Minnesota AAU Awards: 2027 Most Valuable Duos

It's officially August. That means the AAU season has come to an end and it's time to hand out our awards for the summer season. We've already covered our Coach of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year for each class, and this season's Newcomer of the Year. Now we're moving on to our Most Valuable Duos. First handed out last year, the Most Valuable Duo is awarded to a pair of players who played an equally important role for their team over the course of the season. Whether they led the team in scoring or worked in tandem on the defensive end, the MVD award is designed to recognize players who were instrumental to their team's success. We'll be covering one duo for each age group, beginning with the Class of 2027.   As a reminder: While there are plenty of out-of-state prospects playing for Minnesota clubs who had a phenomenal summer, 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.    Another thing to note: We've broken down our Most Valuable Duos by the age bracket their AAU team plays in. With some individual players playing up a year or two, this means that not every duo features two players from the same graduating class. All that matters here is that the pair spent the majority of the summer playing for the same team.   MOST VALUABLE DUO   [player_tooltip player_id='659130' first='Jaliyah' last='Diggs'] & [player_tooltip player_id='667778' first='Laila' last='Moses'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 2027 3SSB   It was a big summer for the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] duo, who led the way for the 2027 3SSB squad in their final season on the AAU circuit. We saw big performances from both Diggs and Moses at events such as the Minnesota AAU State Tournament back in May, where the pair led the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] squad to a semifinals appearance. Later that month, at the Summer Kickoff Classic, the two guards dominated the offense, combining for a whopping 144 points over the course of the weekend.    For Diggs, the summer came with an increased level of visibility on the Adidas circuit. The latest in a long line of star point guards to come out of Hopkins high school, Jaliayah wowed coaches and spectators all summer with her explosive drives to the rim, flashy passing, crafty ball handling, and high-intensity presence on the defensive end. The 5'5 guard picked up a number of Division 1 offers throughout the spring from schools such as Detroit Mercy and North Alabama. On top of that, Diggs was also chosen to participate in Overtime Select, a summer league for elite-level high school players from around the country. Games are ongoing from now until August 15th.   Much like Diggs, Moses had a massive impact for the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] this summer. The 5'11 guard played every game like she was on a mission, giving her full effort on each and every possession. Throughout the summer, the DeLaSalle senior shined both as a knockdown three-point shooter and as a rim runner in transition. Laila's recruiting took a leap after the May live period. The Islanders standout picked up multiple D1 offers, including those from North Alabama and Dartmouth.   HONORABLE MENTIONS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/09/980-Maren-Day.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-998501" style="aspect-ratio:1.5014710358121133;width:516px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='1892434' first='Maren' last='Day']</figcaption></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Lyla-Hentges-crop-3870x2541-1694643814.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-763031" style="width:517px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='763004' first='Lyla' last='Hentges']</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1892434' first='Maren' last='Day'] & [player_tooltip player_id='763004' first='Lyla' last='Hentges'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 17U EYBL   Long-time teammates on [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan']'s top 2027 team, both Day and Hentges closed their AAU careers on a high note. From the 6'1 guard from Wayzata, we saw big performances in the AAU State Championship series, as well as at Summer Jam in July. Maren closed out the summer with some big performances in Chicago, earning recognition as a top performer at Nike Nationals. Both a versatile defender and three-level scoring threat, Day will play her senior season at Wayzata before heading off to South Dakota State next fall.   Similarly, Hentges also excelled at the Tournament of Champions in Chicago. Bringing her typical shooting ability, basketball IQ, and reliable defense to each matchup, Lyla was a steady presence for [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] all summer. While the 17U squad wasn't able to repeat their EYBL championship from last summer, the Chanhassen guard's performance demonstrated the value of playing defense-focused, team basketball. A top 15 prospect in the senior class, Hentges is committed to play for St. Thomas, following her final season with the Storm.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Morgan-Mathiowetz-crop-665x437-1694455141.jpg?w=664" alt="" class="wp-image-760115" style="width:564px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='498658' first='Morgan' last='Mathiowetz']</figcaption></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Amisha-Ramlall1.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-764644" style="width:564px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='578467' first='Amisha' last='Ramlall']</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='498658' first='Morgan' last='Mathiowetz'] & [player_tooltip player_id='578467' first='Amisha' last='Ramlall'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2027 UAA   Bringing plenty of firepower to the offense for the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'], Mathiowetz and Ramlall lit up the score board all summer. Both were top performers for the UAA club during the May NCAA live period, at the AAU State Prelims, and during the 2027 squad's run to the State Championship back in May. Following a junior season where she was one of the state's scoring leaders and led Sleepy Eye St. Mary's to a Class A state championship, Mathiowetz rode that wave into her final AAU season. The 5'8 point guard combines both speed and finesse, using her smooth elevation, explosive first step, and quick release to score at every level. Morgan is committed to play for North Dakota State in college.    Rounding out the backcourt for the Fury, Ramlall also came into the spring season with some serious momentum, having just led Rosemount to their first ever high school state championship. In typical fashion, the 5'11 guard brought her lights-out perimeter shooting to the floor all summer. On top of that, the Minnesota commit showcased her unselfish passing, physical, high pressure defense, and her uncanny ability to come up with big buckets when the team needed it most.

It's officially August. That means the AAU season has come to an end and it's time to hand out our awards for the summer season. We've already covered our Coach of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year for each class, and this season's Newcomer of the Year. Now we're moving on to our Most Valuable Duos. First handed out last year, the Most Valuable Duo is awarded to a pair of players who played an equally important role for their team over the course of the season. Whether they led the team in scoring or worked in tandem on the defensive end, the MVD award is designed to recognize players who were instrumental to their team's success. We'll be covering one duo for each age group, beginning with the Class of 2027.