AAU Awards: 2027 Defensive Players of the Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the past several weeks, we've been covering our annual AAU awards for 2026. So far we've highlighted the Coach of the Year, AAU Newcomer of the Year, one Breakout Player for each class, the Most Valuable Duos in each class, our Hard Hat All-Star Teams, and three of our four DPOY awards. Today we'll take a look at our final award for the 2026 AAU season; our class of 2027 Defensive Players of the Year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unlike some of our other awards, there isn't a clear-cut definition for what makes someone a Defensive Player of the Year. While in the pro leagues there are advanced stats like defensive rating and win shares, which can be used to precisely measure a player's defensive impact, we don't have anything of the sort for AAU. It's rare that rebounds, steals, and blocks are even tracked during the summer season. So, in lieu of trying to identify the best statistical defenders, we're approaching this one as more of an art than a science. For our purposes, DPOY can mean a lot of things. Some kids excel as on-ball defenders, some are outstanding on the boards, and some can force turnovers all day long. As a general rule, the players featured here played with relentless energy and effort this season, were regularly tasked with guarding their opponents top players, and consistently made winning plays when it mattered most.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a final reminder: Only Minnesota players are eligible for these awards. This means that players from other states who play for Minnesota-based 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.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All that being said, here are our selections for our final award of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["644100"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca404ea552"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Both in 2024 and in 2025, Kieser has made the cut as one of the top defenders in her class. Given how hard she works each time she steps on the floor, it's not surprising to see the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] guard on this list for the third consecutive year. As anyone who has seen Annika play can tell you, she is utterly relentless on the defensive end. The 5'10 guard continuously pesters ball handlers on the perimeter, fights tooth and nail for every rebound, doesn't shy away from any sort of physicality, and simply will not quit on a play. Annika's impeccable motor, extreme toughness, and do-whatever-it-takes attitude were paramount for the Fury all summer long. Over the course of three sessions on the UAA circuit this season, the Wayzata senior averaged 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. A top 20 prospect in the class of 2027, Kieser picked up Division 1 offers from Cleveland State and Rider University this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175103"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca404ea5bf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">After a breakout campaign on the AAU circuit last summer, Rysdam picked up our Newcomer of the Year Award for 2025. It's easy to see why. The 5'9 guard is ridiculously fast in the open court, an elite level athlete, and is highly productive on the offensive end. But what really caught our eye when it came to Morgan's game this summer was her defense. On top of averaging 14.7 points per game as Opportunity 11 North's leading scorer, the Braham senior was a bulldog on the perimeter defense. Using her speed and ability to anticipate where the ball is headed, Rysdam generated deflections, forced dead-ball turnovers, and picked up a whopping 109 steals throughout the AAU season. That astronomical figure breaks down the 2.8 steals per game over the course of the summer. In addition to her cherry-picking abilities, Morgan was highly effective on the glass at 5.9 rebounds per contest, making her one of the strongest rebounding guards we watched all summer. After collecting a variety of college offers in the last 12 months, the [program_tooltip program_id='756457' first='Opportunity' last='Basketball'] standout announced her commitment to the University of Jamestown back in May.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HONORABLE MENTIONS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='734360' first='Gigi' last='Coleman'] – [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] 2027 3SSB, Minnehaha Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1892434' first='Maren' last='Day'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 17U EYBL, Wayzata&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='558627' first='Erma' last='Walker'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 17U EYBL, Hopkins</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='659130' first='Jaliyah' last='Diggs'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 2027 3SSB, Hopkins</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->