AAU State Tournament: 8th grade All-Tournament Team

So many great performances, so much talent to see. The AAU State Tournament 8th grade division offered up a plethora of choices when it came time to select our Prep Girls Hoops All-Tournament team. Trust me, we've done our best, but I'm sure there are worthy candidates who were left off the list. Keep in mind, we can't see every game and there is a heavy emphasis on teams that made it deeper into the tournament before falling by the wayside. With all of that as preamble, here are the PGH 8th grade All-Tournament Teams for 2024.   FIRST TEAM   MVP [player_tooltip player_id='908448' first='Sarah' last='Poepard'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2028 UAA   The 8th grader from White Bear Lake had an outstanding performance in Sunday's championship game, leading her team to the victory over [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] EYBL. Sarah provided a big spark for the Fury down the stretch and finished the game with 12 crucial points. Over the course of the tournament, Poepard scored 50 points, tying for fourth overall in the Division 1 bracket.   [player_tooltip player_id='667771' first='Brooke' last='Soash'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2028 UAA   The speedy point guard from Champlin Park gave two stellar performances on Sunday. Soash is a point guard in every sense of the word. She sets up actions for her team, she sees the floor incredibly well, and few players in the class distribute the ball as well as she does. Playing with her usual high-octane energy, Brooke was very consistent in her scoring as well, contributing nearly 7 points per game.   [player_tooltip player_id='716527' first='Ashna' last='Ramlall'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2028 UAA   It should not come as a surprise that Ashna, one of the three Ramlall sisters from Rosemount, was among the top scorers in the D1 bracket. We expected a big performance from the youngest of the Ramlall trio and she delivered. Ashna put up big numbers in both games on Sunday. In the semifinal matchup against [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] 2028 OU, Ashna led her team with 15 points and in the final against [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Nike, Ramlall topped all scorers with 18.   [player_tooltip player_id='806429' first='Amelia' last='Mills'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 2028 Nike   The star point guard from Rochester Mayo had an outstanding weekend. We wouldn't expect anything less. Amelia led her team to the championship game and finished third in the division in scoring. Over four contests, she contributed an average of 13 points per game, including two performances over the 15-point mark. Of course, Mills contributed elsewhere on the floor in her passing and high energy defense, both of which were crucial for NT.   [player_tooltip player_id='644878' first='Sahara' last='Wilson'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 2028 Nike   The Lakeville North 8th grader showed over the weekend just how dominant she can be. Sahara's physical presence on both ends of the floor – she is the biggest prospect in the Class of 2028 – was something few other teams could match up with. On offense, Sahara repeatedly buried other players in the post, and on defense Wilson's mobility and shot blocking made her extremely difficult to score on. Sahara averaged almost 9 points per game.   SECOND TEAM   [player_tooltip player_id='644896' first='Logan' last='Miller'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2028 UAA   The 6'2ish forward from Andover had another solid weekend on the Fury's top 8th grade team. Having grown even taller and stronger since last year's AAU season, Logan is a formidable post player and an invaluable asset for her team. On offense, she is able to absorb contact and repeatedly score through multiple defenders, and on defense Miller excels at using her length to stop opponents from scoring in the paint.   [player_tooltip player_id='904190' first='Malin' last='Youngberg'] – [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] Blue   After an outstanding showing in the State Prelims, the lengthy guard from Little Falls had another impressive weekend at the State Tournament. Malin more than held her own against top level opponents in the division and was even tasked with guarding the aforementioned Wilson. On Saturday, Youngberg led West Central to a 44-41 nailibiter victory over [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] DeSart. WCU's third-place finish was the best in club history.   [player_tooltip player_id='565313' first='Elsa' last='Retzlaff'] – [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] Blue   The gritty guard from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls had another solid all-around weekend. She brought her A-game on both ends of the floor, contributing points, defensive stops, assists, hustle plays, you name it. Retzlaff averaged 8.5 points per game over four contests. Even though she is an elite three-point shooter, Elsa scored often by driving to the basket. On Sunday, Retzlaff helped led her team to a 53-43 win over [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] OU to earn a podium finish.   [player_tooltip player_id='1209360' first='Ava' last='Smith'] – [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] OU   The [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] OU guard from Hopkins gave several outstanding displays of scoring over the weekend, particularly in the Division 1 semifinal game against Fury UAA. Ava led all scorers with 25 points, with 8 of those coming from the free throw line. Every time Ava attacked the paint, she was sure to get a bucket or a trip to the charity stripe. It was impressive. Over four games, Smith scored 60 points, more than anyone else in the division.   [player_tooltip player_id='908260' first='Maggie' last='Dyer'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Nike   The rising star from Rochester Mayo was another leader in the scoring column. The [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Nike forward, who is one of the most explosive prospects in the Class of 2028, was a big key to her team's success over the weekend, amassing 12 or more points in three contests. Maggie's size and ability to score at multiple levels make her a tough player to guard. In Sunday's semifinal, Dyer led her team with 14 points in the win against a tough [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] squad.   THIRD TEAM   [player_tooltip player_id='914941' first='Briana' last='Foster'] – [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] OU   [player_tooltip player_id='918649' first='Reese' last='Keating'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Herman   [player_tooltip player_id='918684' first='Quinn' last='Kemper'] – [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] DeSart   Briana Eggers – [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] Boone   [player_tooltip player_id='866655' first='Maggie' last='Joyce'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] Wright   HONORABLE MENTIONS   [player_tooltip player_id='644912' first='Amari' last='Johnson'] – [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] OU   [player_tooltip player_id='897050' first='Annabelle' last='Gothmann'] – [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] Boone   [player_tooltip player_id='992407' first='Izzy' last='Johnson'] – [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] Boone   [player_tooltip player_id='630242' first='Caelyn' last='Foster'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Herman   [player_tooltip player_id='786203' first='Bethany' last='Black Lance'] – [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] DeSart   [player_tooltip player_id='815078' first='Zoey' last='Johnston'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Makepeace   Tate Adler – [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Makepeace   [player_tooltip player_id='897887' first='Tess' last='Brown'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Herman   [player_tooltip player_id='835982' first='Lilly' last='Henriksen'] – [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] Blue   [player_tooltip player_id='644898' first='Ally' last='Moore'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Nike   PGH scout Ally McGinnis wrote these player evaluations.

So many great performances, so much talent to see. The AAU State Tournament 8th grade division offered up a plethora of choices when it came time to select our Prep Girls Hoops All-Tournament team. Trust me, we've done our best, but I'm sure there are worthy candidates who were left off the list. Keep in mind, we can't see every game and there is a heavy emphasis on teams that made it deeper into the tournament before falling by the wayside. With all of that as preamble, here are the PGH 8th grade All-Tournament Teams for 2024.