Minnesota Metro Stars: U15-U17 Preview

Today we’re looking at the Minnesota Metro Stars and some of their players heading into the live period. Without further ado, let’s get right into it. U17-Pryor [player_tooltip player_id="108348" first="Nunu" last="Agara"] The Stanford commit is the kind of player who makes everything easier for her teammates. There isn’t much she doesn’t do at an extremely high level. She’s an excellent shooter and passer and springs fastbreaks with unbelievable outlet passe. [player_tooltip player_id="108298" first="Taylor" last="Woodson"] The Michigan commit is a difficult matchup for anyone. Woodson is a 6-foot guard who is the size of a forward. She has a soft shooting touch from everywhere on the court. Woodson also can grab and go when rebounding on the defensive end, but with the talent on this Metro Stars team, you may not see it that often. [player_tooltip player_id="178269" first="Liv" last="McGill"] The sophomore is one of the best lead guards I’ve seen. McGill is a fiery competitor whose only goal is to win. She’ll play in her opponent’s face on both ends. Offensively McGill can break down any defender one-on-one and create numerical advantages in the half-court. Defensively, she likes to win her matchup. McGill takes pride in every defensive stop, denying her assignment to get to her spot and every poor pass she forces. [player_tooltip player_id="108320" first="Kelly" last="Boyle"] The Hopkins guard plays with a ton of confidence. Boyle is an elite shooter who has the green light to take any shot if she’s given a little daylight. In the one game I saw her play, she got a few open looks in transition and demanded the ball. Of course, she didn’t even hit the rim on either of those makes. Boyle may be a breakout candidate. Once schools see her play, I don’t know what would be unlikable about her. [player_tooltip player_id="178274" first="Amy" last="Thompson"] The Stillwater wing would be a star on any other team in the state. Thompson will be one of the most talented 3&D wings playing this weekend. On any other team in Minnesota, she would be a star. However, once schools see she doesn’t need to be a ball-dominant player, I wouldn’t be surprised if that creates more interest in her. [player_tooltip player_id="108331" first="Nicole" last="Lillard"] Schools are going to love how versatile Lillard is on the floor. The Champlin Park guard is a 5-foot-9 guard who defends anyone with the help of her rangy frame. Lillard’s defense helps her team force difficult shots and creates transition opportunities for a team with an elite transition offense. She’s also an excellent shooter. That said,t this group’s defensive intensity turns up a notch with Lillard on the floor. U17 Wiese [player_tooltip player_id="108340" first="Lauren" last="Knudson"] The Orono guard is an outstanding lead guard. Knudson operates in the pick and roll at a high level and understands where she can take advantage of different coverages. She’s a high-level shooter, passer, and passer and possesses an off-the-charts basketball IQ. On the defensive end, she’s strong and quick enough to stay in front of talented lead guards. Coaches will love her and her game. [player_tooltip player_id="186130" first="Shawna" last="Bruha"] Bruha doesn’t play on a standout team in high school. However, her strengths will help her get the best out of her teammates and herself. Her shooting will help space the floor for her teammates, and when her defender tries to help, she will pay off good passing with made 3’s more often than not. Bruha is a high-level shooter who will blossom on a talented team and make this team better. [player_tooltip player_id="220830" first="Isabelle" last="Nelson"] The summer brings a change to the role that Nelson plays. In high school, she’s more of a point guard, and for this Metro Stars group, you’ll see her play off the ball. There aren’t many guarantees in basketball, but Nelson will rarely have a "bad game." She does too many positive things to play poorly. Even if shots aren’t falling in front of college coaches, they will love her game. [player_tooltip player_id="220845" first="Molly" last="Garber"] The 5-foot-11 guard/forward is one of the more versatile players. She’s coming off an injury that kept her sidelined for a little bit. That said, she’s an enigma. She can play almost anywhere in any style of game. Garber can lead a break, attack off the dribble on the perimeter, knock down perimeter jumpers, and use her quickness in the post. Garber is an outstanding athlete. Gabby Voigt Voigt is one of the biggest diamonds in the rough. She was on JV a year ago in high school, but there is a lot of optimism about her playing on this team. Voigt is an athletic guard who’ll score a lot over the summer and defend at a high level. The junior is the kind of player that every team needs to win. [player_tooltip player_id="339139" first="Allyson" last="Misoi"] Misoi is another player on this team who has been out of action for a while. When she’s at 100%, she’s an excellent offensive player in any system. She’s an excellent shooter and will attack the basket at a high level. Defensively she seems to make plays on the ball all the time. [player_tooltip player_id="220824" first="Piper" last="Carlson"] The second Carlson steps on the floor, she becomes the toughest player on the court. Carlson understands that the game of basketball is a contact sport, and she craves it. The 6-foot forward is an outstanding rebounder who gets boards outside her area. Her offensive game has improved, and she’s a quick learner and continuing to get better on that end. [player_tooltip player_id="148338" first="Grace" last="Counts"] Counts had a successful season that culminated in a state title win. She is a super quick 