Meet 20 of the top girls basketball prospects suiting up for Kentucky high schools
Brooks Holton
The 2022-23 girls basketball season approaches for Kentucky high schools, and there will be no shortage of Division I talent taking the court across the commonwealth.
Here's a breakdown of 20 players piquing the interests of college coaches across the country. Check back in throughout the season for updates of their recruitments.
Did we miss anyone? If you know of a student-athlete who has received an offer to play football for a Division I school, please email: bholton@gannett.com.
Reagan Bender
Position: Forward, guard
High school: Sacred Heart (Louisville)
Class: 2024
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: An All-State honorable mention as a sophomore, Reagan Bender heads into Year 3 with back-to-back state champion Sacred Heart having earned reported scholarship offers from Bellarmine, East Tennessee State and Murray State. The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 11.4 points on 46.2% shooting and chipped in 3.2 rebounds per game. Bender spent the summer playing for Ohio United's 17U team on Adidas' 3SSB circuit and reportedly made an unofficial visit to Louisville Live on Oct. 21.
Reigning champions:Sacred Heart knocks off Bullitt East for second straight Girls' Sweet 16 title
Audrey Biggs
Position: Forward, guard
High school: Boyd County (Ashland)
Class: 2024
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: As a sophomore, Audrey Biggs was the leading scorer on Boyd County's run to the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls Sweet Sixteen. The 6-foot forward/guard averaged 17.5 points for the Lions on 44% shooting and grabbed seven rebounds per game. Biggs appears to be making quick work of her recovery from an ACL injury and already has 12 reported scholarship offers heading into her junior season, including Charlotte, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Marshall, Western Kentucky and Xavier. She plays for the West Virginia Thunder on Under Armour's grassroots circuit and made a visit to Kentucky's campus in October.
Peyton Bradley
Position: Guard
High school: Meade County (Brandenburg)
Class: 2025
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: A second-team All-State selection and top-30 scorer across KHSAA last season, Peyton Bradley led Meade County with 19.3 points per game on 45.9% shooting en route to a Sweet 16 berth. The 5-9 guard knocked down 44.6% of her 3-point attempts while grabbing a team-best 4.9 rebounds per contest. Bradley heads into her sophomore season with reported scholarship offers from Murray State and Purdue Fort Wayne.
Brianna Byars
Position: Forward
High school: George Rogers Clark (Winchester)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Cincinnati
What to know: Brianna Byars enters her final season with George Rogers Clark looking to build off her second-team All-State performance as a junior. The 5-11 forward averaged 15.1 points on 47.3% shooting and pulled down 5.1 rebounds per game during the Cardinals' run to the Sweet 16. Byars committed to Cincinnati on Sept. 25 over reported scholarship offers from the likes of Bellarmine, Belmont, Evansville, Saint Louis, Seaton Hall and Western Kentucky.
Ciara Byars
Position: Guard
High school: George Rogers Clark (Winchester)
Class: 2025
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: A second-team All-State selection in 2022, Ciara Byars led George Rogers Clark as a freshman with 17.5 points on 51% shooting and 7.3 rebounds per game. The 6-1 guard has reported scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Eastern Kentucky, Marshall, Northern Kentucky and Saint Louis entering her sophomore season. She, like her older sister Brianna Byars, played for Kentucky Premier's 17U team on Nike's EYBL circuit over the summer.
Kensley Feltner
Position: Guard
High school: Lawrence County (Louisa)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Belmont
What to know: Kensley Feltner led KHSAA with 26.9 points per game on 53.2% shooting as a junior en route to a spot on the All-State second team. The 5-10 guard also corralled a team-best 9.2 rebounds per contest during Lawrence County's run to a District 58 championship. Feltner committed to Belmont on Aug. 21 over reported scholarship offers from the likes of Bellarmine, East Tennessee State, Marshall, Murray State and UAB.
