Fall Exclusive Week 3: The stars came out to play
The kids have had a ton of fun playing in the Prep Girls Hoops Fall Exclusive on the last three Friday nights, and we’ve had a blast watching the games, but it would be hard to top what we saw in week 3 when the stars really came out to play. There were other great games, and plenty of quality performances, but the gym was buzzing at Bloomington Kennedy before, during and after the showdown between Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN of St. Michael-Albertville and Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN of Wayzata. It was a show!
We shouldn’t be surprised I suppose. When great talent goes head to head you can expect some fireworks, and we have been fortunate to have drawn some of Minnesota’s best young prospects to play in this first edition of the PGH fall league. Johnson is the #1-ranked prospect in the state’s class of 2023. Braun may be the best-available prospect in the class of 2022, along with Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN of Hopkins and Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN of Chaska. The Fall Exclusive also features the probable #1 player of 2026 – Tori Oehrlein Tori Oehrlein 5'10" | CG Crosby-Ironton | 2026 State MN of Crosby-Ironton – along with several of the leading candidates for #1 in 2025 ( Jordan Ode Jordan Ode 5'11" | CG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN of Maple Grove and Ella Kuhlman Ella Kuhlman 5'8" | PG North Branch | 2025 State MN of North Branch, for instance) and Laura Hauge Laura Hauge 5'9" | SG St. Croix Lutheran | 2024 State MN of St. Croix Lutheran is one of the top two or three prospects in 2024.
In a rematch of their opening-round meeting three weeks ago, Mara and Tessa played 40 minutes of anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better on Friday. They traded spectacular moves to the hoop, made seemingly-impossible passes to open teammates, knocked down nothing-but-net threes from distance, and just generally wowed us from start to finish. One of the officials working the game was a less familiar face, not someone we see at girls events on a regular basis. Midway through the second half he turned in our direction and said quite loudly, “Man, who are these girls?!”
Johnson is a 5’11 guard who is long, quick, fast and cunning. She can beat you with grace or grit, burn you with speed or smarts, make shots from everywhere and run the floor as well as any player in the state. She played two years up this summer for North Tartan and continues to improve at a steady rate. Braun is also a 5’11 guard who played a year up for North Tartan. She has been considered a can’t-miss prospect for years but it was a pair of remarkable head-to-head battles last winter with Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers 5'11" | CG Hopkins | 2020 State MN that made it obvious Mara has reached a whole other level. Obviously her skills are impressive. She’s long and fluid and athletic. But it is her shear will to win, her ability to take it up another notch when required, her willingness to do whatever it takes be successful, that sets Mara apart. Both have mailboxes full of collegiate offers from elite programs. Put them on the same floor for 40 minutes of run-and-gun and you have an encounter to remember.
Beyond the superstars
Both teams feature outstanding talent. Johnson’s Sun squad includes such luminaries as Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN of Roseville, Ashley Fritz Ashley Fritz 5'10" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN of Eden Prairie, Emma Miller Emma Miller 5'1" | PG STMA | 2022 State MN of STMA and Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN of Totino-Grace. Hutchinson’s Alyssa Stamer Alyssa Stamer 5'7" | CG Hutchinson | 2022 State MN continues to impress as does unranked Katelyn Lindberg of Monticello. Kyla Overskei Kyla Overskei 5'11" | SG Maple Grove | 2022 State MN and Audrey Kormann Audrey Kormann 6'2" | PF Maple Grove | 2023 State MN of Maple Grove have been very good, as well.
Braun’s Fever team includes Amber Scalia Amber Scalia 5'9" | CG Stillwater | 2022 State MN of Stillwater, Drew Johnston Drew Johnston 5'9" | PG Roseville | 2023 State MN of Roseville, and Amelia Valentino Amelia Valentino 5'10" | CG Champlin Park | 2022 State MN of Champlin Park, who had about 40 points in two games on Friday. Amaya Doree Amaya Doree 5'7" | CG Champlin Park | 2021 State MN of Champlin Park was good again this week and Jersey Castillo Jersey Castillo 5'8" | CG Andover | 2022 State MN of Andover did some really nice work, too. The team also includes Chloe Brunsberg Chloe Brunsberg 5'11" | SF Southwest Christian | 2023 State MN of Southwest Christian, Bianca Benson of Totino-Grace and Piper Terry Piper Terry 5'8" | CG Minnetonka | 2021 State MN of Minnetonka.
With five minutes left to play in a 40-minute running time game the two teams had already combined for 160 points. It wasn’t as though the game was a nail-biter, though. It was not, but it was the most entertaining 23-point win you’ll ever see. The final score was 97-74 in favor of the Sun, who finished at 5-1 to earn the top seed heading into the event semifinals on Oct. 13. When the contest had concluded, Mara and Tessa met mid-court for a little needling, a couple of laughs and a commemorative photo for our benefit.
We slipped over to the adjacent court for the final game of the night when Braun and the Fever went up against the Liberty, which features the Como Park threesome of Ronnie Porter Ronnie Porter 5'2" | CG Como Park | 2022 State MN , Kaylynn Asberry Kaylynn Asberry 5'5" | PG Como Park | 2022 State MN and Cloey Dmytruk Cloey Dmytruk 5'10" | PF Como Park | 2022 State MN . Porter played as well in this game as any time we have seen her this summer. Dmytruk has been on a roll of late and was everywhere on Friday night. She followed that up with a huge day in AAU on Saturday for 43 Hoops. The Liberty pulled off a 74-73 victory over the Fever. They, too, posed post-game with Braun.
If there’s one impression I’m left with after three weeks of watching the Fall Exclusive it’s this: girls need to play more pickup-style basketball – no schemes, limited strategy, unlimited fun. This approach has produced some great basketball and enabled us to evaluate players in a different type of environment. One thing holds true, however: The stars will still shine the brightest and there are none brighter in Minnesota than Mara and Tessa.