Minnesota Top 25: Strib Varsity’s statewide girls basketball ranking
Strib VarsityWaconia is the week’s biggest jumper; star players reach impressive career scoring milestones.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
Thanksgiving weekend tournaments at Hamline University and White Bear Lake were just the first course of a full week of girls basketball matchups.
From players hitting career milestones to top teams testing themselves against out-of-state opponents, here’s how the season’s third top-25 rundown shook out.
Minnesota Top 25
Teams are in Class 4A unless noted. Player college commitment in parentheses.
1. Hopkins (3-1) Previous rank: 1
In White Bear Lake’s Thanksgiving tournament, the Royals played a pair of top out-of-state opponents, teams that were either state champs or runners-up in their respective states last year.
Hopkins beat Stevens Point (Wis.) 92-69 behind junior Erma Walker’s team-high 23 points and eight rebounds. Junior guards Ava Cupito and Jaliyah Diggs each scored 18 points (Diggs also dished out 11 assists), and eighth-grader Marianna Davis added 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Royals did, however, lose 46-45 to Dowling Catholic, an Iowa school that’s also Caitlin Clark’s alma mater.
2. Minnetonka (4-0) Previous rank: 2
Skippers’ sophomore Ari Peterson dropped 26 points and surpassed 1,000 career points in a 79-76 win over Orono. Also at Hamline’s tournament, Minnetonka pulled ahead of Minnehaha Academy in a 66-51 win, with 16 points from senior Lanelle Wright (Grand Canyon).
3. Providence Academy (2A, 4-1) Previous rank: 3
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The Lions dominated Edina 98-64 behind 30 points from senior Maddyn Greenway (Kentucky), 28 points from junior Emma Millerbernd, and 24 points from freshman Beckett Greenway. They trio led the Lions in scoring, too, in a 107-53 win over Two Rivers.
4. Rosemount (3-0) Previous rank: 4
The Irish had the week off from games and will jump back into action against Centennial on Tuesday.
5. Maple Grove (4-1) Previous rank: 9
The Crimson have been on a roll since losing their season opener, beating Class 4A squads like Eastview (61-58), Centennial (70-31) and Lakeville North (69-63) this week. Against Lakeville North on Thursday, senior Sophia Anderson (Augustana) scored 21 points while senior Kate Holmquist (Montana) added 20 points.
6. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (3A, 4-0) Previous rank: 6
The top-ranked team in Class 3A, the Red Knights took care of business against St. Anthony in a 86-55 win. Five players scored in double figures, led by 17 points from sharpshooting junior Pressley Watkins.
7. Wayzata (1-1) Previous rank: 7
The Trojans were another top team without any game action this week, but are gearing up to face Orono on Friday.
8. Eastview (2-2) Previous rank: 12
The Lightning’s two losses — to Providence Academy and Maple Grove — were by a combined four points. Eastview beat Rochester Mayo this week, stifling the Spartans in a 59-54 victory in which senior Jayda Wilson netted a team-high 15 points.
9. Lakeville North (1-2) Previous rank: 8
Back-to-back games against Minnetonka and Maple Grove is a tough way to kick off the season, but through it, sophomores Lauren Robison, Sahara Wilson and Madilynn Bell are all averaging double-digit scoring for the Panthers.
10. Rochester Mayo (3-1) Previous rank: 5
After their loss to Eastview, the Spartans got the best of crosstown rival Rochester Century, winning 83-22. Guard Amelia Mills is another sophomore that surpassed 1,000 career points with her 15 points against Century. Sophomore Maggie Dyer scored 16 points in that win.
11. Orono (3A, 2-1) Previous rank: 10
At Hamline, Orono lost 79-76 to Minnetonka. The Spartans bounced back with a 69-56 win over DeLaSalle. Senior Mya Moore (Creighton) scored 26 against Minnetonka and 33 points against DeLaSalle, helping her surpass 2,000 career points.
