Class AAAA All-State Team & Player of the Year
Back then she was Minnesota’s little secret, a skinny 6th grader who could do amazing things with a basketball. Today Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers 5'11" | CG Hopkins | 2020 State MN belongs to the world, an All-Everything senior who departs Hopkins High School as the best prospect this state has ever seen. Bueckers has done it all, has won it all, and has turned into a national phenomenon. Paige added another accolade by earning the title of Minnesota’s Miss Basketball this month. Before she goes off to UConn we’ll offer up one more token of appreciation as we name Bueckers the Prep Girls Hoops High School Player of the Year. Again.
Bueckers is one of five players selected for our Class AAAA All-State First Team along with Lauren Jensen Lauren Jensen 5'10" | CG Lakeville North | 2020 State MN of Lakeville North, Mackenzie Kramer Mackenzie Kramer 5'9" | PG STMA | 2020 State MN of St. Michael-Albertville, Adalia McKenzie Adalia McKenzie 5'10" | CG Park Center | 2021 State #39 Nation MN of Park Center and Mallory Brake Mallory Brake 6'0" | SF Hastings | 2020 State MN of Hastings. There are so many great players in Class AAAA that inevitably some kids who had tremendous seasons didn’t make this list. You could easily make a case for Natalie Mazurek Natalie Mazurek 6'1" | PF Eden Prairie | 2020 State MN or Nneka Obiazor Nneka Obiazor 5'10" | PF Eden Prairie | 2020 State MN at Eden Prairie, Anna Miller Anna Miller 6'2" | C Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN at Rochester Mayo, Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN or Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN at Hopkins, Alexis Pratt Alexis Pratt 5'5" | PG Stillwater | 2021 State MN at Stillwater and others. But we could only choose 15. Among them are eight seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.
FIRST TEAM
Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers 5'11" | CG Hopkins | 2020 State MN – senior, Hopkins (UConn)
Gatorade National Player of the Year, USA Basketball Athlete of the Year, gold medalist and most valuable player at the Women’s U-19 World Cup, McDonald’s All American. The list goes on. Bueckers has done everything you can do and more. She finished her senior year by averaging 21 points, 9.4 assists, 5.5 steals and 5.1 rebounds per game while compiling over 2,800 career points. Bueckers is simply the best, and it has been an honor writing about her these past few seasons.
Lauren Jensen Lauren Jensen 5'10" | CG Lakeville North | 2020 State MN – senior guard, Lakeville North (Iowa)
A pure shooter, a terrific leader, a player whose level of intensity and commitment cannot be accurately measured, Lauren has had a wonderful high school career. The second-ranked player in the senior class (a clear #1 in any other group), the 5’10 guard averaged nearly 25 points per game this season, scoring off the bounce, at the rim and beyond the arc as Lakeville North exceeded expectations.
Mackenzie Kramer Mackenzie Kramer 5'9" | PG STMA | 2020 State MN – senior guard, St. Michael-Albertville (Lehigh)
One of the state’s most intelligent floor generals, Kramer plays the game with a level of poise and precision that few can match. The #4 senior in the state, Kramer averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season on a team that shared the basketball better than ever. The 5’10 guard capped her career off with a standout performance at the state tournament that epitomized the way Kenzie has played since she first took center stage as a precocious 8th grader at Becker.
Mallory Brake Mallory Brake 6'0" | SF Hastings | 2020 State MN – senior forward, Hastings (Creighton)
It can be tough slogging it out in obscurity as the leader of a rebuilding program that depends on you to produce night after night after night, but Mallory did it and she did it as well as anyone could. Brake is long and lean and athletic, and she uses those natural attributes to dominate the boards and score in every which way you can. The #5-rated prospect in Minnesota, Brake scored nearly 700 points in her senior season, averaging 26.8 to go along with 14.7 rebounds per game.
Adalia McKenzie Adalia McKenzie 5'10" | CG Park Center | 2021 State #39 Nation MN – junior guard, Park Center
Everyone talks about Adalia’s athleticism, and so they should. Nobody but nobody can match McKenzie in that department in these parts. What they don’t talk about nearly enough though is her work ethic, commitment to skill development, and relentless energy on the basketball court. McKenzie is #1 in the class of 2021 for so many reasons. Adalia scored a stunning 770 points this season (nearly 31 ppg), topping the 30-point mark 13 times including a high game of 49!
SECOND TEAM
Molly Mogensen Molly Mogensen 5'7" | PG Farmington | 2020 State MN – senior guard, Farmington (Creighton)
Molly is skilled, strong and relentless. She is also the consummate team leader. Even after Mogensen’s season ended with a foot injury, the #7 player in the senior class provided the inspiration and leadership her Farmington squad needed to make it all the way to the state championship game. In 21 games played, Molly averaged over 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals per game, shooting 50% from the field and 74% at the line.
