Minnesota roots bring athletes together in NCAA Tournament matchup
STORRS, C.T. (Dakota News Now) - On Friday, South Dakota State Jackrabbit players expressed their excitement about being able to play at Gampel Pavilion, a place that has had so much history and that the University of Connecticut calls “The Basketball Capital of the World.”
However, there were also some players with roots that are also excited for a matchup that they haven’t seen in a while.
College hoops stars were all at one point just a high-schooler trying to make a name for themselves. South Dakota State’s Kallie Theisen remembers those times well. The Plymouth, Minnesota native was a standout for the Wayzata Trojans, but she consistently ran into a familiar foe: the Paige Bueckers-led Hopkins Royals.
“I played against her a lot in high school, probably upwards of fifteen times, so I’m definitely familiar with her and I think it’s really cool to play her on college women’s basketball’s biggest stage,” Theisen said. “It’s definitely fun and kind of a full circle moment.”
Bueckers recalled the rivalry their teams had in high school. Playing in the same conference, they would consistently have to go through the other school if they wanted to advance to the Minnesota state basketball tournament. While it may not be Hopkins versus Wayzata, they feel a sense of pride representing them on a national stage.
“Just to be able to play at the next level, where we dreamed of playing as a kid in March Madness and the tournament, trying to compete for a national title, it’s everything you dream of, so to continue to play against her, obviously we want to represent Minnesota well and so we hope to do that,” said Bueckers.
Other Minnesota standouts in this second-round matchup include SDSU’s Madison Mathiowetz and Paige Meyer. Meyer weighed in, calling Minnesota a “basketball state.” She reflected on those in her hometown of Albany who have helped get her to this point.
“It’s meant a lot over all the years,” described Meyer. “It’s been kind of cool talking to my parents, too, hearing the texts they got from people back home. The community in Albany has just been supportive throughout my whole journey and kind of staying in contact with them has meant a lot to me.”
Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
