Now comes the hard part. After shuffling Minnesota’s girls basketball teams around a top-25 power ranking all season, many of these top programs faced one another in the section playoffs, with a spot at the state tournament on the line.

In Class 4A, four of the eight section title games pitted top-25 teams against one another, as did one in Class 3A. Other section championships saw top squads in their respective size classifications duke it out for a chance to take the raised court at Williams Arena from Wednesday, March 11, through Saturday, March 14.

In this week’s rankings, teams did not move. Rather, this is a rundown of how each team in the last Minnesota Top 25 fared in section playoffs.

Minnesota Top 25

Teams are Class 4A unless noted otherwise. Players’ college commitments are indicated in parentheses.

1. Hopkins (25-2)

The defending Class 4A champs booked their 12th consecutive trip to the state tournament with a Section 6 championship game victory over Wayzata for the eighth season in a row. This year, it was a dominant 78-59 showing, with 59 combined points from the junior trio of Ava Cupito, Jaliyah Diggs and Erma Walker.

2. Minnetonka (21-6)

After staging an 18-point comeback against Prior Lake in the Class 4A, Section 2 semifinals, the Skippers couldn’t repeat their magic in the championship game, losing 79-68 to Chanhassen. Senior point guard Lanelle Wright (Grand Canyon) led the team with 38 points across the two games, but the Skippers were without sidelined sophomore forward Ari Peterson, who averaged 15.2 points per game.

3. Wayzata (22-6)

The Trojans once again couldn’t get over the Hopkins hump in the Class 4A, Section 6 title game. Senior guard/forward Kate Amelotte (Creighton) led the team with 20 points, while junior guard Annika Kieser scored 13 in the 78-59 loss.

4. Maple Grove (24-5)

The Crimson trailed Mounds View in the Class 4A, Section 5 championship game with a dozen minutes to play, but surged for an eventual 55-47 victory. Senior guard Kate Holmquist (Montana) scored 17 points, while senior Sophia Anderson (Augustana) and Sienna Mayer had 15 each, with Mayer sinking five three-pointers. Maple Grove will now try to better last year’s state runner-up finish.

5. Providence Academy (2A, 22-4)

The four-time defending champions in Class 2A will return to state looking for a fifth consecutive title after a 97-60 win over Maranatha Christian Academy in Section 5.

Senior point guard Maddyn Greenway (Kentucky) officially moved into the top spot of Minnesota’s all-time career scoring leaderboard, scoring her 5,486th career point with just under three minutes to play in the first half. She finished with 48 points.

6. Orono (3A, 24-4)

The top-ranked team in Class 3A, Orono beat Benilde-St. Margaret’s twice in the regular season but then fell to the Red Knights in their Section 6 title game for the third consecutive season. Senior guard Mya Moore (Creighton) and sophomore guard Ally Moore, her sister, combined for 40 points in the loss.

7. Rosemount (26-3)

After losing a nailbiter to Eastview in last year’s Class 4A, Section 3 championship, the Irish left no doubt this year as they chase their first state title. Rosemount jumped ahead early in a 78-43 victory over the Lightning, led by 19 points from junior guard Amisha Ramlall (Minnesota) and 17 points from sister and sophomore guard Ashna Ramlall.

8. Rochester Mayo (28-1)

After surviving a dicey few final minutes in a 50-48 win over Lakeville North, the Spartans ended a 11-year state tournament drought against a team that’s won 17 of the last 19 Class 4A, Section 1 championships. Sophomore guard Amelia Mills scored 13 of her 15 points after halftime to help push the Spartans ahead and keep them there.

9. Stewartville (3A, 27-1)

That’s now four consecutive trips to state for a talented Stewartville senior class thanks to a 60-51 victory over familiar foe Byron, another top Class 3A team. Senior guard Audrey Shindelar (South Dakota State) controlled the Class 3A, Section 1 title game with 20 points, while senior forward Jayci Rath (St. Thomas) had 13. The Tigers, runners-up in 2023, are certainly contenders to get back to the 3A title game.

10. Marshall (3A, 25-4)

Another Class 3A contender booked its return ticket to state as these Tigers defeated Jordan 84-69 to win Class 3A, Section 2. Senior guard Reese Drake (Southwest Minnesota State volleyball) scored 34 points with eight assists, while senior guard Taleigha Bigler (Southwest Minnesota State) scored 21.

