Erma Walker and her Hopkins teammates will have the homecourt advantage when they play in a Minnesota girls 3-on-3 basketball championship at their high school gym Friday.

If Walker manages to lead her team to victory, she’ll complete a one-year trifecta not many boys or girls players can claim on their basketball résumé.

The 6-foot junior led the Royals to the Class 4A state title in March before wowing observers across the country while leading her North Tartan AAU team to the Nike EYBL 16U championship in July in Chicago.

“I won state and Nike nationals,” Walker said. “That was definitely a great feeling.”

It’s hard to doubt her magical ride will stop short of winning it all again this week.

The inaugural six-team Minnesota 3-on-3 girls championship at Hopkins is sponsored by Strictly MN, a local content brand that also invited stars such as Crosby-Ironton’s Tori Oehrlein, who has committed to the Gophers, Duluth Marshall’s Chloe Johnson, Minnetonka’s Ari Peterson, Hill-Murray sisters Mya and Ashley Wilson and Benilde-St. Margaret’s Pressley Watkins.

Walker enters Friday’s competition battle-tested more than most of her peers after stellar AAU and high school seasons. Despite being undersized in the post, she’s overpowered many opponents with her combination of physical toughness, athleticism and footwork.

Her 28-point game for Hopkins in the big-class final against top-seeded Maple Grove at Williams Arena put the state on notice of her emerging talent.

In similar fashion, Walker gained national attention putting in work on the Nike circuit. North Tartan often won, though, by relying on balance and defense, including defeating prestigious Boo Williams AAU from Virginia in the quarterfinals in Chicago.

“In AAU, everyone on the roster is a high-level player and it’s very competitive,” Walker said. “We definitely had great team chemistry and played well together. But it’s also a great feeling to have my coaches and teammates trust me.”

North Tartan didn’t lead the championship game against Cy Fair from Houston until the fourth quarter. That was when Walker took control. She was selected MVP of the tournament and was named All-EYBL first team for the circuit season.

“Throughout the year we just really learned when we needed something to happen or were on a little bit of a scoring drought, we just called a quick set for her,” North Tartan 16U coach Macy Hatlestad said. “We would [isolate] Erma at the elbow area and let her do her thing. She’s powerful, dynamic and her footwork around the rim is extremely impressive the way she counters defenses depending how they play her.”

Besides having an array of post moves that would be the envy of college players, Walker remains calm under pressure. Developing her perimeter game is the key now to unlocking the next stage of her recruitment. She already has a handful of Division I offers, including from St. Thomas, South Dakota and Illinois State.

“The future is bright for that kid because she keeps getting better,” said Hatlestad, who coaches at Minnetonka. “The more she can expand her shooting game and that range, it’s just going to open a lot of doors and pathways for her, which is exciting. She can basically guard [point guard through center], too. There’s going to be a school that gets a steal.”

Last summer, Walker stood among hundreds of fans at Mall of America watching Strictly Bball’s inaugural boys 3-on-3 championship. This year’s boys tournament is Saturday at Hopkins, featuring local standouts such as Jayden Moore from Hopkins and Cedric Tomes from East Ridge. Five-star forward Taylen Kinney from Georgia leads the out-of-state notables.

Walker would be a spectator again if not for her Hopkins and North Tartan teammate Ava Cupito, who convinced her to join a 3-on-3 squad with others from her high school, including Jaliyah Diggs and Lanaia Durant.

“It’s super cool,” Cupito said. “I think it’s a great opportunity. Girls basketball in Minnesota is amazing and is only getting better. It’s going to be fun playing against that competition with our Hopkins team.”