Breaking through on the biggest stage of all

It's one thing to play well in your own backyard; it's quite another to bring your game to the biggest stage under the brightest lights before the largest crowds on live television and perform at an elite level. That's what we've seen this week at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota – a coming out party for some youngsters on the rise.   We've been raving for years now about [player_tooltip player_id='515673' first='Brielle' last='Janssen'] of MACCRAY; for the better part of a year about [player_tooltip player_id='918612' first='Lexi' last='Lawrence'] of East Grand Forks Sacred Heart. [player_tooltip player_id='1194474' first='Reese' last='Drake'] has been making waves all winter over in Marshall. And when it mattered the most, [player_tooltip player_id='1216140' first='Olivia' last='Schieffert'] emerged from the shadows in Sleepy Eye St. Mary's to deliver an outstanding performance.   [player_tooltip player_id='515673' first='Brielle' last='Janssen'] – 2026 forward, MACCRAY   We've been pontificating on Brielle's potential since she was in junior high school, about her rise to the top 15 status in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2026, about the incredible growth in her game. Well on Thursday a packed house at Maturi Pavilion saw it all for themselves. Janssen turned in a virtuoso performance in a hard-fought upset for the 7th-seeded Wolverines over #2 seed Mayer Lutheran. The 6'1 gazelle was beaming in the post-game media session. “I've always enjoyed basketball but it has been a huge dream in both volleyball and basketball to go to State,” she said. “If you had told me in 7th grade that this was possible, I probably wouldn't have believed it.”   The MACCRAY supporters' section was enormous, filling the entire north side of the arena. The opportunity to travel to Minneapolis for the big dance was obviously a big deal for all involved, including coach Shawn Condon. How much did it mean? “Everything!” he said. “It's been 19 years since we've been here. I was in the 8th grade at MACCRAY when we made it, and I never forgot it. Look at our crowd. I think all three towns that make up our district there was nobody there. I think that's really special. Credit to these girls. They've bought in and they've worked hard.”   When Brielle was very young, volleyball seemed to be her number one sport. She wavered every spring over how much AAU basketball to play and what her long-term intentions might be. We were enamored after a single viewing. After watching another couple of AAU games, we made it clear to anyone who would listen that if Janssen decided to focus on basketball she would immediately be considered a top 20 prospect with excellent D1 potential.   That's what happened. The ironic thing is Janssen decided to commit early to MSU-Mankato, the reigning Division 2 national champions who already have a roster of similar players – D1 level talents who have opted to stay home and win. If she was still a free agent, Janssen's performance on Thursday would have had the D1 coaches in attendance lining up for a conversation. The Class A All-State selection delivered when it mattered most.   No matter how hard teams game plan for Janssen, no matter how physical they play her, no matter how much the pressure of the post-season has ramped up, the Wolverines continue to deliver as a group. “If you watch a lot of our games then you know that we do a lot of things through Brielle and it's no surprise,” said Coach Condon. “Teams have seen the film, but there are different actions that we've been doing offensively to try and get her away from the ball a little bit coming off screens. The thing about Brielle is she always makes the right play. She is a phenomenal passer and she has really learned to trust her teammates.”   “It's definitely a struggle at times,” Janssen said of the constant defensive pressure teams throw at her, “but I think it's gotten not necessarily easier but we've all learned how to deal with it together and to have other people step up and help me. When we can have other people step up and make big shots it takes a lot of pressure off of me.”   Less than 24 hours later, Janssen and friends experienced an even bigger thrill as they scored a semifinal victory over [player_tooltip player_id='498658' first='Morgan' last='Mathiowetz'] and her Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Knights by a score of 56-50. The game was as classic as Janssen's performance was special. Brielle put up 27 points, 18 rebounds and 6 assists in the victory. On championship Saturday, the 7th-seeded Wolverines will play 4th seed West Central Area who knocked off the defending state champs from Goodhue.   Janssen wasn't the only player to hold a coming out party this week at State. Here are three more athletes who brought their “A” game to Minneapolis.   [player_tooltip player_id='1194474' first='Reese' last='Drake'] – 2026 guard, Marshall   Coming off an excellent junior season, Drake has been no different at the State Tournament. In Wednesday's quarterfinal game against Rock Ridge, the 5'8 guard led all scorers with 26 points, as well as 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Drake brought her “A” game again in the semifinals, contributing 17 points in the win over Cretin-Derham Hall. But she didn't just fill up the scoring column. Reese also had 5 assists, 5 blocks, and half a dozen steals. What Drake has done this season is remarkable, and we'd be lying if we said it was not a surprise. We've seen Reese play many times on the [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise']'s 2nd 2026 team. She has long been a fundamentally sound player with a strong basketball IQ, but not a show-stopper. Now having grown a couple inches and added some serious strength, Drake has had a breakout season. She topped 1,000 career points a couple of weeks ago and earned Class 3A All-State honorable mention. This week, Drake has shown everyone that she is for real.   [player_tooltip player_id='918612' first='Lexi' last='Lawrence'] – 2027 forward, EGF Sacred Heart   We've been wearing out the keyboard writing about Lexi since seeing her in an AAU tournament last summer, the first such event she had ever played in. We've revisited her rise in status throughout the winter season during which she has led the tiny school from East Grand Forks all the way to the State Tournament. Prior to this week, we spoke to a number of Division 1 college coaches about Lexi. On Thursday they saw for themselves exactly what we've been talking about. Lawrence went 9-for-17 from the field and 9-of-10 at the free throw line for 27 points along with 16 rebounds against Sleepy Eye St. Mary's. The Eagles fell just short of advancing to the Class A semifinals, falling to the Knights in overtime thanks to the heroics of Mathiowetz. In the big picture, however, Lawrence's play was huge and she's now on the recruiting radar at a high level. Lexi was somehow overlooked in the Class A All-State selections, which would be perplexing to anyone who saw her compete in Minneapolis.   [player_tooltip player_id='1216140' first='Olivia' last='Schieffert'] – 2028 guard, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's   When it comes to Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, it's all Mathiowetz all the time. Carrying on the family tradition, Morgan is now dominating in every facet of the game. Watching her perform is part art, part science, all magical. But Morgan can't do it alone, of course. If the Knights were going to win a state championship, they still need a great supporting cast. On Thursday nobody illustrated that better than Schieffert, who has played a vital role all season. The 5'9 guard with a big frame and a ton of power, put up 16 points and had 4 assists in SESM's win over Sacred Heart. She made a big impression guarding Lawrence and showed off her versatility in a significant way. Olivia can get to the rim and knock down shots from outside, but it's her physical presence and sizeable motor that really stand out. Schieffert, who is Mathiowetz's first cousin, is averaging 14.3 points per game this winter while shooting over 50% from the field. She led the team in assists at 5.4 per game along with 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this article.

It's one thing to play well in your own backyard; it's quite another to bring your game to the biggest stage under the brightest lights before the largest crowds on live television and perform at an elite level. That's what we've seen this week at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota – a coming out party for some youngsters on the rise.