Minnesota Top 25: Strib Varsity’s statewide girls basketball rankings
Rosemount and Wayzata make jumps in our latest all-class rankings as the big schools’ best battle.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
As the state’s top girls basketball teams power their way through conference play, head-to-head matchups between Class 4A state-title contenders reshuffled our top 10.
This week, it was the Lake Conference’s elite put to the test. Four of the top 10 teams in the state belong to the conference in the northwest metro, including No. 1 Hopkins, which remains at the power rankings’ peak.
But otherwise, Wayzata, Maple Grove and Minnetonka tangled this week, with Maple Grove handing Minnetonka its first loss of the season before the Crimson traveled to Wayzata and fell to the Trojans.
Note: Make sure to keep up with Crosby-Ironton senior Tori Oehrlein and Providence Academy senior Maddyn Greenway as they near 5,000 career points and the state career scoring record, 5,060 points.
Minnesota Top 25
Teams are in Class 4A unless noted. Player college commitment in parentheses.
1. Hopkins (13-1) Previous rank: 1
The Royals have yet to lose to a Minnesota opponent. This week, Eden Prairie and Buffalo were the latest in the line of Hopkins victories. Against the Eagles, the Royals’ formidable junior trio of Jaliyah Diggs (20 points), Ava Cupito (16) and Erma Walker (12) stood out.
2. Rosemount (12-0) Previous rank: 3
The Irish have the honor of being the final undefeated team in Class 4A, picking up wins over Shakopee and Farmington this week. Junior guard Gianna Carpenter tied a season high with 16 points against Farmington.
3. Providence Academy (2A, 10-3) Previous rank: 4
The Lions continued to show why they’re Minnesota’s small-school best with a 99-58 win over Rochester Lourdes, with 42 points from Greenway, 26 for junior Emma Millerbernd and 22 for freshman Beckett Greenway.
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4. Wayzata (11-3) Previous rank: 9
The Trojans are 10-1 in their last eleven games, including a 71-59 win over Maple Grove with a game-high 22 points from senior Kate Amelotte (Creighton) and 12 points for junior Kaja Nash.
5. Maple Grove (11-3) Previous rank: 7
The Crimson’s win over Minnetonka was all the more impressive being without their leading scorer, Kate Holmquist (Montana). Senior Sophia Anderson stepped up with a game-high 25 points, one of four Crimson players in double figures.
Maple Grove also beat Duluth Marshall 74-57, with 23 points from junior Mariah Sexton.
6. Minnetonka (13-1) Previous rank: 2
Don’t let a dip in the rankings — caused by head-to-head matchups — fool you. The Skippers remain one of the state’s most well-rounded teams and showed it in an 84-70 win over St. Michael-Albertville. They were led by 20 points from freshman Izze Austin and 19 from sophomore Tate Addler, two of six players in double figures.
7. Rochester Mayo (15-1) Previous rank: 5
The Spartans haven’t won a game by less than 20 points in the past month, powering through the start of their Big Nine Conference play. In a 78-46 win over Owatonna, the dynamic sophomore duo of Amelia Mills and Maggie Dyer dropped 26 and 22 points, respectively.
Watch Lakeville North vs. Rochester Mayo on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2:30 p.m.
8. Orono (3A, 12-2) Previous rank: 6
Orono more than doubled-up Mahtomedi and New Prague. Senior Mya Moore (Creighton) racked up 51 points in the pair of wins.
9. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (3A, 9-2) Previous rank: 8
In a Metro West test, the Red Knights beat Chanhassen, 98-91. Junior Alivia Bell scored 31 points to help Benilde-St. Margaret’s come back from a 15-point halftime deficit.
10. Hill-Murray (3A, 12-1) Previous rank: 12
Rounding out our trio of top Class 3A teams is the Pioneers, picking up wins over Tartan and South St. Paul, with a hot hand from sophomore Sarah Poepard, who had 29 and 17 points in each.
11. East Ridge (13-3) Previous rank: 13
The Raptors have only dropped a single game since Dec. 2. This week, that meant beating Cretin-Derham Hall 77-72 behind 33 points from senior Vienna Murray (Oklahoma), and using 14 points each from senior Taylor Klauer and junior Hailey Sicard to beat Park of Cottage Grove 79-36.
12. Eastview (11-4) Previous rank: 10
The Lightning lost to Farmington after beating Shakopee 67-47, led by 25 points from senior Clara Goodman (Saint Benedict).
13. Monticello (13-3) Previous rank: 14
Senior point guard Samantha Voll (St. Thomas) totaled 54 points across wins over Cambridge-Isanti and St. Francis. Voll also hit a dagger three-pointer to seal the Magic’s 69-63 overtime win over Crosby-Ironton.
Watch the replay of Crosby-Ironton vs. Monticello
14. Waconia (13-3) Previous rank: 11
Before falling to Chanhassen, the Wildcats beat New Prague 68-60. Seniors Addison Bryfczynski and Emma Hanson showed out, with 22 and 18 points, respectively.
Watch the replay of Chanhassen vs. Waconia.
15. Elk River (12-2) Previous rank: 15
The Elks bounced back from their loss to Delano with comfortable wins over Centennial and Robbinsdale Armstrong.
16. Marshall (12-2) Previous rank: 16
The Tigers beat St. Peter behind a game-high 26 points for senior Reese Drake (Southwest Minnesota State volleyball), then posted sizable victories over both Mankato East and West.
17. Crosby-Ironton (2A, 11-5) Previous rank: 18
The Rangers pushed 4A foe Monticello into overtime, with 34 points and 23 boards from Oehrlein. That came after Crosby-Ironton picked up an 80-60 win over Fergus Falls and a 78-44 win over Cloquet.
18. Cretin-Derham Hall (3A, 9-5) Previous rank: 17
The Raiders fell to East Ridge but beat Irondale in another standout week for freshman Madeleine Hamiel, who scored 33 against the Raptors.
19. Stewartville (3A, 11-1) Previous rank: 19
Sisters Audrey Shindelar (South Dakota State), a senior, and Danika, a sophomore, combined for 43 points in a 89-67 win over Goodhue.
20. Duluth Marshall (2A, 8-5) Previous rank: 20
In a 69-68 win over Stevens Point (Wis.), sophomore Chloe Johnson tallied 45 points and 13 rebounds. She netted 25 points in the Hilltoppers’ loss to Maple Grove.
21. Delano (3A, 12-6) Previous rank: 21
Senior Abbie Pietila (Concordia-St. Paul) chipped in an average of 19 points per game in the Tigers’ four wins this week.
22. Forest Lake (13-2) Previous rank: 23
A 55-26 win over Stillwater and a 70-53 defeat of Woodbury put the Rangers just one game behind East Ridge in the Suburban East Conference.
23. Chanhassen (11-6) Previous rank: unranked
The Storm did let a big halftime lead slip in a 98-91 loss to Benilde-St. Margaret’s, but also picked up wins over Chaska and Waconia. Junior Lyla Hentges (St. Thomas) scored exactly 24 points in each of the Storm’s three games this week.
Watch the replay of Chanhassen vs. Waconia.
24. Lakeville South (9-5) Previous rank: 24
Five players finished in double figures in the Cougars’ balanced 68-41 win over Eagan.
25. New London-Spicer (2A, 13-0) Previous rank: 22
Three more wins, and the Wildcats remain perfect, with four players averaging at least 10 points per game.
About the Author
Cassidy Hettesheimer
Sports reporter
Cassidy Hettesheimer is a high school sports reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune.
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