The best of Week #1 at Breakdown Fall League

Four weeks and counting. That's how close we are to the girls high school basketball season in Minnesota. On Sunday, the Breakdown Fall League tipped off across the region, an annual pre-season ritual during which teams begin to get more serious about their preparation for the regular season. For us, fall league offers a preview of what's to come, both in terms of team composition but also individual performances. It's also a good chance to glimpse up-and-coming youngsters playing on junior varsity and 9th grade teams who might make an impact a year or two down the road.   Ally McGinnis and I were at Hopkins and, not surprisingly, many of the usual suspects looked really good – [player_tooltip player_id='478350' first='Kate' last='Amelotte'] of Wayzata, [player_tooltip player_id='262910' first='Tori' last='Schlagel'] of Eden Prairie and [player_tooltip player_id='215985' first='Olivia' last='Pawlicki'] of Shakopee, for example. But there were plenty of stock risers and fresh faces to talk about, as well. Here's a rundown on what we saw on day one.   TOP PERFORMER   [player_tooltip player_id='337629' first='Stella' last='Timmins'] – The 5'11 junior from St. Anthony Village was on her game Sunday against Coon Rapids and Hutchinson. We didn't track points in either game but can tell you that Stella was scoring. A ton. Currently ranked #43 in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025, Timmins has one of the smoothest shooting deliveries we've seen. She has a real knack for creating just enough separation from her defender beyond the three-point line to get a clean look. The shot gets up quickly, has a nice high arc, and finds the cylinder more often than not.   On Sunday she scored a lot inside, as well. With super-long strides and impressive elevation, Stella can get up and over defenders in a hurry. At times during Sunday's two contests she had a little trouble finishing at the rim but just when you figured Timmins was having a tough day in that department she'd score a couple more through traffic with a slick move and soft finish. It was good stuff. In the first game against Coon Rapids, Timmins buried a long three at the buzzer to force overtime before Top 40 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='302295' first='Helen' last='Ben'] drove to the basket herself to score the game winner for the Cardinals. Over the past couple of years Stella has run a little hot and cold depending on when we'd watch her play. When she's on like she was on Sunday, though, Stella is very much a Top 25 prospect in her class.   A couple of Prior Lake juniors stood out on Sunday, as well. Athletic guard [player_tooltip player_id='296514' first='Alaya' last='Carter'] was flying up and down the court. She's just so mobile, with quick feet, the ability to change speeds at full volume and an elite set of handles. The 5'8 guard is rated a lofty 21st in the 2025 class. When she's healthy, Carter is amazing. Fresh off the heels of a really strong performance at the PGH Top 250 Expo, [player_tooltip player_id='453731' first='Haven' last='Fisher'] picked right up where she left off last weekend. The 5'11 Prior Lake guard has clearly taken her game to a new level this fall. Even on a deep Lakers' roster Fisher figures to be a big piece for coach Maurice Hodges.   STOCK RISERS   [player_tooltip player_id='453753' first='Lauren' last='Hillesheim'] – Speaking of taking her game to the next level we just can't say enough good things about what we've seen from Lauren (top photo) in recent weeks. Her summer with [program_tooltip program_id='712362' first='Legacy' last='Hoops'], where she was coached by Robbinsdale Cooper's Ebony Rich, was truly impressive. What she did on Sunday as a member of the Hopkins starting 5 was a whole lot better than that. With so many seniors having graduated from the Royals roster the versatile 5'10 athlete has an opportunity to truly make a name for herself. Lauren has a big frame and a lot of length. She's strong and athletic and fast. Sunday she played a real power game while at the same time standing out in catch-and-shoot situations from distance. She was playing with so much confidence and composure. If you are looking for an early contender for 2023-24 Breakout Player of the Year, Hillesheim is as good a candidate as any right now.   