Girls basketball: Introducing the 2025 West Central Tribune All-Area Team

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Mar. 28—There is an abundance of experience on this year's West Central Tribune All-Area Girls Basketball Team.

Not many things can beat experience in sports and this year's team showed that.

That bides well for the 15-player bunch selected to the All-Area team.

Seven seniors, seven juniors and one sophomore represent the All-Area team.

Twelve players on the squad have appeared on past All-Area teams.

The 15 players are from 10 area teams. Eight players are from Class AA schools. Six are from Class A schools and one is from Class AAA Willmar.

Minnewaska leads the field with three players selected by the West Central Tribune's sports staff through nominations by area coaches.

Sydney Dahl, Megan Thorfinnson and Lauryn Ankeny represent the Lakers, who placed fourth at the Class AA state tournament and finished with a 28-5 record.

Minnewaska's state berth marked its first since 1999 and its fifth trip overall.

Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, MACCRAY and New London-Spicer each have two players earn spots on the All-Area team.

Acelynn Hacker and Maddie Luft represent the Fighting Saints, who lost to Minnewaska in the Section 3AA-North semifinals to finish with a 25-4 record.

Brielle Janssen and Emma Thein represent the Wolverines, who were the Class A state runner-ups with a 25-6 record.

MACCRAY's state appearance marked its first since 2006 and its fourth trip overall.

Ava Carlson and Dakota Rich represent the Wildcats, who bowed out against Minnewaska in the Section 3AA-North finals with a 27-2 record.

Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City's Ruby Klinger, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa's Kacey Fischer, BOLD's Lainey Braulick, Central Minnesota Christian School's Sienna Duininck, Montevideo's Teagan Epema and Willmar's Telilie Lange are also on the All-Area team.

BOLD (20-10) was one game away from state. It lost to Sleepy Eye St. Mary's in the Section 2A championship in Mankato.

CMCS (22-6) could not get past MACCRAY, losing in the Section 3A-North final at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

Here is the 2025 West Central Tribune All-Area Girls Basketball Team (in alphabetical order):

Senior, 5-foot-8 guard, BOLD

Braulick will surely be missed on and off the court by the Warriors.

She averaged 19.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.5 assists per game.

She caps off her career as a Class A All-State selection, the West Central Conference's Offensive MVP and an All-West Central selection.

Braulick, who was on the All-Area First Team in 2022 and the All-Area Second Team in 2023, secured 2,163 points, 456 steals (program record), 447 rebounds and 344 assists in her career. Her 252 made 3-pointers is also a program record.

"Lainey has been our floor general for the past five years and she will go down as one of the best basketball players in BOLD school history," Warriors head coach Brian Kingery said. "Lainey has an extremely high basketball IQ — she can score from all levels — (and is a) great 3-point shooter (with) mid-range jumpers and finishes at the rim. She plays great instinctive defense."

Sr., 5-10 forward, NLS

Carlson was a steady producer for the Wildcats.

She posted 17.5 points (45.9% FG, 83% FT), 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per contest.

She was a Class AA All-State Honorable Mention and an All-Wright County pick.

Carlson, who was on the All-Area Second Team last year, reached 1,000 career points (1,258) and finishes at 588 rebounds, 280 assists and 187 steals.

"Ava had a great season," NLS head coach Mike Dreier said. "She was a major player for us."

Sr., 6-0 post, Minnewaska

Dahl was instrumental down low for the Lakers.

The NCAA Division II Minnesota State University-Moorhead recruit recorded 15.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Dahl, an All-Area Third Team pick in 2024, was a Class AA All-Tournament team member and an All-West Central selection.

"Sydney's just a great teammate and a very good player," Minnewaska head coach Nick Danielson said. "She made everyone feel comfortable.

"Sydney took advantage of every opportunity she had this year."

Sophomore, 5-8 guard, CMCS

Duininck continues to be a rising star in Minnesota for the Bluejays.

She tallied 24.1 points (49% FG), 6.9 rebounds, 6.2 steals and 5.0 assists per contest.