11. East Ridge (23-5)

The Raptors are state-bound for the first time in program history after a 73-46 victory over Woodbury in the Class 4A, Section 4 championship game. East Ridge had five players score a dozen or more points in the win.

12. Monticello (25-4)

Bigger size classification? No problem for the Magic. After reaching the Class 3A tournament last year, Monticello moved up to 4A and returns to state after winning Section 8, 78-50 over Elk River. Senior point guard Samantha Voll (St. Thomas) led all scorers with 38 points.

13. Hill-Murray (3A, 26-3)

The Pioneers are three-time state runners-up and are hoping to improve upon that finish for the first time since 2023. In Hill-Murray’s 75-55 victory over DeLaSalle in the Class 3A, Section 4 championship game, eighth grade guard Ashlee Wilson put up 28 points, while her sister and junior guard Mya Wilson had 23.

14. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (3A, 23-6)

Even after losing to Orono twice in the regular season, the Red Knights showed why they’re the three-time defending Class 3A champs. Sophomore guard Zaida Jenkins scored 25 points to help lift the Red Knights to the Section 6 title.

15. Chanhassen (21-7)

Chanhassen is another team making its tournament debut in Class 4A after knocking off Minnetonka 79-68 in Section 2. Freshman forward/guard Lucy Hilgert got the Storm rumbling early as she finished with 30 points, while junior guard Kate Arnold (South Dakota), who has been stellar for the Storm all season, added 22. Both finished with double-doubles, grabbing 10 rebounds each.

16. Lakeville South (18-10)

Lakeville South saw its season end at the hands of crosstown rival Lakeville North, losing 75-68 in the Class 4A, Section 1 semifinals. The teams split their two regular-season meetings.

17. Waconia (19-9)

Waconia was another third-seeded squad with a tough semifinal matchup, downed by Chanhassen 71-65 in Section 2. Senior forward Addison Bryfczynski led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points.

18. Cretin-Derham Hall (3A, 21-8)

The 1999 champs are back at state for the second year in a row after a 64-54 victory over Tartan in Class 3A, Section 3. Senior guard Sage Gilbert (Bethel), with 15 points, led the four Raiders in double figures.

19. Eastview (20-9)

The Lightning’s typically tough defense, which helped the team reach state last season, couldn’t hold back sharpshooting Rosemount in a 78-43 section championship game loss.

20. Delano (3A, 21-6)

The No. 3 seed in a tough Class 3A, Section 6, the Tigers couldn’t wriggle past No. 2 Benilde-St. Margaret’s in a 78-52 semifinal loss. But senior guard Abbie Pietila (Michigan Tech) did her best to will Delano to a win, finishing with a game-high 29 points.

21. Roseville (20-8)

No. 3 seed Woodbury got revenge for its regular-season loss to the No. 2 Raiders in a Class 4A, Section 4 semifinal. Woodbury sophomore guard Harper Vossen led all scorers with 22 points as the Royals pulled off the 56-53 victory over Roseville.

22. Crosby-Ironton (2A, 21-5)

The top seed in Class 2A, Section 7, the Rangers were upset by the No. 4 seed, Pequot Lakes, 61-48 in the section semis. Crosby-Ironton senior point guard Tori Oehrlein (Minnesota) scored 26 points in the loss, finishing her stellar high school career with 5,484 points, good for second all-time, and the state career rebounding record.

23. Lakeville North (14-14)

North was tested by a tough schedule this season, and as a perennial entrant at state, forced Rochester Mayo to grit out a close 50-48 Section 1 championship victory after the Panthers led by one at halftime.

24. Becker (3A, 21-8)

The Bulldogs couldn’t overcome the top seed in Class 3A, Section 5, falling 70-60 to Totino-Grace. Junior guard Ava Litecky led the Eagles with 21 points.

25. Red Wing (2A, 25-5)

The top-seeded Wingers were edged by No. 2 Rochester Lourdes in Class 2A, Section 1, as the Eagles got the jump on the Wingers early. Standout eighth-grader Amelia Truty scored 25 points for the Eagles, including five threes, while senior Lauren Hust (St. Cloud State) finished with 15 points.