Fall Exclusive Week 1: Fresh faces who stood out

Each fall, Jr. All-Star puts on the Fall Exclusive, a three-session showcase event held on Fridays at Kennedy High School in Bloomington. It's a great place to find up-and-coming young players from around the state. Past attendees have included big names such as [player_tooltip player_id='433933' first='Chloe' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='994855' first='Izze' last='Austin'], and [player_tooltip player_id='644878' first='Sahara' last='Wilson'].    This year there are eight teams divided into two divisions: middle school and high school. The younger group consists of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Kansas State Wildcats, UConn Huskies, and Minnesota Gophers. The older group's teams are the Las Vegas Aces, Golden State Valkyries, New York Liberty, and Minnesota Lynx. PGH scout Tony Ragulen is coaching at the event, and will also be providing coverage on his teams, the Huskies and Valkyries. I will be covering the rest of the teams. That being said, here are some young prospects who made a strong impression in week one.    MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION   [player_tooltip player_id='1353703' first='Kendall' last='Malmgren'] – St. James 2030 (Gophers)   The high-tempo forward from St. James put up two monster performances on Friday night. From her tenacious, high-energy play on defense, to her willingness to crash the boards and create second-chance scoring opportunities, Malmgren (pictured above) was an unstoppable force for the Gophers squad. We were particularly impressed with her ability to score in the paint. Using a soft touch and well-honed footwork, Kendall scores down low with ease, even when being guarded heavily. Following the graduation of her sister, Jamestown University freshman Madelyn Malmgren, Kendall has a big opportunity to make an impact for the Saints in her 8th grade season.    Svea Swenson – Orono 2030 (Gamecocks)   Swenson was one of the first players to catch our eye at the Fall Exclusive. If we were to guess, Svea stands at around 6-foot-2 and has an uber-long, wiry frame to match. Add in her solid set of fundamentals, quickness, and consistent effort on both ends of the floor, and the Orono 8th grader begins to look like a high-level collegiate prospect already. What we were most impressed with, though, was Swenson's coordination and graceful movement. More often than not, players who grow very tall at a young age take a number of years to reach that point. Svea is well ahead of the game in that department.   Holly Simonsen – Blaine 2031 (Wildcats)   Though she's not the biggest player on the floor by any means, Simonsen found numerous ways to make an impact for the Wildcats squad on Friday night. Using her quickness and confident handle on the ball, Holly excelled in the half-court offense. She attacks the rim fearlessly, and has no issues absorbing contact from much larger players. Another area where the Blaine 7th grader really impressed us was her passing. Simonsen has a keen sense of who to get the ball to, where to put it, and when to make the pass. This high-motor guard is bursting with potential.     HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/MakennaOudekerk-crop-3226x2118-1761780875.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1353691" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='887749' first='Makenna' last='Oudekerk'] – Albert Lea 2028 (Aces)   The Albert Lea sophomore showed some new facets to her game at week 1 of the Fall Exclusive. While typically considered a post player, Oudekerk (pictured above) spent much of Friday night handling the ball for the Aces squad. Makenna showed off her ability to be a playmaker, distributing the ball to open teammates, making well-timed slashes to the rim, and attacking the basket with long, explosive strides. On the defensive end, she used her length and energy to be a disruptive force on the perimeter, forcing numerous turnovers. Following the graduation of four seniors, Oudekerk will certainly play a key role for the Tigers this winter.    [player_tooltip player_id='1353712' first='Mackenzie' last='Birdman'] – Edina 2029 (Liberty)   After a solid summer with [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] Yellow, Birdman looks ready to take her game up a notch as we head into the high school season. At Friday's Fall Exclusive session, Mackenzie showed her versatility and willingness to be a team player. Standing at 5'8, the Edina freshman is not towering over opponents, but she has plenty of strength and often outworks her foes to chase down rebounds. Mackenzie attacked the basket with purpose, absorbed contact on her way to the rim, and racked up several points at the free throw line for the Liberty.    [player_tooltip player_id='1052932' first='Grace' last='Oehler'] – Minneapolis Southwest 2029 (Lynx)   The Minneapolis Southwest freshman has taken her game up a notch in recent months, evidenced by her performance at the Freshman Showcase last month, as well as at the Fall Exclusive on Friday. Grace was impactful in several areas for the Lynx, particularly on the defensive end where she brings tons of energy and has the lateral quickness required to keep up with most opponents. On the offensive end, the 5'9 guard showed off her ability to read the defense and get to the rim, as well as her well-developed shot from beyond the arc. Oehler is likely to be a key piece of the rotation for the Lakers this season.

Each fall, Jr. All-Star puts on the Fall Exclusive, a three-session showcase event held on Fridays at Kennedy High School in Bloomington. It's a great place to find up-and-coming young players from around the state. Past attendees have included big names such as Chloe Johnson Chloe Johnson 6'0" | PG Duluth Marshall | 2028 State MN , Izze Austin Izze Austin 5'8" | PG/SG Minnetonka | 2029 State MN , and Sahara Wilson Sahara Wilson 6'3" | PF Lakeville North | 2028 State MN .