She was a Class A All-State Honorable Mention for a second straight year, an All-Area First Team pick for a second straight season and an All-Camden pick.

"Sienna continues to cement herself as one of the best guards in Class A because of how she impacts the game on both ends each and every night," CMCS head coach Brian Nelson said. "Offensively, she can score at all three levels and has improved as a point guard, creating opportunities for others. Defensively, she rebounds better than most guards and makes opposing teams uncomfortable with her defensive pressure and ability to get in passing lanes.

"What makes Sienna special is her love of the game and its competition, which is evident through the toughness and edge she plays with."

Junior, 6-1 guard/forward, MACCRAY

Janssen is a bona fide superstar for the Wolverines.

She contributed 26.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 4.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game as the focal point for opposing defenses.

She was a Class A All-State selection, the Camden's MVP for a third consecutive season, a Class A All-Tournament team member and an All-Camden selection. It is her third consecutive year on the All-Area team and second straight on the All-Area First Team.

Janssen, a Division II Minnesota State University-Mankato commit, is MACCRAY's all-time scoring leader with 2,214 points and she has 1,132 career rebounds.

"Brielle has taken her game to another level this season," MACCRAY head coach Shaun Condon said. "She makes everyone around her better and is a once-in-a-lifetime player for a coach."

Jr., 6-0 forward, BBE

Fischer took her game to a whole other level for the Jaguars this season.

She averaged 12.8 points (41% FG) and 10.4 rebounds per contest.

She is an All-Area pick for the first time and an All-Central Minnesota First Team pick.

"Kacey had a breakout junior season," BBE head coach Kristina Anderson said, "averaging a double-double.

"She was effective defending the opposing team's best post and also was very efficient rebounding, both offensively and defensively."

Jr., 5-6 guard, KMS

Hacker produced at an effectively high clip for the Fighting Saints.

The 5-6 junior guard posted 19.1 points (46.2% FG), 4.2 steals, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game.

She is on the All-Area Second Team for a second straight year and an All-Camden selection.

Hacker is on the brink of breaking the school's all-time scoring record with 1,595 points. She also has 406 steals, 330 rebounds and 246 steals in her career.

"Acelynn had an incredible season shooting the ball," KMS head coach Justin Johnson said. "She quickly became the focal point of opposing defenses."

Jr., 5-7 guard, Willmar

Lange resumed her role of providing a spark on both ends of the floor for the Cardinals.

She recorded 11.5 points, 4.4 steals, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest en route to earning a spot on the All-Area Second Team for a second consecutive season. She was an All-Area Third Team pick in 2023.

Lange, who has 934 points, was an All-Central Lakes selection. She was also named Willmar's MVP.

"Telilie had another great season for us," Cardinals head coach Brendan Hedtke said. "She was an offensive catalyst for us and often gave us a great spark when we needed it. She continues to impress me on the defensive end of the floor, leading the team in steals by a wide margin every year.

"Telilie led us to be one of the top defenses in Class AAA, allowing only 47.8 points per game. On top of that, she is a great teammate that works hard at all times, which sets the tone for us."

Sr., 5-8 guard, NLS

Rich was adept from all areas of the court before her production slowed after she re-injured her left shoulder in the final stretch of the season.

She tallied 14.2 points (37 FG%), 4.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Rich, who is on the All-Area team for the second time in her career, was a Class AA All-State pick for a second straight season and an All-Wright County pick.

She finishes her career with 1,587 points (fourth most in program history), 367 assists, 341 steals (fifth most in program history), and 229 rebounds. Her 314 made 3-pointers is the third most in program history.

"Dakota was just a solid, dependable player who excelled in her all-around game," Dreier said. "She is a girl who came to play everyday and had a smile on her face."

Sr., 5-10 wing, Minnewaska

Thorfinnson was an exceptional floor general for the Lakers.

She contributed 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest.

Thorfinnson, who earned All-West Central honors, is on the All-Area Second Team for a third consecutive season.

