State Tourney preview: 5 key players you may not know

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There will be no shortage of star power at this week's Minnesota girls high school State Tournament. In fact there will be 36 players participating at the event in Minneapolis who are ranked in the Prep Girls Hoops Top 25 in their respective classes – 6 freshmen, 13 sophomores, 11 juniors and 6 seniors. Hundreds of eyeballs will be watching every move the big stars make, players like Michigan commits [player_tooltip player_id='108298' first='Taylor' last='Woodson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'], Stanford signee [player_tooltip player_id='108348' first='Nunu' last='Agara'], North Carolina commit [player_tooltip player_id='178277' first='Jordan' last='Zubich'] as well as high-major prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'], [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'], [player_tooltip player_id='252379' first='Addison' last='Mack'] and [player_tooltip player_id='296523' first='Kendall' last='McGee']. But when the rubber hits the road, and games are hanging in the balance, there are going to be some lesser-known athletes who will rise to the occasion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are five names you may not know who could have a huge impact on the outcome for their teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='220847' first='Kylie' last='Bamlett'] <strong>– 2023 forward, Eden Prairie</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ask even a seasoned observer of Minnesota girls basketball to list some players from Eden Prairie and they would probably get pretty far down the roster before coming up with Bamlett's name. With players like Illinois State commit [player_tooltip player_id='108302' first='Molly' last='Lenz'], Top 10 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='262910' first='Tori' last='Schlagel'], MSU-Moorhead commit [player_tooltip player_id='108323' first='Ashley' last='Fritz'] and rock-solid senior [player_tooltip player_id='220827' first='Annika' last='Anderson'] – the list goes on – that's not surprising. But in reality Kylie has had as much to do with the Eagles getting to the tournament as the big names have. The 6'0 power forward is a beast down low. With a ton of strength, plenty of size and the willingness to impose punishment on opposing forwards, Bamlett is a handful. She is the team's leading rebounder this season at about 7 per game and top shot blocker, and has raised her level a lot in the absence of [player_tooltip player_id='108308' first='Savanna' last='Jones'], who missed her senior year with a torn ACL. Kylie will go head-to-head with sophomore standout [player_tooltip player_id='346166' first='Autumn' last='McCall'] when #3-seeded EP meets Centennial at 4 p.m. Wednesday and she'll need to bring her A game for the occasion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='529357' first='Emma' last='Millerbernd'] <strong>– 2027 guard, Providence Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All eyes will be on [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] when 27-2 Providence Academy takes to the Williams Arena court at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial and why not. Maddyn is one of the premier players in America and she is sure to put on a show for the heavily favored Lions. While the masses are admiring Greenway and sisters [player_tooltip player_id='148338' first='Grace' last='Counts'] and [player_tooltip player_id='296515' first='Hope' last='Counts'], Millerbernd (pictured above) will be toiling away in the trenches doing the little things that win basketball games. Just an 8th grader, Emma is a proven veteran, a strong defender who draws the toughest assignments and goes about her business with zero fanfare and a stone-faced expression. The 5'9 guard has length, speed, quickness, agility and a superior skillset. We haven't ranked the 2027s yet but Millerbernd has to be considered a Top 10 prospect. Although she isn't called upon to score for the Lions, Emma is more than capable of doing that if needed. When the game is on the line she is more than likely going to deliver.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jade Reese</strong> <strong>– 2023 guard, Badger-Greenbush-Middle River</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I can't imagine there are many people in the Twin Cities who are familiar with the basketball stylings of the Badger-Greenbush-Middle River Gators. That's not surprising given that the school (MSHSL enrollment 79) is located a half hour south of the Canadian border way up in Roseau County, and the team never played within 300 miles of the Metro. We do, however, have first-hand knowledge of one of the Gators' key contributors. We saw Jade at the University of North Dakota Elite Camp in Grand Forks back in 2021 and were immediately struck by her potential. The 5'9 guard is uber-quick, super-athletic, and has the kind of speed and aggressiveness that make her a next-level prospect if she's interested in college basketball. We're told the Gators prefer an up-tempo game and play a ton of pressure defense. That's perfect for Reese who is an excellent on-ball defender who sees the floor and understands the game well. She is a scrappy competitor who just might make the biggest play at the biggest moment if given the opportunity. BGMR will be heavy underdogs when they meet Hayfield on Thursday at 3 p.m. but Reese will no doubt make her presence felt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='337634' first='Elise' last='Dieterle'] <strong>– 2025 forward, Stillwater</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elise is the 26th-rated prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025. At 6'1, with a big frame and a quality skillset, she holds the kind of credentials that will make a player stand out on the big stage, but that hasn't quite happened yet for Elise. The key word here is ‘yet' because this might be Dieterle's breakthrough opportunity. She came up big in section play for the 24-5 Ponies, who drew the #4 seed and will open competition Wednesday at noon against Lakeville North. When she is at her best, Elise can be a prolific rebounder, can shoot the ball from distance at a high level, and can beat players off the bounce to score at the rim. She can also be a strong defender, particularly inside. Dieterle is averaging double digit scoring for Stillwater and we've seen her put up big numbers in AAU. With opponents no doubt focusing most of their defensive energy on senior [player_tooltip player_id='148318' first='Lexi' last='Karlen'] (UM-Duluth), sharpshooter [player_tooltip player_id='178274' first='Amy' last='Thompson'], and lengthy sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='208185' first='Liana' last='Buckhalton'], Elise might get the opportunity she needs to step into the spotlight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='567387' first='Mira' last='Wismer'] <strong>– 2026 forward, Benilde-St. Margaret's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holding the #2 seed, the 23-6 Red Knights are considered one of the favorites to win the Class 3A title this week. They certainly have the star power to make that happen with 2024 #1 [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'] (Michigan), 2025 #2 [player_tooltip player_id='296523' first='Kendall' last='McGee'] and 2025 #13 [player_tooltip player_id='208184' first='Zahara' last='Bishop'], along with key pieces like sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='339131' first='Kate' last='Kapsner'] and senior [player_tooltip player_id='108327' first='Sierre' last='Lumpkin']. But the one player who has made huge contributions for BSM this winter but remains under the radar is the Top 50 freshman Wismer. She has been oh so steady for coach Tim Ellefson this season. At 6'1 the wiry Wismer has the length to be a disruptive force defensively, and she knows how to use her ample wingspan to maximum advantage. Wismer is an outstanding rebounder and shot blocker. Offensively she is sneaky good, finding her way through narrow openings and getting to good positions to cash in. She's not out there to score, though – that's for the above-mentioned luminaries – but don't be surprised if Wismer leaves her fingerprints on this State Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->