Class AAA Player of the Year & All-State Team
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For me it’s the complete lack of selfishness. That’s the one thing about Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN that really stands out. With Team USA, where Olson is surrounded by America’s very best…
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Continue ReadingFor me it’s the complete lack of selfishness. That’s the one thing about Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN that really stands out. With Team USA, where Olson is surrounded by America’s very best in her age group, that is a winning trait. Ditto for her Minnesota Fury AAU squad, a team where there are a slew of talented options ready to complete a play when necessary. This high school season, as the young Benilde-St. Margaret’s squad gradually came together over the course of the campaign, Olson was able to make everyone around her look just that much better, too. When she did seize the moment and take over a game by herself – the latter stages of the Section 6AAA semifinal against Orono comes to mind – it was a thing of beauty. And she and her team are only going to get better. By all measures it was an incredible season for Olivia, which is why we are pleased to name her as the Prep Girls Hoops Class AAA Player of the Year.
Olson averaged 22 points per game for the Red Knights, but points don’t tell her story. At all. She’s all about making good things happen for her team. She offers amazing court vision, a terrific sense of timing, exceptional instincts for the game and the ability to make just the right play at just the right time. As the months have gone on, Olivia has gained such great body control, with a vast repertoire of moves at her disposal and the ability to finish in multiple ways. On Team USA she demonstrated her ability to be a pure shooter at the highest level. In high school that kind of outside shooting is far less needed because she is nearly unstoppable when going to the basket.
Olson is the #1-rated prospect in Minnesota’s Class of 2024. She, arguably, holds that same status on a national level, too. This year she led her team to a record of 23-8. Next year the Red Knights will most likely be much better than that. Last summer Olson was our 2024 AAU Player of the Year and she is in the driver’s seat to win many more awards in the seasons ahead.
Runner Up
Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Totino-Grace (MSU-Mankato)
We have admired Hannah’s game for a long time, which is why/how she made her way into the Top 40 of the Prep Girls Hoops 2022 rankings. At 6 feet tall, with incredible length, speed in the open court and a skill set that has gotten better every year, what’s not to like. This year, however, Herzig raised her game by several notches. At the Twin Cities Thanksgiving Tipoff she put together a pair of statement games that made it clear she and her Totino team were ready to do business. Of course that’s exactly what they did, as Herzig scored 22 points a game (30 ppg in the semi and final) to lead the Eagles to the Class AAA state title. It was a tournament to remember that capped an unforgettable season, both for the team and for Herzig herself.
CLASS AAA ALL-STATE TEAM
1st team
- Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Totino-Grace (MSU-Mankato)
- Ronnie Porter Ronnie Porter 5'2" | CG Como Park | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, St. Paul Como Park (Wisconsin)
- Adeline Kent Adeline Kent 5'8" | CG Becker | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Becker (Tampa)
- Hope Dudycha Hope Dudycha 5'6" | CG Austin | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Austin (UM-Crookston)
- Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN – 2024 guard, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
2nd team
- Mackenzie Schweim Mackenzie Schweim 5'10" | PG Mankato East | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Mankato East (MSU-Mankato)
- Savannah White Savannah White 6'1" | SG DeLaSalle | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, DeLaSalle (Wisconsin)
- Taryn Hamling Taryn Hamling 5'9" | PG Grand Rapids | 2023 State MN – 2023 guard, Grand Rapids (North Dakota State)
- Dani Nuest Dani Nuest 5'6" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN – 2023 guard, Becker (Michigan Tech)
- Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN – 2023 guard, Becker (UW-Green Bay)
Honorable mentions
- Kaylynn Asberry Kaylynn Asberry 5'5" | PG Como Park | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, St. Paul Como Park (Saint Peters)
- Kassie Caron Kassie Caron 6'0" | SF Holy Angels | 2022 State MN – 2022 forward, Holy Angels (Missouri Western)
- Zoie Centers Zoie Centers 5'5" | PG Mahtomedi | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Mahtomedi (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Leah Dengerud Leah Dengerud 5'9" | SF Totino Grace | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Totino-Grace (Concordia-St. Paul)
- Maddie James Maddie James 6'0" | SG Princeton | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Princeton (Mary)
- Taya Jeffrey Taya Jeffrey 5'10" | CG Albert Lea | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Albert Lea (Jamestown)
- Lexi Karge Lexi Karge 6'2" | PF Mankato East | 2022 State MN – 2022 forward, Mankato East (UM-Duluth)
- Grace Massaquoi Grace Massaquoi 6'0" | PF Holy Angels | 2022 State MN – 2022 forward, Holy Angels
- Paige Peaslee Paige Peaslee 6'0" | PF North Branch | 2022 State MN – 2022 forward, North Branch (Winona State)
- Ella Runyon Ella Runyon 5'11" | CG Hill-Murray | 2022 State MN – 2022 forward, Hill-Murray
- Alyssa Stamer Alyssa Stamer 5'7" | CG Hutchinson | 2022 State MN – 2022 guard, Hutchinson (St. Cloud State)
- Brynn Beffert Brynn Beffert 6'0" | PF Hutchinson | 2023 State MN – 2023 forward, Hutchinson
- Ayla Brown Ayla Brown 5'6" | SG Becker | 2023 State MN – 2023 guard, Becker (Sioux Falls)
- Teresa Kiewiet Teresa Kiewiet 5'10" | SF Mankato West | 2023 State MN – 2023 forward, Mankato West
- Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN – 2023 guard, Kasson-Mantorville
- Haylie Strum Haylie Strum 5'6" | CG Stewartville | 2023 State MN – 2023 guard, Stewartville
- Olivia Walsh Olivia Walsh 5'10" | CG Austin | 2023 State MN – 2023 forward, Austin
- Rhyan Holmgren Rhyan Holmgren 5'9" | SG St. Peter | 2024 State MN – 2024 guard, St. Peter
- Macy Birkholz Macy Birkholz 5'5" | CG Mankato East | 2024 State MN – 2024 guard, Mankato East
- Jessika Lofstrom Jessika Lofstrom 5'11" | SF Grand Rapids | 2024 State MN – 2024 forward, Grand Rapids
- Kendall McGee Kendall McGee 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State MN – 2025 guard, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
- Hadley Thul Hadley Thul 6'2" | SG Alexandria | 2025 State MN – 2025 guard, Alexandria
Top photo: Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN and her Benilde-St. Margaret’s teammates.