The Week That Was #10: The chase for Ms. Basketball

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The crowning of Minnesota's latest Ms. Basketball is still a few weeks away, but the chase for the coronation has kicked into high gear entering the home stretch of the 2023-24 high school campaign. That was certainly the case on Saturday as a few of the top contenders gathered for the latest Breakdown basketball extravaganza – the 20-team Community Clash at St. Michael-Albertville, Chanhassen and Becker. We were at STMA, and so were [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'], [player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'] and [player_tooltip player_id='215958' first='Tori' last='McKinney']. Today, in our recap of the Week That Was #10, we handicap the field for Ms. Basketball and highlight a few other notables from the past seven days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CHASING A CROWN</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'] of Benilde-St. Margaret's is the top-rated prospect in the Class of 2024 and last week was recognized as a McDonald's All American. On Saturday she played like it, going on the attack early and late in an impressive 76-63 win over St. Michael-Albertville. The Michigan signee scored 35 points and dominated all phases of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'] of Hopkins has been neck-and-neck with Olson in every discussion over who is the top senior in Minnesota. She, too, was selected as a McDonald's All American and went out Saturday and showed us why once more. McGill parlayed her outstanding skillset, elite defensive abilities and team leadership into a 68-62 win for the Royals over Maple Grove. The Florida commit scored 25 points in the victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='215958' first='Tori' last='McKinney'] of Minnetonka is, in our opinion, the best defender in the state. She certainly showed it on Saturday in a head-to-head battle with the great [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] of Providence Academy. The Minnesota commit has length, speed, quickness and skill. She scored 25 points in a 73-48 victory for the Skippers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In our view Olson, McGill and McKinney are a lock for the top 5 finalists for Ms. Basketball. Others will no doubt lobby for STMA guard [player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] and we can't disagree with that sentiment. The Seton Hall commit provided an infusion of leadership and energy for the Knights last season, sparking the squad to the Class 4A state title. She returned from a finger injury wearing a big splint on Saturday and played very well in a 25-point performance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three more serious contenders weren't at the Community Clash but we've seen plenty of them over the past few weeks. That would be Mountain Iron-Buhl guard [player_tooltip player_id='178277' first='Jordan' last='Zubich'] (North Carolina), Goodhue guard [player_tooltip player_id='302307' first='Elisabeth' last='Gadient'] (MSU-Mankato) and Albany forward [player_tooltip player_id='302297' first='Alyssa' last='Sand'] (St. Thomas). All three have had stellar careers. Zubich is the Rangers' all-time leading scorer and directed her team to the Class A state title. Sand led the Huskies to a Class 2A state championship as a sophomore and the championship game as a junior. Gadient has been one of the most consistent floor generals over the past few seasons and has grown her game a ton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who else deserves consideration?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The seven players cited above have to be considered the favored candidates in our opinion. But who else should be in the conversation? While we were watching at STMA, there was an overtime thriller playing out over at Chanhassen between two of the top teams in Class 3A – the Delano Tigers and St. Peter Saints. Three seniors on the court should be considered, too. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='178273' first='Taylor' last='Tool'] (Northern State) and wing [player_tooltip player_id='215972' first='Norah' last='Danielson'] (Wayne State) of Delano are having outstanding seasons and have had great careers. Ditto for St. Peter's [player_tooltip player_id='178267' first='Rhyan' last='Holmgren'], a top 20 talent who has committed to MSU-Mankato.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the risk of leaving someone out (inevitable!), here are 10 more names to discuss:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178263' first='Laura' last='Hauge'] of St. Croix Lutheran (St. Thomas) has been a huge presence for six seasons for the Crusaders and recently became Minnesota's all-time leader in three-pointers scored.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='322999' first='Jocelyn' last='Land'] of Holy Family (Butler) has put the Fire on her back in a big way, producing night in and night out at both ends of the court.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178265' first='Kadence' last='Hesse'] of Sleepy Eye (Southwest Minnesota State) has been the engine for her team since middle school with outstanding production and leadership skills.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215957' first='Gabby' last='Betton'] of Lakeville North (Loyola Maryland) is a highly skilled leader who directed the Panthers to last year's Class 4A state tournament.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215968' first='Kendall' last='Barnes'] of Roseville (UW-Milwaukee) is a dynamic point guard who delivered when it counted in leading the Raiders to the last two Class 4A state tournaments.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215983' first='Drew' last='Buslee'] of Eagan (Sioux Falls) has been the backbone of a program that rose from the ashes and made it all the way to state in Class 4A.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178271' first='Willow' last='Thiel'] of Perham (UM-Crookston) has been a consistent double-double machine throughout her high school career and has rewritten the record books for the Yellowjackets.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='178270' first='Finley' last='Ohnstad'] of Lakeville South (Kansas State) is a big-time talent who has the tools to dominate a game against every level of opponent.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='215953' first='Marisa' last='Frost'] of Centennial (North Dakota State) is one of the most cerebral, most consistent floor generals in the Class of 2024, a quiet leader who took the Cougars to the state tournament.