2026 rankings update: Who raised their stock?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We love the Class of 2026. How can you not? What #1 [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] and #1a [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'] have already done this winter to rewrite the record books is truly remarkable. The stellar season #3 [player_tooltip player_id='252383' first='Lanelle' last='Wright'] has put together speaks volumes about her potential. The continued exploits and leadership from #4 [player_tooltip player_id='478350' first='Kate' last='Amelotte'] has been impressive. Ditto for the breakout campaign #5 [player_tooltip player_id='344333' first='Cail' last='Jahnke'] has delivered. The ongoing excellence of #6 [player_tooltip player_id='471360' first='Mya' last='Moore'] continues to impress. The list goes on and on and on. From [player_tooltip player_id='458305' first='Audrey' last='Shindelar'] to [player_tooltip player_id='502602' first='Morgan' last='Staloch'], [player_tooltip player_id='351665' first='Vienna' last='Murray'], [player_tooltip player_id='280354' first='Tucker' last='Downs'] and more, this is an incredibly talented group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we update the Prep Girls Hoops prospect rankings for the Class of 2026, I guess it should not be surprising that there has been no change to the established order of the top 16 players. I don't recall that level of stability among the top performers in any class over all of the years we have been doing these rankings. That doesn't mean there haven't been some eye-opening improvements farther down the list – there have! – and we're here to give you the skinny on which players have raised their stock since the last rankings update in September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#17 [player_tooltip player_id='458302' first='Abbie' last='Pietila'] – The crafty point guard from Delano has led the Tigers to their best season ever. The team brings a record of 26-1 into the section 6AAA semifinals on Saturday and Pietila's play has been a huge factor in their success. The 5'8 floor general was outstanding over the Christmas holidays at Granite City. She earned headlines again at the Community Clash. Every time we watched, Abbie played at a very high level. In many grades she'd be a top 10 prospect. In the very deep Class of 2026 she moves up two positions to #17.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#18 [player_tooltip player_id='498663' first='Madison' last='Ohm'] – The athletic guard transferred into Byron last fall and her arrival has helped the Bears to a record of 23-4, a remarkable improvement from last year's 15-win campaign. Ohm fit right in, combining effectively with junior [player_tooltip player_id='252380' first='Kendra' last='Harvey'], freshman [player_tooltip player_id='654990' first='Kayla' last='Stork'] and others to help the Bears reach new heights. Ohm was ranked #25 when we first categorized this class in the fall of 2022 and has improved by two or three positions at every update. The uber-quick guard is long, athletic, and skilled, and she's playing with the poise and confidence of a veteran.  Ohm moves up two to #18.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#33 [player_tooltip player_id='472446' first='Amaya' last='Penn'] – The crafty point guard from St. Croix Lutheran missed the early part of the season with an injury and the Crusaders really struggled without her running the show in the backcourt. They won just three of their first eight games. Following Amaya's return, SCL has gone 17-1 in 2024 and carry a 13-game winning streak into the Section 4AA semifinals. Penn is a highly skilled ball handler who excels at playing fast. She's deadly one-on-one and knocks down threes. She's also an intense defender. Penn rises three positions to #33.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#35 [player_tooltip player_id='589276' first='Taleigha' last='Bigler'] – The 5'9 point guard from Marshall eased her way into the rotation as a 9th grader and by year's end looked right at home. Last summer with the Minnesota Rise, Bigler's game took off earning her a 13-place improvement in the 2026 prospect rankings. Now she moves up another three positions to #35. Taleigha has quarterbacked the Tigers to a record of 20-8 heading into the Section 2AAA semifinals this year. The daughter of Southwest Minnesota State men's coach Brad Bigler is a highly-skilled ball handler who plays with moxie and intelligence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST TOP 50 STOCK RISERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#34 [player_tooltip player_id='717663' first='Le'Sedra' last='Williams'] – The intriguing forward from Hopkins continues to impress as she has played a vital role off the bench for the top-ranked team in Class 4A. There's no question her offensive minutes have been important, but it is on the defensive end where we have seen the most improvement in Williams' game. Since moving to Minnesota from Alaska a couple of years ago, the lengthy sophomore has put in the work to get better and it's paying off in a big way. The versatile post is a big stock riser, moving up 12 positions to #34.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#42 [player_tooltip player_id='589282' first='Cassie' last='Wegman'] – The strong power forward from Delano has garnered plenty of headlines this year for her no-nonsense approach to the game that has yielded outstanding results, both on a personal level and for her team. Averaging nearly 10 points and 6 rebounds per contest, Cassie has been solid in every phase of the game. We predicted last fall that Cassie could have a breakout campaign and that is exactly what's taken place. Moving up 24 positions to #42, Wegman is our biggest stock riser this time around in the Class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER DOUBLE-DIGIT STOCK RISERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were four more top 100 sophomores who have raised their stock by double digits since September:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#64 [player_tooltip player_id='498662' first='Jadyn' last='Kor'] – The gifted guard from Pipestone recently reached the 1,000 career points milestone, but she brings so much more to the table than just her offensive production. Kor moves up 11 positions to #64. We wish she'd play AAU in MInnesota.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#66 [player_tooltip player_id='502551' first='Brooklin' last='Hinze'] – The flashy guard from St. Clair has always been a gifted athlete and a dynamic performer with speed and quickness. As her decision making and execution has improved, so has her ranking. Hinze is up 12 spots to #66.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#83 [player_tooltip player_id='773408' first='Lily' last='Hubin'] – The talented guard from Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart has been overshadowed by some big names in the Mustangs' lineup, but all she's done is keep getting better. She recently hit 1,000 career points. Lilly goes up 16 positions to #83.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#95 [player_tooltip player_id='773422' first='Rebecca' last='Nelson'] – The lengthy shooting guard from St. Anthony Village has had an outstanding winter,. With a lean, wiry build, Nelson is a gifted shooter who has a sweet stroke. Now she's in the top 100 thanks to a 20-place improvement to #95.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Check out the complete list of ranked sophomores on our <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/minnesota/rankings/2026-rankings/">2026 rankings page</a></strong>. Just a reminder that players are ranked on their potential as college prospects, not their currently level of performance in high school. For more on this and related subjects, visit the <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/how-we-rank/">How We Rank</a></strong> page.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->