Sophie Hart Sophie Hart 6'4" | C Farmington | 2021 State #44 Nation MN – junior forward, Farmington
There are a lot of great rebounders in the state but none do it better than the 6’4 Hart, who used her superior size and reach to grab 14 boards per game in 2019-20. Hart’s offensive production continued to improve, as well, as she scored 17 points per game while shooting 62% from the field. Sophie’s rise to prominence (she’s #3 in the class of 2021) got a jump start last spring with an outstanding Team USA tryout and continued all the way to the state title contest.
Maya Nnaji Maya Nnaji 6'4" | PF Hopkins | 2022 State #7 Nation MN – sophomore forward, Hopkins
We have been talking about Maya’s potential forever. This was the year Nnaji’s production caught up with her potential. She was a force at both ends of the floor, averaging nearly 20 points per game with a season-high of 30, to go with 8 rebounds a night. She also had 37 blocks. Standing 6’4, and as athletic as heck, the #1-player in a very deep sophomore class was basically unstoppable.
Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN – sophomore forward, Chaska
Mallory has been a force in high school basketball since the 8th grade, but this year her evolution continued with improvement in pretty much every aspect of her game, including her ball-handling and ability to score off the bounce. Heyer is a consistent performer, relentless rebounder and has one of the biggest motors you’ll find. Mallory averaged over 20 points per game to lead the Hawks.
Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN – sophomore guard, Wayzata
Watching Mara go head-to-head with the incomparable Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers 5'11" | CG Hopkins | 2020 State MN on three occasions this season was a sight to behold as the 10th grader showed that she could hang with the best of the best. Her smooth athleticism and standout skillset made it obvious why she has a pile of big-time collegiate offers. Braun averaged 15 and 5 on the year. She had 140 assists, with a 2.33-to-1 assists to turnovers ratio, plus 75 steals. Braun is #4 in a remarkable class of 2022.
HONORABLE MENTION
Jenna Johnson Jenna Johnson 6'2" | PF Wayzata | 2021 State #52 Nation MN – junior forward, Wayzata (Utah)
Despite a self-imposed threshold of 20 games played as the minimum for inclusion on our All-State teams, how could we not recognize Johnson? She did more for Wayzata in her 17 games than most players do in a season. The #2-rated prospect in the junior class was outstanding before a torn ACL took her out of the lineup. Jenna recorded one of the highest field goal percentages ever at 72% as she averaged over 22 points and 7 rebounds per game.
Annika Stewart Annika Stewart 6'3" | PF Wayzata | 2020 State MN – senior forward, Wayzata (Nebraska)
Annika got off to a great start this year and it looked like she would take her game to a higher level as a senior. It was Wayzata’s loss of Johnson, however, that really revealed what Ani is capable of. Despite facing more defensive pressure, Stewart upped her production by 65% to 25 ppg for the season’s final dozen games. She shot 66% from 2 on the year, over 40% from 3 and a remarkable 89.5% at the free throw line while averaging 8 rebounds per game.
Abby Schulte Abby Schulte 5'10" | PG Maple Grove | 2020 State MN – senior guard, Maple Grove (NDSU)
One of the state’s most consistent point guards, Schulte’s numbers tell the story of her senior season and an impressive career. The top-10 prospect averaged 17 points, over six rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game. She shot 49% from the field and 81% at the line. For her career, the super-intelligent 5’10 guard totaled 1,188 points. She was all-state in soccer, as well.
Liza Karlen Liza Karlen 6'2" | PF Stillwater | 2020 State MN – senior forward, Stillwater (Marquette)
Liza concluded an impressive five-year high school career that began at St. Paul Central and ended with Stillwater at the state tournament. The #6-rated prospect in the senior class averaged a double-double – 17 points and 10 rebounds – while shooting 52 percent from the field. A consistent, productive and versatile forward, Karlen scores inside and out and owned the boards. She’ll play next fall at Marquette.
Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN – freshman guard, St. Michael-Albertville
Even in today’s environment. where younger players step into the limelight at a much earlier age than ever, Tessa is an anomaly. The #3 player in this year’s freshman class went beyond expectations and was the difference-maker who sparked STMA to a state tournament appearance. Johnson averaged over 18 points per game, with a single-game high of 30, plus 4 rebounds per game against the state’s best competition.
Top photo: Player of the Year Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers 5'11" | CG Hopkins | 2020 State MN of Hopkins. (Photo courtesy of the StarTribune)