Which players enhanced their profile at Mill City?

Most of the biggest names in Minnesota basketball were performing out of state over the weekend but we still saw plenty of talented prospects at the Mill City Invitational in Chanhassen. Check out our story (<a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2023/07/top-performers-at-the-mill-city-invitational/">Top Performers at the Mill City Invitational</a>) for a smattering of those players' accomplishments. We also went looking for fresh faces and hidden gems and took the opportunity to circle back on some prospects we hadn't seen in a good while. Here are a half dozen players who enhanced their profile at Mill City.   [player_tooltip player_id='716895' first='Lexi' last='Mahlen'] – 2026 forward, [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United']   Some players step on the floor and wow you with their ball handling skills and one-on-one prowess. Others are more subtle. Lexi falls into the latter category, but watching her on the weekend it's clear that she impacts the game in so many positive ways. At 5'11, Mahlen has size and length. She moves very well with bursts of speed when needed, flashes of quickness as appropriate, and the ability to knock down shots from distance or get to the rim and score. Against Wisconsin Playmakers she put up 12 points (including a pair of threes), 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks when we watched. She is an excellent rebounder with a physical presence, the kind of player who chases every loose ball and consistently works her tail off. Mahlen is from Fosston, midway between Bemidji and Grand Forks on Highway 2, where the Greyhounds won 24 games last winter. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Lexi's performance this summer is the fact that she's been playing through a labrum injury which has limited her range of shoulder motion and strength for some time. Look out when Mahlen is back to 100 percent!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/Kayla-Stork-crop-3867x2539-1689114836.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-716907" width="300" height="196" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='654990' first='Kayla' last='Stork'] – guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='MN' last='Rise'] Busse 2027   When you watch Rise Busse, champions of the Bronze Division at Mill City, it's nearly impossible to take your eyes off point guard [player_tooltip player_id='498658' first='Morgan' last='Mathiowetz'] of Sleepy Eye-St. Mary's, who positively lit it up again this weekend. She's just so dynamic. Speedster [player_tooltip player_id='498657' first='Aubrey' last='Steffl'] and gifted forward [player_tooltip player_id='665720' first='Jersey' last='Coleman'] capture a lot of eyeballs, too. But toiling away in the background, doing all of the things required to fuel the success of her team, is one of the most versatile prospects in the Class of 2027. Hailing from Byron, the 5'8 incoming freshman is a long, athletic guard who has been pressed into service as a forward on her AAU team. Kayla is big enough and strong enough to handle the assignment but her real assets are the more traditional guard skills. She's got speed, athleticism and a high level of basketball intelligence. She is a great decision maker who plays the game with her head and knows how to pick the right spots to attack. Defensively Stork anticipates very well, has enough length and quickness to stick with speedy players, and can guard opponents of all descriptions. All of these assets, along with a big motor, make her an appealing college prospect. Once she is able to get her shot off a little quicker, and gains more confidence from distance, Stork is going to be a force going forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='716770' first='Emily' last='Gates'] & [player_tooltip player_id='716771' first='Natalie' last='Gates'] – 2024 guards, Give n Go   We've been watching the Gates sisters from Lake City for a couple of years now, but this AAU season their Give n Go squad always seems to be at a different location than we are. This weekend at Mill City they were easily accessible and we watched coach Jamison Warner's squad play twice. We're happy to report that both Emily and Natalie have continued to improve since we last checked in. Both are 5'5, solidly built, and plenty athletic. They play with pace and energy and exude a certain presence on the floor. Both girls are tenacious defenders, use their athleticism to create good shots, can get to the basket on the drive, and are surprisingly good rebounders for their size. Both players have scored consistently throughout the summer but it was Emily who got hot this weekend. She buried four three-pointers on four attempts Saturday morning against Minnesota Stars Skwarek finishing with 18 points. She put up 13 against [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] and was a top 10 scorer in the Gold Division. Natalie is a terrific passer with a knack for finding an open teammate and delivering on the money. Honestly, we'd like to see both Gates sisters be a little more selfish on occasion and look to score more frequently, as well as be a little more vocal on the defensive side. Those two improvements will enhance their odds of being successful at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id='461351' first='Cassidy' last='Pitzl'] & [player_tooltip player_id='716769' first='Kayla' last='Diedrich'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712689' first='Minnesota' last='Heat'] Vang 2024   We've had the same issue all summer with seeing Heat Vang as we've had with Give n Go. Most tournaments are too big to have all of the teams in one location leaving us with choices to make. We usually go where the best teams are, but that doesn't mean there aren't college-bound players at the other locations. At Mill City we watched Pitzl and Diedrich up close for the first time in a long time and were impressed with what we saw. Pitzl is a 5'11 guard who made her debut in the Prep Girls Hoops 2024 rankings last summer at #149 and has since risen to #114. Her confidence with the basketball, ability to handle defensive pressure, and her fearlessness when it comes to taking shots have all improved. Coming off a season in which she led Forest Lake in scoring at 17 points per game (with a season-high 27 against both Mounds View and Roseville), it's obvious that Cassidy has found her groove. She scored 45 points in four games at Mill City, second-best in the Gold Division, as the Heat recorded three wins. She is also a strong, vocal defender with an admirable work ethic.   We first watched Kayla two years ago when the 6-footer from Rush City was still pretty raw. She made the varsity lineup as a freshman and since that time she has matured physically and so has her game. Kayla is really, really long which has helped her become a very good defender and strong rebounder. Offensively she has morphed into a go-to scorer for the Tigers, putting up numbers and forcing opponents to make adjustments. Diedrich is a stretch-four who can get to the hoop, knock down shots from mid-range, and shoot the three consistently. Kayla was calm, composed and productive at Mill City and is definitely trending in the right direction.

Most of the biggest names in Minnesota basketball were performing out of state over the weekend but we still saw plenty of talented prospects at the Mill City Invitational in Chanhassen. Check out our story (Top Performers at the Mill City Invitational) for a smattering of those players' accomplishments. We also went looking for fresh faces and hidden gems and took the opportunity to circle back on some prospects we hadn't seen in a good while. Here are a half dozen players who enhanced their profile at Mill City.