AAU Awards: 2024 All Stars and Most Valuable Player

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A plethora of opportunities. If you follow [player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] on Twitter then you know that's what she has earned this AAU season. Although I have mixed feelings about the posting of college scholarship offers, they do tend to tell a story about a player's circumstances regarding their future in basketball. In Ja'Kahla's case, they chronicle the tale of an unbelievable year that deserves significant recognition as she is posting one offer after another from high-level, high-success Division 1 programs. For our part we are pleased to name Craft as the Class of 2024 Most Valuable Player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a run Craft has been on. After a stellar high school regular season in 2022-23, Ja'Kahla was the catalyst for St. Michael-Albertville's run to the Class 4A state championship. The Knights had a ton of talent, including South Carolina commit <strong>Tessa Johnson</strong>, but it was Craft's team-oriented energy that seemed to push Kent Hamre's group to another level. It was something to see.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right out of the gates she was every bit as good in AAU for Matt Pryor's [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 3SSB. Combining with Hopkins guard [player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'], a University of Florida commit who is one of the best point guards in the country, the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] were outstanding at the AAU State Prelims. Ja'Kahla ran away with the 2024 D1 scoring title with a whopping 91 points for the weekend, including a 31-point outburst against [program_tooltip program_id='712700' first='Minnesota' last='Suns'] S40 and 28 against Fury 2024 UAA. After being hobbled by injury for a brief period, Craft went on a tear all summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At AAU tournaments and national showcases and everywhere in between she performed at a truly elite level which is why she earned offers from St. John's, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Creighton, Marshall, Wichita State and many more. Craft turned heads everywhere she went with her relentless energy, athleticism, high level of skill and ability to score the basketball. Through it all, we have been thoroughly entertained. Congratulations to our Prep Girls Hoops 2024 AAU Most Valuable Player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PLEASE NOTE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One important point to note about our AAU All-Star selections: Prep Girls Hoops is picking players <strong>based on their graduation year</strong>, not the level they competed at in 2023. That means an athlete from the Class of 2026 who played with the 2024s – [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] or [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'], for example – could be selected for the 2026 All Stars but not the 2024s. The same would be true of 2025s [player_tooltip player_id='296527' first='Aneisha' last='Scott'] or [player_tooltip player_id='252387' first='Aaliyah' last='Crump'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Also, each of our selections is from the state of Minnesota. We'll offer separate recognition later this month for out-of-state competitors on Minnesota teams, a field that might include competitors like <strong>Rainey Welson</strong> (Wisconsin), <strong>Jaiden Haile</strong> (North Dakota) or <strong>Lee Lee Bell</strong> (North Dakota). In the 2024 selections presented here, for example, these two criteria had a significant effect on our selections. A team like [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 2024 EYBL, for example, has just five incoming seniors from the state of Minnesota on its roster – [player_tooltip player_id='335641' first='Trinity' last='Wilson'], [player_tooltip player_id='215958' first='Tori' last='McKinney'], [player_tooltip player_id='178263' first='Laura' last='Hauge'], [player_tooltip player_id='209064' first='Savannah' last='Gardner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='302309' first='Karly' last='Jusczak']. Many of their key players are from younger classes and/or other states.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With all of that fine print out of the way, here are the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 All Stars.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FIRST TEAM</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 3SSB, St. Michael-Albertville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 3SSB, Hopkins (Florida)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215958' first='Tori' last='McKinney'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] EYBL, Minnetonka</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'] – guard, Fury 2024 UAA, Benilde-St. Margaret's (Michigan)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='302297' first='Alyssa' last='Sand'] – forward, Comets Elite, Albany (St. Thomas)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SECOND TEAM</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178277' first='Jordan' last='Zubich'] – guard, Fury 2024 UAA, Mountain Iron-Buhl (North Carolina)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='302307' first='Elisabeth' last='Gadient'] – guard, Fury 2024 Premier, Goodhue (MSU-Mankato)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='302300' first='Kylan' last='Gerads'] – forward, Comets Elite, Albany (St. Cloud State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215985' first='Olivia' last='Pawlicki'] – forward, Suns S40, Shakopee (Colorado State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='335641' first='Trinity' last='Wilson'] – forward, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] EYBL, Lakeville North (Vanderbilt)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THIRD TEAM</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178274' first='Amy' last='Thompson'] – guard, Fury 2024 UAA, Stillwater (South Florida)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='339197' first='Olivia' last='Wren'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='713420' first='Minnesota' last='Diamond Elite'], Minneapolis Roosevelt</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='461358' first='Mallory' last='Czinano'] – forward, [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Szabla, Watertown-Mayer (MSU-Mankato)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178271' first='Willow' last='Thiel'] – forward, [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Szabla, Perham</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178273' first='Taylor' last='Tool'] – forward, Crossfire Schuck, Delano (Northern State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HONORABLE MENTION</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215968' first='Kendall' last='Barnes'] – guard, Minnesota Stars 3SSB, Roseville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215983' first='Drew' last='Buslee'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Szabla, Eagan (Sioux Falls)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178261' first='Piper' last='Engelby'] – guard, Suns S40, Andover (New Jersey Institute of Technology)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215953' first='Marisa' last='Frost'] – guard, Fury 2024 UAA, Centennial (North Dakota State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='339217' first='Savannah' last='Hedin'] – guard, Southern [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2024, Stewartville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178267' first='Rhyan' last='Holmgren'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='MN' last='Rise'] Purfeerst, St. Peter (MSU-Mankato)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='304916' first='Kristi' last='Kottke'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='MN' last='Rise'] Purfeerst, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (St. Cloud State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='304915' first='Rachel' last='Kottke'] – &nbsp;guard, MNa Rise Purfeerst, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (St. Cloud State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='302296' first='Jessika' last='Lofstrom'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='713214' first='Starks' last='Elite'], Grand Rapids (Jamestown)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215979' first='Cece' last='McNair']– forward, Minnesota Stars 3SSB, Prior Lake (UW-Milwaukee)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='339142' first='Avery' last='Moeller'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712362' first='Legacy' last='Hoops'] Elite, Rosemount (Winona State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='304906' first='Isabella' last='Sanneh'] – forward, Minnesota Stars 3SSB, East Ridge</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215956' first='Claire' last='Stern'] – wing, Suns S40, Maple Grove (North Dakota State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->