 2022 State MN of Cambridge-Isanti, whose work habits are the stuff of legend. Those efforts are now paying off handsomely.
Valentino wasn’t the only sniper making threes in the WNBA East on Friday night. I caught the tail end of a contest between the Mystics and Sky that was a three-fest to behold. Freshman guard Laura Hauge Laura Hauge 5'9" | SG St. Croix Lutheran | 2024 State MN of St. Croix Lutheran was absent from the Fall Exclusive during week 1 but she certainly made her presence felt in week 2. Anything inside half court is fair game for Laura, who is one of the top handful of prospects in the class of 2024.
On the other side of the ball were two more outstanding distance shooters: 6’1 junior Lily Fandre Lily Fandre 6'2" | SF Eagan | 2022 State MN of Eagan and 6’0 junior Ally Schultz Ally Schultz 6'0" | CG Lakeville South | 2022 State MN of Lakeville South. Like Hauge, the pair of top 20 prospects in the class of 2022 were raining threes. Now there is no official scoresheet from the game, and the league isn’t tracking points, but my spies tell me that Hauge, Schultz and Fandre combined for more than 20 threes between them. That’s good shooting and these are three solid candidates for Division 1 college basketball.
Top photo: Nicole Maenke (left) of Shakopee and Gabby Betton (right) of Lakeville North had a fun showdown on Friday night.