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='304915' first='Rachel' last='Kottke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='304916' first='Kristi' last='Kottke'] of Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, both St. Cloud State commits represent everything Ms. Basketball is about. Nobody has competed harder or with more class.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We spend a ton of time watching the top performers and elite programs in Minnesota, especially at the big Breakdown events where the best of the best tend to compete. One of the great things about this gig, though, is we also pay attention to the teams and talent that tend to go about their business in relative anonymity. On Wednesday, we made the trek over to the Frogtown neighborhood in St. Paul for the first time in several seasons to see the St. Agnes Aggies against United Christian Academy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Agnes has a storied tradition in St. Paul athletics, and we ventured over there many times when the likes of <strong>Brigid Boyle</strong>, <strong>Adaya Sandifer</strong> and <strong>K'Lynn Lewis</strong> wore the Aggie colors. The current version includes Adaya's younger sister Malani. UCA is led by Bethany Lutheran commit [player_tooltip player_id='304928' first='Elizabeth' last='Corley'], who took the Thunder to the Class A state tournament the past two seasons. Playing without standout guard [player_tooltip player_id='346181' first='Lydia' last='Schmitter'], it was not the best night for UCA on Wednesday and the Aggies took advantage to score a 44-26 win. So who did we like for St. Agnes this time around? </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior <strong>Malani Sandifer</strong> is 5'6 guard whose length and athleticism enables her to play much bigger. She moves well, handles the ball effectively and runs the floor with pace. She earned All-Skyline Conference honors last year and the 5-year starter has been team MVP the past two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior <strong>Terese Fisher</strong> is a feisty guard who showed off surprising speed and quickness. She has a solid build, and everything about her says ‘athlete.' She showed off a nice burst of speed and power while attacking the basket, as well as a sweet baseline floater. The four-year starter has a motor that does not quit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freshman <strong>Ma'Lon McCoy</strong> showed a lot of potential. She's strong for her age and plays big for her 5'7 size. The [program_tooltip program_id='713420' first='Minnesota' last='Diamond Elite'] guard is also very good at volleyball and softball so there's no telling what direction she will go in the long run. She showed flashes of potential, the ability to use her skill and quickness to beat players one-on-one, and the confidence to take and make shots. McCoy is averaging 13 points per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846491,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Windom-1000.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-846491" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THIS WEEK'S MILESTONES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854912' first='Hadley' last='Sammons']</strong> of Windom on Wednesday became the 10th player in program history to reach 1,000&nbsp; career points. Although she's not a household name, the junior point guard is the engine that makes Windom go. She made All-Conference in the Big South last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some other 1,000-point scorers from last week:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846492,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Aubrey-Steffl-1000.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-846492" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='498657' first='Aubrey' last='Steffl'] of Cedar Mountain.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846493,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Queensland-team-1000.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-846493" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='550004' first='Lauren' last='Queensland'] of Grand Meadow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846498,"sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-thumbnail"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Morgan-Hulke-1000.jpg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-846498" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='396444' first='Morgan' last='Hulke'] of New Ulm.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846502,"width":"509px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Katie-Boulanger-team-1000.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-846502" style="width:509px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='595556' first='Katherine' last='Boulanger'] of New Prague.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846503,"sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-thumbnail"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Madelyn-Malmgren-1000.jpg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-846503" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='396427' first='Madelyn' last='Malmgren'] of St. James.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846513,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Keagan-McVicker-1000.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-846513" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='258599' first='Keagan' last='McVicker'] of Hastings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":846514,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Sutch-team-1000.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-846514" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='215980' first='Bella' last='Sutch'] of Spring Lake Park.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A couple of late additions to the 1,000-point club are senior [player_tooltip player_id='215957' first='Gabby' last='Betton'] of Lakeville North, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='471360' first='Mya' last='Moore'] of Orono and senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='339151' first='Kaitlyn' last='Staples']</strong> of Hancock.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As mentioned above, [player_tooltip player_id='178277' first='Jordan' last='Zubich'] of Mountain Iron-Buhl became the Rangers' all-time leading scorer last Monday. With 33 points in a win over Cass Lake-Bena, Zubich passed the great <strong>Chelsea Mason</strong>, who had established the previous mark of 3,035. Jordan followed that up with 34 against Deer River on Thursday and 37 versus Red Lake on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->