Best of Mill City: 2024s who made a good impression

July is all about making an impression – hopefully a good one. With the Division 1 coaches back in the gym last week for the first time in two years, the Mill City Invitational in Chanhassen offered prospects an excellent opportunity to make a great first impression on decision makers from the highest levels of college basketball. For players who have been drawing notice over the past few months, it was particularly important to live up to their advance billing, especially the incoming sophomores who had never been seen in person before. Here are a few 2024s who made a good impression at Mill City. [player_tooltip player_id="178277" first="Jordan" last="Zubich"] <strong>– 6’0 guard, Starks Elite (Mountain Iron-Buhl)</strong> There were plenty of eyeballs on Zubich. Having just moved up 17 spots in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 rankings, the #16-rated prospect attracted a lot of interested viewers on the sidelines. Having the opportunity to go up against the #1 player in the class on opening day was an added bonus. Jordan certainly made good on her rapidly-building reputation. She was bombing threes from here, there and everywhere, scoring 27 points against the Wisconsin Blizzard and 14 against [player_tooltip player_id="177728" first="Olivia" last="Olson"] and Fury 2024 UAA. Zubich’s team nearly pulled off a monumental upset against the Fury before Olson nailed a late three to force overtime and then won it on another triple in the extra period. Observers saw that Jordan could excel against elite prospects of all descriptions. There may not be a better shooter in the class. [player_tooltip player_id="215985" first="Olivia" last="Pawlicki"] <strong>– 6’0 forward, Suns 2024 Blue Star (Shakopee)</strong> Zubich wasn’t the only one making good on recent notice. Pawlicki turned in a series of excellent performances that proved her recent jump from #44 to #28 in the rankings was well-deserved. She had 20 points in the Suns win over Southern Minnesota Fury. In the Silver Division championship game she was 5-for-6 from beyond the arc, had six blocks and 11 rebounds in an 18-point performance that helped the Suns knock off Fury 2025 Blue. Pawlicki’s skill development and growth in confidence over the past 12 months has been remarkable. She’s handling the ball like a guard, consistently beating players one-on-one and scoring both inside and out. Defensively her length is a huge asset. A ton of Suns played well at Mill City, including #14-ranked [player_tooltip player_id="215956" first="Claire" last="Stern"] and #13 [player_tooltip player_id="178274" first="Amy" last="Thompson"], but it was Pawlicki who took center stage in the championship game. [player_tooltip player_id="215991" first="Abby" last="Richter"] <strong>– 5’11 forward, Suns 2024 Blue Star (Edina)</strong> Coach Dre Jefferson’s squad has proven all summer that it is among the best 2024 teams in the state, and there are plenty of sweet prospects to consider. Beyond Pawlicki, Stern and Thompson, we saw a ton of great work from #29 [player_tooltip player_id="215969" first="Nicole" last="Maenke"] and 2026 standout [player_tooltip player_id="205310" first="Tori" last="Oehrlein"]. Often overlooked in her team’s success, however, is the play of Richter. Ranked #53 in the class, Abby’s work ethic, energy and speed are vital factors for the squad. She’s long and tall and operates at high RPM from start to finish. Now she’s learning how to use that speed more effectively so that her explosive bursts are more valuable, and she’s playing more under control. It’s not necessary to go 100 miles per hour all the time, and Abby has figured that out. The long-term possibilities are growing accordingly. [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"] <strong>– 5’7 guard, Fury 2024 UAA (Centennial)</strong> The D1 coaches came in droves to watch Fury 2024 UAA, most drawn by the allure of #1-ranked [player_tooltip player_id="177728" first="Olivia" last="Olson"] and her South Dakota counterpart [player_tooltip player_id="178276" first="Katie" last="Vasecka"], formerly of New Prague, MN. With 83 points in the tournament, Olson did not disappoint. Neither did Vasecka, who scored 76. But what the coaches discovered in watching those two is the fact that this edition of the Fury is loaded with great prospects, including #5 [player_tooltip player_id="178272" first="Mikayla" last="Thomas"], #9 [player_tooltip player_id="215944" first="Ava" last="Cossette"] and #12 [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"]. Every coach I sat with while watching the Fury commented on how impressed they were with Frost. That’s not surprising to those of us who have watched Marisa coming up. She’s not the most physically imposing athlete, but her quickness, highly-developed skill set and intelligence are at a truly elite level. When the game is on the line, Frost is on the floor, and more often than not she is a difference-maker. Frost barely says a word, but her play speaks at full volume. [player_tooltip player_id="215984" first="Kiera" last="O’Rourke"] <strong>– 6’0 Guard, Fury 2024 Premier (Holy Angels)</strong> O’Rourke’s impact for Fury 2024 Premier is somewhat similar to Frost’s effect on the top team. Neither will get fans on their feet with flashy moves or excessive swagger. They just go about their business quietly doing the stuff that wins basketball games. Kiera has had a great year both at Holy Angels and in AAU, which is why her ranking recently rose from #43 to #36 among incoming sophomores. Her consistency has improved. So has her execution. She’s long and tall and has deceptively good speed. With Fury Premier’s best performer #25 [player_tooltip player_id="215972" first="Norah" last="Danielson"] having been promoted to the UAA squad, others have had to step up into more leading roles. O’Rourke did that at Mill City, as did [player_tooltip player_id="302303" first="Emma" last="Bakker"] of Hastings, who is 57th in the class. Their ascent did not go unnoticed. <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em>Top photo: Suns 2024 Blue Star took home a championship at the Mill City Invitational.</em></span>