Seeing double at the Mill City Invitational

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've seen plenty of great sister acts in Minnesota in the recent years. Providence Academy's <strong>Maddyn Greenway</strong> (Kentucky) and [player_tooltip player_id='872714' first='Beckett' last='Greenway']. Becker's [player_tooltip player_id='630285' first='Adele' last='Changamire'] and [player_tooltip player_id='884449' first='Andie' last='Changamire']. <strong>Mya Moore</strong> (Creighton) and [player_tooltip player_id='644898' first='Ally' last='Moore'] of Orono. We could go on and on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While it's far less common, we've also seen our fair share of standout sets of twins who've gone on to play college basketball at various levels. Monticello's <strong>Abby Ruda</strong> and <strong>Addison Ruda</strong> (Concordia St. Paul), along with Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart's <strong>Rachel Kottke</strong> and <strong>Kristi Kottke</strong> (Young Harris) come to mind. Now in the aftermath of the annual [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] Mill City Invitational, which took place in Chanhassen over the weekend, two more sets of twins join the list, along with a couple younger sisters of graduated Minnesota standouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Maya Gunderson &amp; Sydney Gunderson – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2032 Blue</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a rule of thumb, we typically don't scout players until they've started 7th grade, which is also&nbsp;when they are first eligible to play at the varsity level. While most prospects make their debut much later, we feel that this gives young players ample time to grow and mature their game before we ever step foot in the gym. There are exceptions to every rule, however, and the Mill City Invitational provided us ample reason to break that particular one when a pair of 6th graders suited up to play with the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury']'s 2029 UAA squad over the weekend.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Needless to say, we were very impressed with the play of both Gunderson twins. It was Maya who suited up for the 15U squad on Saturday, making her debut against a 2027 Team Wisconsin squad. Despite being five years younger than her opponents, the pint-sized guard fit in seamlessly. Gunderson showed no fear on either end of the floor. She played with energy and aggression on defense, and using her ball handling skills and speed to her advantage on offense. Though the minutes were limited, Maya's work ethic and willingness to embrace the challenge was remarkable to watch.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The very next game, the pair had to play in their own age bracket. This time around, my attention shifted towards Sydney. Much like her sister, she's lightning quick, a dynamic scorer, and a relentless competitor. On defense, she demonstrated the basketball IQ of a much older player. Gunderson is not only aggressive on the ball, but understands how to play in helpside, keeping her head on a swivel and anticipating passes, allowing the Fury to turn defense into offense. Sydney made sharp cross-court passes, found easy layups in transition, and knocked down open looks from three-point range. She contributed a team-high 14 points against the [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets']. Maya added another 10.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Avery Loken &amp; Charlotte Loken – [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] 2030 Peterson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each standing somewhere around 5'11 and possessing tremendous length, the Loken twins are impossible to miss. Their games are also remarkably similar. And when on the floor at the same time for the Rise, they formed an imposing presence in the paint. While her overall skillset is still quite raw, Charlotte gave us plenty to take notice of. She was aggressive on the glass, consistently crashing the boards on offense, hoping to pick up second chance scoring opportunities. In Saturday's game against the Comets, she was tasked with guarding a much larger opponent, but wasn't one to shy away from the challenge. It's a similar story for Avery. Still young and bursting with potential, the St. Peter 8th grader showed an innate feel for the game on both ends of the court. On offense, Avery showcased a solid drop-step around the rim, and a willingness to get out on the perimeter and put up shots from three. Undoubtedly, both of the Lokens are college prospects who coaches will want to have on their radar in the next couple of years.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Natalya Land – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2030 Yellow</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The younger sister of University of Montana standout <strong>Jocelyn Land</strong>, Natalya's game has some similarities to that of her older sister. The Holy Family 8th grader now stands about 6 feet tall with a strong, powerful build. While she's not the most assertive player on the floor, Land keeps the game simple, focusing on all the little ways she can help her team. She sets solid, well-timed screens, is active on the glass, creates movement off the ball on offense, and is able to defend the paint without picking up fouls. When the ball is in her hands, Natalya finds most of her scoring right around the rim, but won't hesitate to shoot from long range if an opening presents itself. Once her confidence grows, the younger Land sister could make some real noise in the class of 2030.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alexis Dornan – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2030 Yellow</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another member of the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2030 Yellow squad, Alexis is the younger sister of 2025 Cretin-Derham Hall graduate, <strong>Emma Dornan</strong>. While Emma was much more of a traditional, back to the basket post player, Alexis stretches the floor. At the Mill City Invitational we saw the 5'9 forward's wide array of guard skills. She can handle the ball out on the perimeter, reliably knock down shots from beyond the arc, and has a real knack for finding seams in the defense for a back door pass to her teammates. Another element we appreciated about Dornan's game was her unrelenting toughness. The Hill-Murray 8th grader made hustle plays time and time again, often getting fouled or hitting the floor hard. But every single time that happened, Alexis got up and got right back into the action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->