Two more players who raised their stock on Sunday were the St. Anthony Village sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='773422' first='Rebecca' last='Nelson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='647823' first='Kacie' last='Lesinski']. They impressed our scouts enough this summer with Joe Lynch's [program_tooltip program_id='712689' first='Minnesota' last='Heat'] squad to earn spots in our PGH Class of 2026 rankings with Nelson now at #115 and Lecinski at #122. Both are medium-sized guards who can really shoot it. The lefty Lesinski looked great from beyond the arc on Sunday. So did Nelson, who's wrist-snapping release is just so impressive. She's long and lean and wiry and has “athlete” written all over her. As they gain more experience, these two are going to be impact players.   IN NEW COLORS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Vienna-Murray-crop-3901x2562-1697490811.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-788218" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='351665' first='Vienna' last='Murray'] – One thing about Breakdown Fall League that is always interesting is to see who shows up wearing a different jersey than they did last year. The most obvious such case in week #1 was Murray, the uber-talented combo guard currently rated in the Top 10 for the Class of 2026. Vienna has been playing at Tartan High School where she was relied upon to do it all. Now wearing the black and gold of East Ridge, she is a huge addition for coach Ashley Ellis-Milan. The timing couldn't be better.   The Raptors graduated one of the best backcourt duos we've seen in recent years in Grace Knupp and Emily Christenson. They were stellar over the course of four seasons. Now Knupp is at UW-LaCrosse while Christenson is at Division 1 Drake University. That leaves veteran point guard [player_tooltip player_id='304894' first='Sidney' last='Klauer'], her 9th grade sister [player_tooltip player_id='502535' first='Taylor' last='Klauer'], and Murray to do the primary duties with senior post [player_tooltip player_id='304906' first='Isabella' last='Sanneh'] up front.   At 6 feet tall with a size-large bag of tricks and elite shooting range, Vienna is a prized prospect among Minnesota sophomores. Soon to be a member of [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury']'s UAA 2026 squad, Murray is currently being courted by some of the best mid-major programs in the region with a steady stream of suitors having passed through East Ridge open gyms in recent weeks. It will likely take Vienna some time to adapt to the way the Raptors do things, particularly on the defensive end, but having a player like Murray land in one's lap is a coach's dream.   RISING STAR   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Toni-Fisher-crop-3916x2571-1697490906.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-788226" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='764229' first='Toni' last='Fisher'] – We mentioned the play of 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='453731' first='Haven' last='Fisher'] but we'd be remiss if we didn't look at her younger sister Toni, as well. We watched her run the show for Prior Lake's junior varsity on Sunday morning and the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] athlete was impressive. Going up against another strong 2027 prospect in White Bear Lake's [player_tooltip player_id='772240' first='Sarah' last='Peopard'], Fisher played every bit like the Top 40 prospect that she is. With super-light feet and incredibly good lateral movement, Toni gets around the floor with the best of them. She can handle the basketball, shoots it well, and has that certain something that just gives you confidence in how she plays. With a loaded veteran lineup in place, it's unlikely that Fisher will make much of a dent on varsity this year, but look out down the road because this one is going to be very good.   INTRIGUING PROSPECT   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Tessa-Frank-crop-3226x2118-1697491003.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-788229" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='656983' first='Tessa' last='Frank'] – We watched Wayzata turn in a really solid performance on Sunday which isn't at all surprising given just how much talent coach Julie Stewart has at her disposal. In recent weeks plenty of coaches have come by open gyms to check out [player_tooltip player_id='478350' first='Kate' last='Amelotte'], [player_tooltip player_id='212489' first='Sophie' last='Hawkinson'] and others on the Trojans. Inevitably, they end up being intrigued by what they're seeing from Tessa. Anybody who was paying attention on Sunday would have felt the same way.   