State Tournament: The best of day 1 in Minneapolis

24 teams. A dozen games. 12 hours of basketball. One great opening day. That's the executive summary of what we saw Wednesday at the Minnesota girls high school basketball State Tournament in Minneapolis. With two courts going simultaneously, it wasn't easy to keep up with all of the action at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota. But thanks to the wonders of online streaming and video replay, and numerous cups of Starbucks' finest, we gave it a heckuva try.   Here's the best of the best on day 1 at State.   TEAM OF THE DAY   Minnehaha Academy was the only lower-seeded team to win on opening day, but they were hardly an underdog in real life. The #5 Redhawks trailed #4 New London-Spicer 20-19 at the half. What they did following a brief respite was truly impressive. After senior [player_tooltip player_id='612168' first='Avery' last='Rich'] put NLS up by three, Redhawks 8th grader [player_tooltip player_id='377584' first='Ava' last='Cupito'] scored on a coast-to-coast rush. Not long after [player_tooltip player_id='252379' first='Addison' last='Mack'] did the same thing and followed that with a pair of free throws. Then it was [player_tooltip player_id='529334' first='Isa' last='Griefenhagen'] and then Mack again and an NBA three for [player_tooltip player_id='425385' first='Amina' last='Allen'] and before you knew it Minnehaha was up by double digits. The 17-2 run was all coach Matt Pryor's group needed to run off and hide to post a 50-28 win. It's a recipe we've seen often from Minnehaha: crank up the defensive heat, pour on the offensive pressure, stir and repeat. Mack was outstanding as always with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. It was [player_tooltip player_id='178266' first='Angel' last='Hill']'s performance that turned plenty of heads as the junior filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, 7 steals, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. She was a defensive menace. The Redhawks' prize is yet another meeting with Providence Academy on Friday night.   BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES   [player_tooltip player_id='589273' first='Ella' last='Theobald'] – 2026 forward, Stewartville   Stewartville's much-heralded freshmen class has had a huge impact on the Tigers' season and opening day at State was no different. While point guard [player_tooltip player_id='458305' first='Audrey' last='Shindelar'] had an excellent outing off the bench with 13 points, and forward [player_tooltip player_id='339214' first='Jayci' last='Rath'] made her presence known at both ends of the court throughout the contest with Grand Rapids, this day on center stage belonged to Ella, particularly in the second half. She owned everything down low, grabbing key rebounds, scoring on put-backs, taking advantage of Thunderhawks turnovers and generally providing the spark Stewartville needed when they needed it. Ella finished 6-of-9 from the field and 6-for-6 at the free throw line for 18 points. She's ranked #25 in the Class of 2026 and rising.   [player_tooltip player_id='595568' first='Ella' last='Hardwick'] – 2025 guard, Eden Prairie   The Eden Prairie lineup is deep, deeper, deepest, but the sophomore has been finding 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there in recent games. With Eagles guards [player_tooltip player_id='108302' first='Molly' last='Lenz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='108323' first='Ashley' last='Fritz'] in some minor foul trouble early Wednesday against Centennial, Ella came off the bench, stepped into a deadlocked contest, and made an immediate impact on the proceedings. She's quick and athletic, has really nice handles, can shoot it more than a little, and plays the game with passion. Hardwick has strength and power and agility and not an ounce of fear that we could detect. She scored 10 quick points in succession, including a three that seemed to inspire her group. EP soon got rolling, built a 19-point lead at the half and went on to win 78-57. Hardwick tallied 17 minutes on the floor in the biggest game of her career to date. I suspect there will be many more to come.   TOP PERFORMERS   [player_tooltip player_id='108304' first='Maren' last='Westin'] – 2023 guard, Becker   When the bright lights are shining is when Maren is at her best. Wednesday's opening Class 3A game was no exception. The Top 10 senior, who is committed to UW-Green Bay, was everywhere. She made shots, got stops, forced turnovers and demonstrated her athletic amazingness. Can anyone in the state elevate better? Westin went 9-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-5 from three, and was perfect at the free throw stripe for 27 points with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. There were plenty of shining stars on Wednesday but none brighter than Westin. Again.   [player_tooltip player_id='178274' first='Amy' last='Thompson'] – 2024 guard, Stillwater   Thompson has a reputation as one of the state's best three-point shooters and it is well-deserved. This girl can flat out fire the basketball. Over the past couple of years, however, the Top 20 junior has worked really hard to expand her game in a variety of ways. Fitting then that in one of the biggest competitions of her career Amy would cash in at the rim throughout the contest, but particularly when it mattered most. Stillwater was out of timeouts in the final minute of the second half when Thompson sprinted end to end, slipped between two defenders at full throttle, and elevated to finish at the rim with just 12 seconds remaining in the game. She finished with 29 points as Stillwater scored a 67-65 victory over Lakeville North in a thriller.   [player_tooltip player_id='296523' first='Kendall' last='McGee'] & [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'] – guards, Benilde-St. Margaret's   When DeLaSalle took to the floor Wednesday afternoon against the Red Knights they got down to business in a big hurry, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and keeping BSM's much-heralded offense tied in knots. The period was half over before McGee and Olson had their shoes tied. But after trailing by 11 at the intermission, the pair produced a 2nd period to remember. It started with some serious defensive pressure. What followed was some impressive offensive prowess. And before you know it Benilde had pulled ahead at the midway point and went on to win it going away. Final score BSM 65 DLS 53. The Michigan commit Olson finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. McGee, the #2 prospect in the Class of 2025, had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals, including a streak in the 2nd half when she was forcing turnovers, scoring in transition and changing the tenor of the event entirely. Shout out as well to sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='339131' first='Kate' last='Kapsner'], who did a ton of the dirty work down low that made BSM's comeback possible.   [player_tooltip player_id='302307' first='Elisabeth' last='Gadient'], [player_tooltip player_id='302260' first='Tori' last='Miller'], [player_tooltip player_id='550025' first='Kendyl' last='Lodermeier'] – Goodhue   The Wildcats are all about team and it's impossible to pick one player ahead of all the others from Goodhue's impressive win over Crosby-Ironton on Wednesday night. This one was a battle as [player_tooltip player_id='302264' first='Hannah' last='Compton'], [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'] and company gave Goodhue all they could handle. In the second half, though, It was the Gadient-Miller-Lodermeier trio that took turns making plays and getting stops every time the Rangers made a push. I lost track of how many free throws they made down the stretch but it was impressive. From Gadient's threes to Miller's and-ones, to Lodermeier's clutch buckets at the end, they were simply great while forging a 67-59 victory. Kendyl went 19 and 9 on the night. Liz had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 assists. And Miller had 17 points (9 of them at the free throw line) and 11 rebounds. Goodhue will now face Albany Friday in the Class 2A semifinals.   OTHERS WHO STOOD OUT   [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] – We've come to expect greatness from the 2026 guard and she delivered once again. The Providence Academy freshman shot over 50 percent, made 6 three-pointers and scored 41 points to lead the Lions to a convincing 78-41 win over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial.   We have similar expectations for the big three from Hopkins. No disappointment here either as [player_tooltip player_id='108298' first='Taylor' last='Woodson'], [player_tooltip player_id='108348' first='Nunu' last='Agara'] and [player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'] were dominant in the Royals' morning romp over Roseville. Woodson (Michigan) had went 10-for-16 for 23 points and 11 rebounds. McGill had 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. And Agara (Stanford) had 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting.   [player_tooltip player_id='346165' first='Hadley' last='Thul'] – The 2025 guard from Alexandria is a Top 10 prospect in Minnesota's sophomore class. She certainly played like it in the Cardinals' 57-39 win over Hill-Murray. Thul was a force from the get-go, scoring half of the Cards' points in the early stages. She made 7 of her 10 field goal attempts, grabbed 8 rebounds, and tallied 18 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'] – The 2026 guard did everything humanly possible to will Crosby-Ironton across the finish line but it wasn't meant to be against the three-headed Goodhue monster detailed above. She had 27 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals – remarkable numbers for most, just another day at the office for Tori. For many in attendance it was their first time watching Oehrlein live. They had to have been wowed.   [player_tooltip player_id='339217' first='Savannah' last='Hedin'] – While the Stewartville 9th graders deserve all of the accolades they're getting we can't overlook Savannah's play. When the game was tight in the early going, and her Tigers' were in desperate need of some juice, it was the junior Hedin who delivered. She plays with energy and passion and is one of the more athletic kids in the game. Numbers don't tell the whole story but Hedin's contributions were big.   [player_tooltip player_id='302259' first='Brianna' last='Simpson'] – The 2023 guard from Marshall had a significant impact on Tigers basketball throughout her high school career. Her athleticism, energy and explosiveness added so much to the team, enabling Marshall to play faster and more aggressively than ever before. The University of Chicago commit was outstanding against Becker, scoring 22 points and keeping her team in the game far longer than would otherwise have been possible.   [player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] – The 2024 guard has had an excellent season for St. Michael-Albertville and she seems to have gotten stronger as the year progressed. Craft was the spark that got STMA going early Wednesday in their contest with Eagan, scoring on a nice spin move inside, knocking down a big three and bringing the heat on both sides of the ball. By the time it was over Craft had 24 points and 6 boards in 30 minutes of action and the Knights had an 80-60 decision.   [player_tooltip player_id='302296' first='Jessika' last='Lofstrom'] – The 2024 forward from Grand Rapids had to carry more than her share of the load for the Thunderhawks in the absence of [player_tooltip player_id='108316' first='Taryn' last='Hamling']. She did it well, going 7-for-14 from the field for 18 points with 6 rebounds. This has been a breakout season for Lofstrom who is a strong scholarship-level prospect. This game was a preview of what is to come.

24 teams. A dozen games. 12 hours of basketball. One great opening day. That's the executive summary of what we saw Wednesday at the Minnesota girls high school basketball State Tournament in Minneapolis. With two courts going simultaneously, it wasn't easy to keep up with all of the action at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota. But thanks to the wonders of online streaming and video replay, and numerous cups of Starbucks' finest, we gave it a heckuva try.