Olivia Olson leads the way in Minnesota’s 2024 Top 10

This year there was no debate. When it came time to select the #1 prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 for the first time, the choice was easy and we are pleased to introduce our consensus pick, 6’1 guard Olivia OlsonOliviaOlson6'1" | CGBenilde-SM | 2024StateMN of Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The long, athletic Olson has been attracting attention from some of the best college programs across the country, and that is not at all surprising. There were two factors that made the selection easy: Olson’s outstanding play during the 2020 AAU season and a family’s relocation. First, Olivia burst out of the gate this summer as she made her debut with the Minnesota Fury and then later her Fury teammate Katie VaseckaKatieVasecka6'1" | CGSouth Dakota | 2024MN’s family relocated to South Dakota. The Olson-Vasecka conversation was ongoing throughout the winter as both players had outstanding 8th grade seasons at the varsity level. Olson announced her arrival with a 40-point game against DeLaSalle in December; Vasecka turned in a series of consistent performances at both ends of the floor for New Prague. After a lengthy delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAU season finally tipped off mid-summer. Olson bolted from the starting gate and never looked back, even though an ankle injury left her on the sidelines in late summer. Then, with the debating having diminished in volume to a whisper, the news surfaced that the Vasecka family would be relocating to Tea, S.D. making her ineligible for the Minnesota rankings. That was that, and Olson was a clear #1. This outcome was very different than the first selection of the Freshmen 50 the past two years. In 2019 the conversation was intense enough that we ended up settling on co-#1s as Hopkins forward Taylor WoodsonTaylorWoodson6'0" | PFHopkins | 2023State#28NationMN and her Royals teammate Nunu AgaraNunuAgara6'1" | PFHopkins | 2023State#32NationMN had yet to separate themselves. Now Tessa JohnsonTessaJohnson5'11" | SGSt. Michael-Albertville | 2023State#36NationMN of St. Michael-Albertville has taken over the top spot. It wasn’t much easier two years ago when we ranked the class of 2022 for the first time. The debate raged all summer over whether Maya NnajiMayaNnaji6'4" | PFHopkins | 2022State#7NationMN of Hopkins, her teammate Amaya BattleAmayaBattle5'10" | PGHopkins | 2022State#29NationMN, or Mallory HeyerMalloryHeyer6'2" | PFChaska | 2022State#36NationMN of Chaska (Minnesota) would earn the top spot. In the end Nnaji got the nod based primarily on her rare physical size. Now Wayzata’s Mara BraunMaraBraun5'11" | CGWayzata | 2022State#21NationMN has elevated herself into #2. It wasn’t easy sorting spots 2 through 10 Once the #1 spot had been decided, the debating began as we wrestled over #2. It came down to decisions between combo guard Liv McGillLivMcGill5'7" | CGHopkins | 2024StateMN, formerly of Park Center and now of Hopkins; power forward Emma DasovichEmmaDasovich6'1" | PFMinnetonka | 2024StateMN of Minnetonka; and shooting guard Laura HaugeLauraHauge5'9" | SGSt. Croix Lutheran | 2024StateMN of St. Croix Lutheran. McGill played just three tournaments with the Metro Stars Starks squad this summer, but she was playing two years up and doing a bang-up job of it. McGill’s excellence continued into the fall and her future looks very, very bright. Dasovich is a unique combination of intelligence, balance, touch and physicality. This year she continued to grow to 6’1, and size is a rare commodity pretty much every year. And then there is Hauge, whose prodigious range and on-court confidence has helped her become established as a varsity star since 7th grade. Laura can flat out shoot the basketball, putting up triples in mass quantity and continuing to wow observers with her ability to knock down big shots. The discussion having concluded, the #2 spot belongs to McGill, #3 goes to Dasovich and Hauge enters the Freshmen 50 at #4. Although the order may change in the years to come, one thing is certain: all three are big-time college prospects. The discussion on places 5 through 10 has been interesting to say the least, and you can slice and dice it any way you like. In the end we opted for size and length in the #5 and #6 spots which go to 6’0 shooting guard Finley OhnstadFinleyOhnstad6'0" | SGLakeville South | 2024StateMN of Lakeville South and 5’11 forward Mikayla ThomasMikaylaThomas5'11" | PFSpring Lake Park | 2024StateMN of Spring Lake Park. In the 7th through 9th positions we favored skill and athleticism with dynamic guards Somah KamaraSomahKamara5'8" | CGCooper | 2024StateMN of Robbinsdale Cooper at #7, Ava CossetteAvaCossette5'10" | CGMaple Grove | 2024StateMN of Maple Grove in the #8 spot and Minnehaha Academy guard Anisa LongsAnisaLongs5'8" | PGMinnehaha Academy | 2024StateMN at #9. Rounding out the top 10 is one of the most versatile players in the class, Centennial guard Marisa FrostMarisaFrost5'7" | CGCentennial | 2024StateMN, whose speed. intelligence and intensity enables her to impact the game in countless ways. So there you have it, the first top 10 of the 2024 class. Over time the rankings will ebb and flow. Two years after we first ranked the class of 2022 there are seven of the original top 10 remaining. Current #5, University of Minnesota commit Nia HollowayNiaHolloway6'0" | PFEden Prairie | 2022State#45NationMN of Eden Prairie, was #21 in that first ranking. Current #8 Kiani LockettKianiLockett5'9" | PGMinnetonka | 2022StateMN of Minnetonka started out at #16. Of those who made the original top 10 for the class of 2021 way back in 2017, there are five remaining. Current #1 Adalia McKenzieAdaliaMcKenzie5'10" | CGPark Center | 2021State#39NationMN of Park Center (Illinois) was 18th the first time around, current #2 Sophie HartSophieHart6'4" | CFarmington | 2021State#44NationMN of Farmington (North Carolina State) was ranked 22nd while #5 Gianna KneepkensGiannaKneepkens5'11" | CGDuluth Marshall | 2021State#86NationMN of Duluth Marshall (Utah) was at #33. Then-#10 Erin LambErinLamb6'2" | PFStewartville | 2021MN of Stewartville doesn’t even play basketball any more having accepted a volleyball scholarship to Kentucky. More importantly, some 22 of the original top 50 in that class have accepted Division I scholarships as have 10 more players who didn’t make the Freshmen 50 the first time around. Click here to read profiles of the Prep Girls Hoops 2024 Top 10.