Sioux Falls Christian claimed its first Class A state championship last season and is now back for more.

After a dramatic 57-56 win over Mahpiya Luta in the Class A state championship, ending the season with a 24-1 record, the Chargers will look to reload and win back-to-back state titles, a feat that hasn’t been done since 2018 when St. Thomas More won five straight championships.

Storylines to Watch

Can Sioux Falls Christian go back-to-back?: The Chargers won its first girls basketball championship last season with a buzzer-beating win over Mahpiya Luta. After graduating four seniors, will SFC have enough to return to the Class A girls basketball mountaintop?

Will Mahpiya Luta bounce back?: The Crusaders saw its undefeated season slip away in the final seconds of last year’s state championship, falling to SFC 57-56. But a returning Ashlan Carlow-Blount and Lakota Tech transfer Shania Janis will look to get ML on track for another trip to the state tournament.

Who else will emerge?: Beyond the state champion matchup, plenty of talent still remains in Class A girls basketball. Wagner, highlighted by future Nebraska Cornhusker Ashlyn Koupal, will be a contender among other teams featured in last season’s Class A state tournament, including Sioux Valley, Hamlin and Dakota Valley.

Players to Watch 

Note: These players were all-staters in the 2024-25 season. 

Ashlyn Koupal, Wagner: The future Nebraska Cornhusker was a first-team all-stater last season. A 6-foot-3 junior guard/forward, Koupal was the Class A player of the year and Gatorade South Dakota girls basketball player of the year. Koupal averaged 22.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.5 blocks and 2.3 steals per game this season. She’s totaled 1,939 points, 860 rebounds, 364 assists, 287 blocks and 189 steals in her career. 

Ashlan Carlow-Blount, Mahpiya Luta: A versatile 6-foot junior guard, averaged 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 5.5 steals per game this season. She earned first-team all-state honors last season. For her career, Carlow-Blount has tallied 1,364 points, 512 rebounds, 462 assists, 362 steals and 47 blocks. Carlow-Blout will play college basketball at Division I South Dakota. 

Taylor Reuvers, Vermillion: A 5-foot-5 sophomore, Reuvers earned all-state first-team honors last season. She averaged 17 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals per game during her freshman campaign. For her career, Reuvers has registered 767 points, 258 assists, 247 rebounds and 191 steals. 

Addison Neuendorf, Hamlin: A 5-foot-6 senior guard, Neuendorf was a first-team all-stater last season. Neuendorf averaged 14.1 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game during her junior campaign. A 1,000-point scorer in her career, Neuendorf will play college basketball at Division II Northern State University.

Ella Otten, Dakota Valley: A 5-foot-8 sophomore guard, Otten was a second-team all-stater last season. She averaged 16.4 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds during her freshman season. 

Shania Janis, Mahpiya Luta: A 5-foot-7 guard, Janis transferred from Lakota Tech to Mahpiya Luta this season. Last season, Janis averaged 19.7 points, 5.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. She was a third-team all-stater last season. 

Kailey Cradduck, Sioux Valley: A 5-foot-11 junior, Cradduck was a third-team all-stater last season. She averaged 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game during her sophomore season. 

Blake Thompson, Mobridge-Pollock: A 5-foot-9 senior, Thompson earned third-team all-state honors last season. She averaged 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game during her junior season. She will play college basketball at Division II Black Hills State University. 

Talya Vincent, Sioux Valley: A 5-foot-6 senior guard, Vincent was an honorable mention all-stater last season. She averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. 

Morgan Sheppard, Flandreau: A 6-foot-2 sophomore, Sheppard was an honorable mention all-stater last season. She averaged 16.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. 

Aubree Worden, Dakota Valley: Worden was an honorable mention all-stater last season. During her freshman season, the 5-foot-10 Worden averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and two assists per game. 

Suni Bowman, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte: A 5-foot-8 junior, Bowman earned all-state honorable mention honors last season. She averaged 17.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game during her sophomore season.