Haven Ford
Position: Guard
High school: Rowan County (Morehead)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Murray State
What to know: A first-team All-State selection as a junior, Haven Ford ranked among the top 20 scorers across KHSAA with 20.4 points per game on 44% shooting. The 5-5 guard also led Rowan County with 9.7 rebounds per contest, which ranked in the top 50 statewide. Ford, who played for Kentucky Premier on the EYBL circuit this summer, committed to Murray State on Aug. 29 over reported scholarship offers Bellarmine, Buffalo, Chattanooga, Cleveland State, Davidson, Evansville, Morehead State, Toledo and more.
Claire Johnson
Position: Guard
High school: McCracken County (Paducah)
Class: 2024
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: Claire Johnson heads into her junior season with McCracken County looking to build off a strong sophomore campaign, during which the Mustangs reached the Sweet 16. The 5-9 guard was second on the team with 13.5 points per game on 51.4% shooting and converted 40.5% of her shots from 3-point range. Johnson played for Kentucky Premier on the EYBL circuit and has reported scholarship offers from Eastern Kentucky, Radford and Tennessee Martin.
ZaKiyah Johnson
Position: Forward, guard
High school: Sacred Heart (Louisville)
Class: 2025
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: The No. 2 rising sophomore in the country on ESPN's Terrific 25 rankings, ZaKiyah Johnson was named Kentucky's Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year after leading Sacred Heart with 17.7 points per game on 51.1% shooting and 7.6 rebounds per contest. The 5-11 forward/guard has dozens of reported scholarship offers heading into her sophomore season, including Louisville, Kentucky, Baylor, LSU, South Carolina and UConn. Johnson was named the Most Valuable Player of the Girls Sweet 16 and looks to lead the Valkyries to a third consecutive state title after spending the summer playing for the West Virginia Thunder on Under Armour's grassroots circuit. She was among U of L's unofficial visitors for Louisville Live in October.
ZaKiyah Johnson:Sacred Heart freshman named Gatorade Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year
Mariah Knight
Position: Forward
High school: Christian Academy (Louisville)
Class: 2024
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: Mariah Knight begins her junior season at CAL with reported scholarship offers from Arkansas State, Coppin State, Marshall, Murray State and Wright State. The 6-1 forward averaged 12.3 points on 33.9% shooting and grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Knight will look to take on an even bigger role in Year 3 with the Centurions, who lost last season's leading scorer, Ohio commit Jaya McClure, to graduation. She played for Kentucky Premier's 16U team on the EYBL circuit this summer.
Whitney Lind
Position: Forward
High school: Cooper (Union)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Signed with Lehigh
What to know: A second-team All-State selection as a junior, Whitney Lind signed with Lehigh on Nov. 10 over reported scholarship offers from the likes of Buffalo, Cleveland State, Navy and USC Upstate. The 6-2 forward led Cooper with 16.7 points on 45.9% shooting and 6.4 rebounds per game on the Jaguars' run to their first Girls Sweet 16 in school history. Lind played for Kentucky Premier's 17U team on the EYBL circuit over the summer.
Whitney Lind:Cooper girls basketball star commits to Lehigh
Leah Macy
Position: Forward
High school: Mercy (Louisville)
Class: 2025
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: The No. 17 rising sophomore in the country on ESPN's Terrific 25 rankings, Leah Macy is looking to follow up a 2022 season that earned her a first-team All-State selection. The 6-2 forward ranked in the top 25 across KHSAA in scoring (20.1), field-goal percentage (62.3%) and rebounds per game (12.3). Macy already has more than 25 reported scholarship offers, including Louisville, Kentucky, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina and Tennessee. She played for Kentucky Premier's 17U team on the EYBL circuit this summer and was among U of L's visitors for Louisville Live in October.
Leah Macy:Mercy freshman wins Player of the Week. Check out three of her top performances this season
Triniti Ralston
Position: Guard
High school: Sacred Heart (Louisville)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: A third-team All-State selection as a junior, Triniti Ralston heads into her senior season looking to end her Sacred Heart career with a third consecutive state title. Battling elbow injuries that sidelined her at times last season, the 5-7 guard averaged 8.4 points per game on 45.5% shooting and continued building her reputation as a physical, in-your-face defender. Ralston has not yet reported receiving a scholarship offer on Twitter, but there will likely be plenty of opportunities to impress the college coaches who show up to watch the star-studded Valkyries go for a three-peat.
