Saturday’s standout veterans at the Community Clash

Saturday&#8217;s standout veterans at the Community Clash

Grant McGinnis January 31, 2024 @ 12:08 PM

Nobody turned in a better performance at the Breakdown Community Clash last weekend than senior Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN of Benilde-St. Margaret’s. After a day of outstanding showings from rising stars and wily veterans alike, Olson’s 35-point outburst in a nightcap win over hosts St. Michael-Albertville was some pretty sweet icing on a day full of tasty cake. We chronicled the McDonald’s All American and Michigan commit’s performance in our Monday recap (Injuries were a big part of the story on Saturday) along with that of Ja’Kahla Craft Ja’Kahla Craft 5'9" | CG STMA | 2024 State MN . The STMA senior, who has committed to Seton Hall of the Big East, was also excellent against the Red Knights. Here are several more standout veterans who did great work at the Community Clash.

The trio of committed seniors had a great collective performance on Saturday in their matchup with the Raptors of East Ridge. Forward Ayelishka Teko-Folly Ayelishka Teko-Folly 6'0" | SF Rosemount | 2024 State MN , who is committed to Minnesota State-Moorhead, showcased her rebounding ability and enhanced repertoire of post moves. Concordia-St. Paul commit Ava Thompson Ava Thompson 5'6" | PG Rosemount | 2024 State MN was scoring and distributing all game long. She finished with 17 points and 9 assists. The second-leading scorer for the Irish (behind freshman Amisha Ramlall Amisha Ramlall 5'11" | CG Rosemount | 2027 State MN with 20 points) was senior guard Avery Moeller Avery Moeller 5'10" | CG Rosemount | 2024 State MN . Avery played high-intensity defense and was hitting shots all game long. Moeller had a plethora of steals, knocked down 4 three-pointers, and finished with 18 points. She is committed to Winona State.

Emma Frost Emma Frost 5'11" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN & Anna Vaaler Anna Vaaler 5'10" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN – Andover

The big four from the Class of 2024 have been the backbone of their team for the past few seasons in Andover, and the quartet of college commits has had a significant impact. Emma Frost Emma Frost 5'11" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN (Wayne State), Anna Vaaler Anna Vaaler 5'10" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN (Sioux Falls), Morgan Miller Morgan Miller 6'2" | PF Andover | 2024 State MN (Clemson) and Piper Engelby Piper Engelby 5'11" | SG Andover | 2024 State MN (New Jersey Institute of Technology) all played a key role in Andover’s strong performance on Saturday, but it was Frost and Vaaler in particular who were central to the story line. Both players had strong performances, scoring big buckets late in the game. Vaaler attacked the basket, finishing some tough shots and earning trips to the free throw line. Frost knocked down several three-pointers down the stretch. They each finished with a team-high 15 points.

Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN – Hopkins

Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN has had a remarkable high school career, from her precocious 7th grade debut at Park Center to her illustrious run of success at Hopkins. Last week she was named to the McDonald’s All American team, perhaps the most prestigious accolade a high school senior can receive. Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville she once again showed why the award is well-deserved. McGill started the game with a quick 10 points in the early minutes. Then in the second half, when Maple Grove went on a run to erode the Royals 8-point halftime margin, Liv knocked down big, momentum-shifting threes. From her at-will scoring to lockdown defense and proven leadership abilities, the Florida commit showed just how integral she is to the success of her team.

Jordan Ode Jordan Ode 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN & Claire Stern Claire Stern 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2024 State MN – Maple Grove

Jordan Ode Jordan Ode 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN was a player on a mission against Hopkins at the Community Clash, showing throughout why Michigan State has signed her to play at the highest level in college. Claire Stern Claire Stern 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2024 State MN just went about her business how she usually does as a quietly confident, extremely versatile, highly effective veteran. She is committed to North Dakota State. While it took the Crimson a few minutes to get going, once the seal was broken Ode was scoring all over the floor. With an 8-point deficit at half time, Maple Grove had to make a big push in the second half. They brought the game within three points, but the Crimson didn’t get a bounce down the stretch and Hopkins never let off the gas. That was a winning combination for the Royals who looked every bit like a state tournament team as per usual.

Sophie Hawkinson Sophie Hawkinson 5'8" | CG Wayzata | 2025 State MN – Wayzata

Among these standout veterans, the only one who hasn’t made a college commitment yet is Sophie Hawkinson Sophie Hawkinson 5'8" | CG Wayzata | 2025 State MN . The 2025 combo guard is currently being recruited by a number of mid-major Division 1 programs and is destined to land in a good spot at the next level. On Saturday she showed why. Sophie played with defensive intensity, working hard to contain Andover’s Emma Frost Emma Frost 5'11" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN , which is never easy. Hawkinson showcased her ability to be a disruptive defender, containing Frost’s scoring for much of the game. Sophie also demonstrated her ability to score on the drive, gathering points both in the half court and in transition. She distributed effectively and finished with 8 points of her own in the 54-49 win over the Huskies.