6-foot forward who uses that to beat defenders on the post. The Providence Academy junior can stretch the floor and fill many roles depending on team needs. [player_tooltip player_id="148340" first="Shannon" last="Fornshell"] The 6-foot-1 Wayzata forward is an excellent shooter. You will see her playing as a stretch four. However, if she has a mismatch, you will see her advanced footwork in the post. Fornshell also has some ability with the ball in her hands which will wow a few coaches. [player_tooltip player_id="108336" first="Audrey" last="Kormann"] The 6-foot-3 Maple Grove forward is the kind of kid coaches will love. She’s an athletic forward who runs the floor like a guard. Kormann can stretch the floor due to her ability to shoot the ball. She’s also super comfortable playing in a high-low offense with another post. When you watch her play, you will hear her talking and communicating with her teammates. U16 [player_tooltip player_id="396439" first="Josie" last="Nnaji"] The Hopkins freshman has already left her mark on college coaches. Nnaji has already received P5 offers, and it’s easy to understand why. The freshman is an explosive athlete who can shoot the ball at a high level. Nnaji is also a taller guard who rebounds well and defends at a high level. [player_tooltip player_id="215983" first="Drew" last="Buslee"] Buslee is a point guard who does an excellent job balancing creating her shot and creating for others. The Eagan sophomore is a scrappy kid who doesn’t take anything for granted and is a plus athlete. [player_tooltip player_id="304893" first="Lilly" last="Hahs"] The 5-foot-10 forward communicates well. You may hear Hahs before you see her playing. She is an excellent rebounder and will help her team get extra possessions and kick-start this group’s transition offense. [player_tooltip player_id="350099" first="Peyton" last="Shaffer"] Shaffer is a very mobile post player. Her mobility is also a plus on the defensive end. Shaffer can play in any pick and roll coverage and do it well. It also helps that the 5-foot-11 sophomore is capable of shooting 3’s and stretching the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="304933" first="Maddie" last="Ziembiec"] The 6-foot-1 forward moves a little goofy, but she’s effective. Ziembiec will surprise people with the plays she can make on the floor. The Chanhassen sophomore is a high IQ kid who understands what she needs to do to succeed. [player_tooltip player_id="302305" first="Ryan" last="Thue"] The Prior Lake guard is a player that nobody wants to defend. Thue is a player who likes to attack the basket, and she brings a level of physicality that most kids aren’t ready to defend. I believe in her jump shot, but I would like to see more of it because it looks good. [player_tooltip player_id="304939" first="Estelle" last="Atkinson"] The one thing you should know about Atkinson is that she’s an excellent shooter. The Orono 5-foot-11 wing can contest shots that some wouldn’t expect. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her have an explosive game or two. [player_tooltip player_id="304898" first="Daviyana" last="Singleton-Buchanan"] Singleton-Buchanan is an athletic 5-foot-10 guard/forward who uses that athleticism to make plays on the defensive end. The Kenndy sophomore can make shots and excel within an uptempo game. I’m excited to see how well she plays this summer. [player_tooltip player_id="350110" first="Jaelyn" last="Choi"] Choi is a crafty guard. The 5-foot-5 guard needs to play differently than most people to excel. She shoots 3’s at a high level and plays with a high basketball IQ. She will make plays to help her teammates get into the best decisions to succeed. U15 [player_tooltip player_id="296515" first="Hope" last="Counts"] The 6-foot-2 Providence Academy is an elite rebounder as a freshman. However, she does a lot more than rebound at a high level. For one, she can stretch the floor out to the 3-point line and be a dominant presence in the paint. [player_tooltip player_id="396426" first="Vanessa" last="Jordan"] The Eden Prarie guard wants to get to the basket as much as possible. She’s strong enough to finish around the basket through contact and can navigate through traffic. She puts pressure on her opposition on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="205299" first="Ella" last="Kuhlman"] The freshman is already an excellent shooter. She has a quick release that makes it hard for defenders to get a solid contest on her shot. Kuhlman is also a shooter who can knock down shots well beyond the line. [player_tooltip player_id="346180" first="Brandi" last="Washington"] Washington gets after it defensively and competes at a high level. Offensively, the guard moves well without the ball and finds pockets of space that can exploit both zone and man defenses. [player_tooltip player_id="337632" first="Rory" last="Goddard"] The guard is a reliable player on both ends of the floor. She won’t make many mistakes and excels within a team. She also can get hot from the 3-point line. The Wayzata guard is strong enough to attack the basket and finish through contact. [player_tooltip player_id="339147" first="Camryn" last="Dennin"] The 5-foot-7 Eden Prairie guard plays with passion. Her effort will jump out to anyone who watches her play. Dennin also has the shooting ability to hurt teams from behind the 3-point line and use a pump fake to get into her mid-range game. [player_tooltip player_id="337630" first="Brooklynn" last="Holmberg"] Holmberg is a versatile kid who doesn’t take anything for granted. You will see her be the first person to dive on the floor for loose balls and attack the ball when players are a little too careless with the ball. She rebounds aggressively and can play multiple possessions.