AAU Awards: 2028 Breakout Player of the Year

Earlier this week, we began to roll out our postseason honors for the 2026 season, starting with the Breakout Player of the Year awards. Today we're keeping things going with the Class of 2028. Along with our breakout performers, the full list of accolades includes the AAU Newcomer of the Year, Hard Hat All Star Team, Coach of the Year, Most Valuable Duos, and one Defensive Player of the Year for each class. We'll cover those in the coming weeks.   As a reminder: Only Minnesota players are eligible for these awards. This means that players from other states who play for Minnesota AAU clubs were not considered. On the other hand, players from Minnesota who play for out-of-state clubs were considered eligible, provided that we had the opportunity to see them play in person.    This summer was one of transformation for the rising star from Stewartville. Over the winter we saw Shindelar get taller, stronger, and more assertive, stepping into a bigger role for the Tigers. But over the course of the AAU campaign, the [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] guard has turned into a full-blown alpha dog. Leading the charge for coach Ryan Hulke's 2028 team, we watched as Danika (pictured above) put on utterly dominant performances week after week. Her willingness to step up and take the reins this summer, as well as the recruiting opportunities that have followed, made Shindelar an easy choice for this year's 2028 Breakout Player of the Year.    Now standing at 5'11, Shindelar is a big, solidly built guard with plenty of power and speed. She can take defenders one-on-one to the basket, finish through traffic, or knock down shots from the midrange and beyond the arc. The incoming junior led the Rise in scoring at multiple events this summer, including a 53-point weekend at the AAU State Prelims, and another 57 points at the State Championship the following week. On top of her offensive capabilities, Danika plays with a strong understanding of the game, is a great facilitator and capable ball handler, and uses her physicality to her advantage on the defensive end. She works relentlessly on the boards, routinely grabbing rebounds over much larger opponents.    We haven't been alone in our evaluation of Shindelar's summer, though. Over the course of the season, we fielded countless questions from college and AAU coaches, parents, and spectators alike. Usually things along the lines of “Who is number 41?”, “Where is she from?” typically followed by comments like “She's gotten really good!” It's no surprise that by May, Division 1 coaches were lining up on the sidelines to get a look. Since then, we're told that Danika has picked up offers from UW-Milwaukee and South Dakota, with other schools in the conversation. Clearly a significant boost in the rankings was needed. During our last class of 2028 rankings update back in June, Shindelar made a 16 spot jump, now placing her squarely in the top 25.    With Stewartville grads Jacyi Rath, Audrey Shindelar, and Addi Ruffridge now moving on to the college game, it's Danika's turn to run the show for the Tigers. And after what we've seen this summer, we'd say she's more than ready.     RUNNER-UP    This AAU season was a big one for the [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] standout. After dominating the offense for Holy Angels as a sophomore, Lima didn't miss a beat. From the moment the play kicked off in April, the 5'10 guard took the bull by the horns, bringing that same scoring punch for Crossfire's 2028 Lady P32 squad. Explosive and crafty with the ball in her hands, Allie showed no fear. No matter who the opponent was, she brought the same dynamic, high-octane style of play each game. At four separate tournaments, Lima dropped 50 points or more over the course of the weekend. With such significant offensive production, as well as a sizable increase in her assertiveness since last year, Allie earned herself a 12-spot boost during our last rankings update. Now sitting at #54 among the incoming juniors, Lima is definitely a player to watch this winter.    HONORABLE MENTION    With home base more than three hours southwest of the Twin Cities, Johnson hasn't been a player we've been able to see in person as much as we'd like. That meant that we were going to need to take every opportunity we had to watch the Luverne standout this summer. We're glad we did! Playing for the Sioux Falls-based Hoop City 16U squad, Taya was a walking double-double all throughout the AAU season. The 6'1 forward's overall skillset has grown immensely, and with a big frame, skilled footwork around the rim, and a sizable motor at her disposal, she proved to be a matchup nightmare for many opponents. While the Cardinals junior is still relatively unknown across Minnesota, it's evident to us that she's been putting in the work.

Earlier this week, we began to roll out our postseason honors for the 2026 season, starting with the Breakout Player of the Year awards. Today we're keeping things going with the Class of 2028. Along with our breakout performers, the full list of accolades includes the AAU Newcomer of the Year, Hard Hat All Star Team, Coach of the Year, Most Valuable Duos, and one Defensive Player of the Year for each class. We'll cover those in the coming weeks.