12. Marshall (3A, 1-0) Previous rank: 11
The Tigers have played just one game, but it was a dominant one. They beat New Ulm 107-53, a far greater margin of victory compared to last year’s 82-69 win in the same matchup in a section championship game. Senior Reese Drake scored 23 points while senior Taleigha Bigler (Southwest Minnesota State) chipped in a 19-point, 11-assist double-double.
13. Minnehaha Academy (2A, 2-1) Previous rank: 14
The Redhawks got the best of DeLaSalle, another quality 2A team, with a 68-62 victory. Sophomore Briana Foster dropped 24 points, and junior Gigi Coleman had 20 points in the win over the Islanders.
14. Cretin-Derham Hall (3A, 3-2) Previous rank: 15
The Raiders had one of the state’s busiest basketball weeks. They lost to both Dowling Catholic and Stevens Point at White Bear Lake’s tournament but defeated Park of Cottage Grove (48-37) and Shakopee (50-42). Sophomore Madeleine Hamiel is averaging a team-high 17.2 points per game.
15. Hill-Murray (3A, 2-1) Previous rank: 16
Five players scored in double figures, led by a team-high 22 points from junior Mya Wilson in a 86-84 win over Delano.
16. Waconia (5-0) Previous rank: unranked
This week, the undefeated Wildcats picked up wins over St. Michael-Albertville (71-66 in overtime) and Prior Lake (70-57). Four players — Emma Hanson (Wisconsin-Stout), Emersyn Colby, Audrey Brown and Addison Bryfczynski — are averaging double figures. Against the Knights, point guard Hanson had 16 points and nine assists, including the dish to Colby to tie the game at the end of regulation.
17. St. Michael-Albertville (2-2) Previous rank: 13
The Knights lost to Waconia but defeated Lakeville South 87-63. In their win, senior Cail Jahnke (Colorado) netted seven three-pointers en route to a game-high 39 points.
18. Crosby-Ironton (2A, 2-1) Previous rank: 18
After sizable wins over Aitkin and Mora, senior Tori Oehrlein (Gophers) surpassed 1,000 career assists and became just the second player in state history to reach the one-grand mark in career assists, rebounds and points.
19. East Ridge (1-2) Previous rank: 17
After dropping the first two games of their season, the Raptors got into the win column by beating Stillwater 62-30. Senior Vienna Murray (Oklahoma) scored 19 points while senior Taylor Klauer had 13 points.
20. Duluth Marshall (2A, 1-1) Previous rank: 20
The Hilltoppers dominated Hibbing 107-30, with five players in double-digits. Sophomore Chloe Johnson recorded a team-high 29 points along with nine rebounds, five assists and five steals.
21. Elk River (4-0) Previous rank: unranked
The undefeated Elks have beaten Monticello, Becker, Buffalo and Centennial to start the year. Senior Joanna Talso’s 16.2 points per game are a team high, and she had 20 points in a win over Monticello.
22. Monticello (2-2) Previous rank: 22
The Magic were another team that picked up their first wins this week, first a 84-81 victory over Chanhassen followed by a 90-30 win over Zimmerman. Senior Samantha Voll (St. Thomas) scored her 2,000th career point as she finished with 39 in Monticello’s win.
23. Chanhassen (3-1) Previous rank: 19
After a narrow loss to Monticello, the Storm defeated Southwest Christian 83-53. Junior Kate Arnold surpassed 1,000 career points after dropping 29 in Chanhassen’s loss to the Magic.
24. Lakeville South (3-1) Previous rank: 23
Sandwiching a loss to St. Michael-Albertville, the Cougars beat Edina (67-42) and Owatonna (62-39). Sophomore Piper Ohnstad is averaging 17.8 points per game for the Cougars.
25. Sleepy Eye-St. Mary’s (1A, 5-0) Previous rank: unranked
A Class 1A team will nab the last spot for the first time this year, as 32.8 points per game from junior Morgan Mathiowetz (North Dakota State) has powered the Knights to the top of the state’s smallest class.
About the Author
Cassidy Hettesheimer
Sports reporter
Cassidy Hettesheimer is a high school sports reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune.
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