Who raised their stock at the Suns Spring Showcase?

First impressions are big. Being able to make good on those early inclinations might be bigger. It didn't take long for a half dozen Minnesota girls basketball prospects we'd seen before – kids who had made those positive early impressions – to demonstrate that they are now ready to take it up another notch or two in 2023. Here are six players who raised their stock on opening weekend of the AAU season at the Minnesota Suns Spring Showcase.   [player_tooltip player_id='895633' first='Franny' last='deLeon'] – 2025 guard, Opportunity 10 Black   The 5'7 sophomore (pictured above) got her opportunity to make a splendid first impression on the biggest stage of all – the high school State Tournament last month in Minneapolis. While deLeon had earned playing time all winter at Stillwater, an injury to starting point guard [player_tooltip player_id='396433' first='Annika' last='Peper'] was the opening Franny needed to show what she was capable of in the post-season. Playing big minutes under a ton of pressure, deLeon showed a lot – poise, ball skills, confidence and grit. That's a great start. This weekend Franny illustrated more of the same. We love her demeanor on the floor, her willingness to do the little things, her high basketball IQ, her court vision, her hustle plays. Franny isn't super athletic or exceedingly fast but has proven she has the ability to be effective against high-level competition. She is clearly the floor leader on this AAU team. Her shooting is much-improved, too, but deLeon will need to be more assertive in that regard.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/Elena-K_CDH_Crossfire.jpg?w=592" alt="" class="wp-image-630614" width="296" height="512" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='778890' first='Elena' last='Kronschnabel'] – 2025 guard, Crossfire South Hutmacher   Among sophomores, one of the things that separates players is just how much varsity experience they've had to date. It really shows up in most cases during the spring of a player's 10th grade year when the AAU season gets rolling. What we saw from Elena this weekend certainly makes that case. She was a key piece for Cretin-Derham Hall this winter. She's not a big scorer but was top 5 on the Raiders playing against a tough slate of Class 4A opponents in the rugged Suburban East Conference. Kronschnabel is probably 5'10 with a nice frame and good length. She is deceptively athletic, much quicker than you expect, has nice acceleration and is plenty fast up and down the floor. Elena isn't flashy, but there are a lot more tricks in her bag than you might think, including a sweet spin move she used to score in the lane on the weekend. Is she a guard? A forward? Could she play the wing? The answer is probably ‘yes' to all three because she is a solid all-around contributor who is going to find a way to be on the floor.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/Ashlynn-Spong_Woodbury.jpg?w=521" alt="" class="wp-image-630616" width="261" height="512" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='502594' first='Ashlynn' last='Spong'] – 2026 guard, Opportunity 9 Black   We mentioned varsity experience as a separator. Physical development falls into the same category. In the case of Spong, the big guard from Woodbury has both. She is an impressive physical specimen with broad shoulders and a strong base. And she's athletic. Dealing with physicality can be a challenge for 9th graders but not this one. She can give and take with anyone and knows how to finish in heavy traffic with ample contact. Spong was called upon to do a lot for Royals coach Bryan Doughty this winter, probably more than either of them expected. She played a ton of minutes, both off the bench and in the starting lineup at times. Ashlynn is a really hard worker and is making good progress in her skill development because of it. Her left hand is improving as is her knowledge and feel for the game. With all of that on her resume it's not surprising that Spong is among the early AAU stock risers.   Ali Simonson – 2025 forward/wing, Crossfire South Hutmacher   We've been watching the 5'10 sophomore from Farmington over the past couple of years now. Every time we see her Ali looks a little bit better. That was true again at the Suns Spring Showcase as Simonson stood out in both games we watched. Ali has plenty of length and she knows how to put it to good use at both ends of the floor. She moves very well, anticipates effectively, and has the quickness necessary to score against and defend players of all descriptions. She's not afraid of physicality, either. Simonson was in the regular rotation at Farmington this year, averaging just under 5 points per game, and playing a lot of JV, as well. She has a nice jump shot and can score inside, too. The next step for her development will be consistency and poise under defensive pressure. If Ali puts in the work this summer, and continues to raise her stock like she did this weekend, it's likely that she'll have the opportunity to earn a starting spot next winter.   Addison Ruda & Abby Ruda – 2026 forwards, MN Suns Blue Star   Size always gets you noticed. Improvement keeps our attention. Put the two together and it can raise your stock in a hurry. Addison and Abby have a ways to go but the writing is on the wall for a very bright future for the 6-footers from Monticello. They were JV standouts this year and also made a significant number of appearances on a veteran-heavy Magic squad. They'll be counted upon in a big way next year with eight seniors graduating. The twins have improved offensively, both inside and out. Their shooting range has expanded a great deal and they can now knock down threes with some consistency. They've also become way more aggressive in attacking the basket to score. Defensively both Addison and Abby are quite versatile with the size to guard bigs and the mobility to handle guards. In Sunday's action we saw them run the floor with pace, appear way more coordinated in their body movements than before, and show some enhanced touch around the basket. Like most 2026s, the Rudas need to fill out and get stronger. Look out when they do!   There are two more players on the Suns 2026 Blue Star team we'll definitely be paying attention to. Morgan Langridge is a 6'1 post from Prior Lake who has the dimensions and raw material to be special. Ditto for lengthy freshman Samantha Gearen, who came up in the Wayzata program but is now at Benilde-St. Margaret's. She is a very talented prospect who has missed a full year due to a serious back injury. She made big strides this winter on JV for the Red Knights. If she can stay healthy, and puts in the time to improve, there's no telling how good Gearen can be.

First impressions are big. Being able to make good on those early inclinations might be bigger. It didn't take long for a half dozen Minnesota girls basketball prospects we'd seen before – kids who had made those positive early impressions – to demonstrate that they are now ready to take it up another notch or two in 2023. Here are six players who raised their stock on opening weekend of the AAU season at the Minnesota Suns Spring Showcase.