"Our practices were always competitive and hard — I think that's how you can get to be a really good team is when you have really good practices — and Megan was a big part of that," Danielson said, "just being a leader."

"A lot of the girls look up to her."

Jr., 5-8 guard, Minnewaska

Ankeny has stamped herself as one of the state's top defenders for the Lakers.

She averaged 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.4 assists per game.

Ankeny, an All-West Central pick, makes her first All-Area team appearance and was named the West Central Conference's Defensive MVP.

"I would take 12 Lauryns on a team," Danielson said of Ankeny, who guarded the other team's top player throughout the season. "Her motor just never stops.

"I could talk for hours on how good she is defensively."

Sr., 5-4 guard, Montevideo

Epema will go down as one of the top guards the Thunder Hawks have ever had.

She posted 17.7 points, 5.4 steals, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per contest.

She is on the All-Area Third Team for a second consecutive season and wrapped up her career with All-West Central honors.

Epema collected 1,214 points, a school-record 492 assists, 477 rebounds and a school-record 381 steals in her career.

"Teagan has been a valuable leader on and off the court for us this season," Thunder Hawks head coach Kylee Heurung said. "Her experience and basketball IQ have been impactful, whether it's directing plays, stepping up in clutch moments or supporting younger players. Teagan's leadership has been a driving force behind our team's success and growth this year, helping to elevate the entire program."

Jr., 5-11 center, ACGC

Klinger has distinguished herself as one of the premier players to come through the Falcons' program. She is the girls' all-time scoring leader with 1,471 points.

In 2024-25, she recorded 16.2 points (45.3% FG), 9.2 rebounds, 2.6 steals, 1.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.

She is on the All-Area Third Team for a second straight season and was an All-Central Minnesota selection.

"Ruby is a continued presence on the floor for our program," Falcons head coach Jacklyn Frericks said. "She's a seasoned player having been starting varsity since eighth grade.

"She continued to set the bar and continues to solidify her name in the record books for ACGC High School."

Sr., 6-1 forward, KMS

Luft was a defensive nightmare for opposing offenses for the Fighting Saints.

She tallied 12.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.7 blocks, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals per contest.

She is on the All-Area Third Team for the second time in her career (2023, '25) and was an All-Camden pick.

Luft, who reached 1,000 career points in the final game of the season, racked up 1,001 points, 808 rebounds, 378 blocks, 192 assists and 164 steals in her career.

"Maddie has been a defensive presence down low for years," Johnson said. "She does not make it easy for anyone to come into the paint and score with her shot-blocking ability. She has also expanded her offensive game over the years and is a great distributor from the post position."

Jr., 6-0 center, MACCRAY

Thein was a big reason why MACCRAY had the success it had this season.

She contributed 15.0 points (46% FG) and 7.6 rebounds per game.

She made the Class A All-Tournament team and earned All-Camden honors.

"Emma continues to get better every year," Condon said. "She has been a huge part in our success this season. She is a great rebounder and she does a really good job finishing around the rim.

"Her game continues to evolve and she has become a true low-post threat."

Ayla Caskey, 5-7 junior guard, NLS

All-Wright County; 13.0 points, 3.6 assists, 3.5 steals and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Adley Hagen, 5-8 senior guard, BBE

All-Central Minnesota First Team; 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.

Kaida Helgenset, 5-3 sophomore guard, Benson

18.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 3.6 assists per game.

Holly Hinderks, 5-9 junior guard, RCW

All-Camden; 15.8 points, 4.2 steals, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest.

Jalyn Lee, 6-0 senior guard/forward, LQPV

All-Camden; 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

Maddie Molacek, 5-10 sophomore forward, Willmar

All-Central Lakes; 11.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 assists per contest.

Bailey Mortenson, 5-11 freshman forward, YME

All-Camden; 17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

Rayna Spanier, 5-7 senior guard, Paynesville

All-Central Minnesota First Team; 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest.

Bree Thieschafer, 5-4 senior guard, BBE

All-Central Minnesota First Team; 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

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