Triniti Ralston:Why Sacred Heart's point guard is more than meets the eye
Trinity Rowe
Position: Guard
High school: Pikeville (Pikeville)
Class: 2024
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: Trinity Rowe earned first-team All-State honors as a sophomore after averaging 15.9 points per game on 52.2% shooting during Pikeville's run to the Sweet 16. The 5-5 guard also ranked second in the state in 3-point percentage (48.7%), knocking down 91 of her 187 attempted treys. Rowe enters her junior season with more than 10 scholarship offers from the likes of Akron, Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State, Southern Miss, UNC Wilmington and Xavier.
Saniyah Shelton
Position: Guard
High school: Bowling Green (Bowling Green)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Signed with Eastern Kentucky
What to know: Saniyah Shelton heads into her final season at Bowling Green having signed with Eastern Kentucky. As a junior, the 5-11 guard averaged 8.6 points on 43% shooting and pulled down 6.4 rebounds per game en route to a Sweet 16 berth with the Purples. Kennesaw State and Kentucky State were also vying for her pledge.
Shaelyn Steele
Position: Guard
High school: Russell (Russell)
Class: 2024
College commitment status: Undecided
What to know: A first-team All-State selection as a sophomore, Shaelyn Steele was among the top 15 scorers across KHSAA with 21.9 points per game on 45.8% shooting. The 5-6 guard knocked down 36.9% of her 3-point attempts and grabbed a team-high 7.7 per contest on the Red Devils' run to a District 63 title. Steele enters her junior year with reported scholarship offers from Boston College, Buffalo, Chattanooga, Harvard, James Madison, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Youngstown State. She has also made visits to Louisville, UK and Texas.
Destiny Thomas
Position: Forward. guard
High school: McCracken County (Paducah)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Murray State
What to know: A top-50 scorer and first-team All-State selection as a junior, Destiny Thomas led McCracken County with 18 points on 53.7% shooting and six rebounds per game. In March, the 5-10 forward/guard committed to Murray State, where according to The Paducah Sun her father and brother played collegiately. Northern Kentucky and Southeast Missouri were also vying for Thomas' pledge.
JaKayla Thompson
Position: Guard
High school: Manual (Louisville)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Signed with Buffalo
What to know: JaKayla Thompson was named an All-State honorable mention after leading Manual with 15.7 points per game on 48.6% shooting as a junior. The 5-9 guard converted 22.4% of her 3-point attempts and finished second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest. Thompson signed with Buffalo on Nov. 9 over reported scholarship offers from the likes of Boston College, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Davidson and Murray State. She played for Kentucky Premier's 17U team on the EYBL circuit over the summer.
Meadow Tisdale
Position: Forward
High school: Bowling Green (Bowling Green)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Signed with Northern Kentucky
What to know: A second-team All-State selection in 2022, Meadow Tisdale led Bowling Green with 15.5 points per game as a junior. The 5-11 forward ranked 17th across KHSAA with a 58.2% shooting percentage and pulled down a team-best 7.3 rebounds per contest. Tisdale signed with Northern Kentucky on Nov. 10 over reported scholarship offers from Chattanooga, Eastern Illinois and East Tennessee State. She played for KY Premier on the EYBL circuit this past summer.
Timberlynn Yeast
Position: Forward, guard
High school: Mercer County (Harrodsburg)
Class: 2023
College commitment status: Signed with Buffalo
What to know: A top-15 scorer and All-State second teamer as a junior, Timberlynn Yeast averaged 20.9 points on 52% shooting during Mercer County's run to a District 46 championship. The 5-9 guard shot 22.2% from 3-point territory and grabbed a team-high 8.4 rebounds per contest. A standout on the Titans' track and field team, Yeast signed with Buffalo on Nov. 9 over more than 20 reported scholarship offers from the likes of Akron, Belmont, Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Ohio, Marshall, Miami (Ohio) and Southern Miss. She played for the West Virginia Thunder on Under Armour's grassroots circuit over the summer.
Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.