Frank isn't going to draw much notice in the pregame warmup, but once the ball goes up in the air this girl is a baller. Tessa is a true point guard, the traditional pass-first floor general who knows how to control tempo, run the right play and get the ball where it needs to go when it needs to go there. She discovered some nearly impossible seams to slip passes through against East Ridge, always finding the right teammate on the move towards an easy basket. Her court vision is exceptional. Her sense of timing is elite. She's earned the #34 ranking in the first sorting of the Class of 2027 which we consider to be the solid scholarship zone. At this point, it's really difficult to know where Frank fits in the big picture as far as college level. It's way too early to worry about that anyway. What we do know is that Tessa is special.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Rose-Kalscheur-crop-2553x1676-1697491160.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-788231" /></figure>   FRESH FACES   [player_tooltip player_id='1124601' first='Rose' last='Kalscheur'] – Our first game of the day on Sunday was a JV contest between Edina and Eastview. It didn't take long for #31 to stick out. The diminutive guard was everywhere. Super quick with superior handles and a really nice feel for the game, Rose looked great for the youngest Hornets. We quickly learned Miss Kalscheur is the younger sister of Gabe Kalscheur, the fledgling NBA player by way of Iowa State, Minnesota and DeLaSalle. That's some good genetics right there! Rose played with a ton of confidence, fearlessly attacking the basket and aggressively defending on the ball. The only time Rose looked a little uncomfortable was when we asked to take her photo afterword. She's bound to get accustomed to that given it's likely to happen many more times before her basketball career is done.   Rose wasn't the only impressive young guard in the game. Her fellow 7th grade Hornets [player_tooltip player_id='994855' first='Izze' last='Austin'] and Brooke Yonke also did some nice stuff as did Eastview guards Neveah Grosse and London Clarey. The Lightning attack was directed by another outstanding young point guard prospect in Tessa Goodman. She's the younger sister of rising star [player_tooltip player_id='502569' first='Clara' last='Goodman'] and the similarities in their high-skill, high-speed repertoire are striking.   GAME OF THE DAY   Perhaps the best match-up of the day on paper was the encounter between Hopkins and Maple Grove, which had the makings of a good one and did not disappoint. Playing without point guard [player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'], who was away at a national event, the Royals' new starting lineup included [player_tooltip player_id='296531' first='Tatum' last='Woodson'], [player_tooltip player_id='215457' first='London' last='Harris'], [player_tooltip player_id='558627' first='Erma' last='Walker'], [player_tooltip player_id='377584' first='Ava' last='Cupito'] and the aforementioned [player_tooltip player_id='453753' first='Lauren' last='Hillesheim']. It's a new era for Hopkins but the current lineup played in pretty much the same way we have become accustomed to.   Maple Grove is poised for a great season with plenty of experience and nice depth. Like Hopkins, their size in the post is diminished from last year with the graduation of Audrey Kormann (NJIT), but they can play fast and defend well as a group. The Crimson were led on Sunday by junior [player_tooltip player_id='205298' first='Jordan' last='Ode'], who has been racking up big-time college offers for the past year or more. North Dakota State commit [player_tooltip player_id='215956' first='Claire' last='Stern'], D1-level point guard [player_tooltip player_id='344332' first='Kate' last='Holmquist'], rising forward [player_tooltip player_id='337633' first='Bella' last='Hanna'] and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='215944' first='Ava' last='Cossette'] are leading the way for Maple Grove.   The Crimson had a bit of an edge in the first half when Woodson scored as time expired to bring the Royals to within three points at the break. Hopkins regained the lead with just under 7 minutes remaining on Cupito's three-pointer but it wouldn't last long. Hopkins made a couple of costly turnovers in the closing minutes. When Cossette went end to end to score through contact at the 1:20 mark, that basically sealed the deal and the Crimson went on to win it by a score of 47-42.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this report.

Four weeks and counting. That's how close we are to the girls high school basketball season in Minnesota. On Sunday, the Breakdown Fall League tipped off across the region, an annual pre-season ritual during which teams begin to get more serious about their preparation for the regular season. For us, fall league offers a preview of what's to come, both in terms of team composition but also individual performances. It's also a good chance to glimpse up-and-coming youngsters playing on junior varsity and 9th grade teams who might make an impact a year or two down the road.