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Here are the first-team selections for The Courier Journal's Kentucky All-State girls basketball team for the 2024-25 season.
Selections were made via a statewide vote of girls basketball coaches. A total of 91 votes were received.
Players are listed in order by the number of votes they received.
Sacred Heart, 6-0, senior
Accomplishments: Johnson finished her career as the most decorated player in Kentucky history – 2025 Miss Basketball winner, McDonald’s All-American, four-time state champion, four-time Sweet 16 MVP, four-time Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-State selection. Johnson averaged 21.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals in leading the Valkyries to a 35-3 record and fifth straight state championship. She played on the varsity level as a seventh- and eighth-grader at Shelby County and tallied 3,870 points and 1,571 rebounds over six seasons. She’s the all-time leading scorer at Sacred Heart with 3,090 points during her four seasons there.
Future:Signed with LSU.
Quotable: “I don’t know how anybody could dispute what she’s accomplished — her stats, the wins, the accomplishments,” Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir said. “She is, without a doubt, the best high school player ever to play in Kentucky, in my opinion.”
Bethlehem, 6-2, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 27 points (No. 3 in the state) and 13.4 rebounds (No. 8 in the state) and shot a state-best 64.4% from the field over 16 games before suffering a knee injury Jan. 26 that forced her to miss the remainder of her senior season. Named a McDonald’s All-American and the Fifth Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches, Macy is a first-team All-State selection for the fourth straight season. In six seasons of varsity play (two at Elizabethtown, two at Mercy, two at Bethlehem), Macy finished her career with 3,110 points and 1,773 rebounds.
Future: Signed with Notre Dame.
Quotable: “Leah is the complete package,” Bethlehem coach Jason Clark said. “She can do whatever is asked of her and has always been willing to do what’s necessary to help her team be successful. She leads by example and makes everyone around her want to be at their best.”
Danville Christian, 6-5, senior
Accomplishments: Returned from a knee injury Jan. 9 and averaged 22.3 points. 12.7 rebounds (No. 10 in the state) and three blocks and shot 54.7% from the field while leading the Warriors to a 27-8 record and a trip to the Sweet 16 semifinals. Also helped Danville Christian win the All “A” Classic state tournament and was named 12th Region Player of the Year by the KABC. In five seasons of varsity play, Mbugua tallied 2,519 points and 1,819 rebounds. She also earned first-team All-State honors as a junior.
Future: Signed with Louisville.
Quotable: “She so driven to win, and she fights that drive with making sure she’s encouraging her teammates," Danville Christian coach Billy Inmon said. "She only started playing ball when she was 12, so I anticipate a huge amount of growth when she’s at Louisville. With the recruiting class they had last year and you put her presence in the middle and she gets even stronger … I think the sky’s the limit.”
George Rogers Clark, 6-2, senior
Accomplishments: Returned from a knee injury on Jan. 24 and averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds over 22 games, helping the Cardinals to a 28-8 record and runner-up finish in the Sweet 16. Named Co-10 Region Player of the Year by the KABC. This is her fourth All-State selection, earning second-team honors as a freshman and junior and first-team honors as a sophomore. Byars joined the varsity team as a seventh-grader and posted career totals of 1,917 points (No. 3 in program history) and 920 rebounds.
Future: Signed with Michigan.
Quotable: “Ciara Byars is a player with a very high basketball IQ,” GRC coach Robbie Graham said. “She truly loves and understands the game of basketball along with being a fierce competitor. Ciara is a three-level scorer with tremendous hands and footwork. She possesses outstanding leadership qualities.”
North Laurel, 5-10, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 23.8 points (No. 6 in state) and 8.9 rebounds while leading the Jaguars to a 32-3 record and their third straight trip to the Sweet 16. Also shot 43.8% from 3-point range (85 of 194), ranking fifth in the state. Named 13th Region Player of the Year by the KABC. Joined the varsity team as a seventh-grader and finished career with 2,495 points and 1,033 rebounds. Earned honorable-mention All-State honors as a sophomore and junior.
Future: Signed with Murray State.
Quotable: “Brooke Nichelson is renowned statewide for her exceptional athleticism,” North Laurel coach Eddie Mahan said. “She’s a dynamic scorer who excels in transition and boasts a versatile three-level scoring ability in the half-court. With her talent still unfolding, Brooke is poised for outstanding achievements in her future endeavors.”
Meade County, 5-9, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 28.2 points (No. 2 in state), 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists for a Green Wave squad that finished 21-11. Shot 41.6% from 3-point range and ranked second in the state with 114 makes from behind the arc. Named Third Region Player of the Year by the KABC and earned first-team All-State honors for the first time after three straight second-team selections. Finished her career with a program-record 3,265 points and 510 3-pointers, ranking second in state history behind Highlands’ Jaime Walz (539).
Future: Committed to Louisville.
Quotable: "Peyton Bradley is a long-range sharpshooter with tremendous guard skills and high game IQ," Meade County coach Dina Hackert said. "She’s a culture leader, fierce competitor, hard worker and a winner. She is a complete-package player and an impact person. She will be remembered in Meade County not just for the championships and records she’s attained but for her love for Lady Waves basketball and her community."
Anderson County, 6-0, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.2 steals for a Bearcats squad that finished 25-9. Shot 35.2% from 3-point range (77 of 219) and was named Eighth Region Player of the Year by the KABC. She earned second-team All-State honors as a sophomore and third-team recognition as a junior. Ranks second in program history in career points (2,512), rebounds (946) and 3-pointers made (311).
Future: Signed with Campbellsville.
Quotable: “Lainey's ability to conform her game to our team’s needs from game to game is special,” Anderson County coach Clay Birdwhistell said. “She played every position for us this season.”
Franklin-Simpson, 6-0, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 20.5 points and 10.7 rebounds and shot 54.3% from the field for a Wildcats squad that finished 28-3 and won the Fourth Region title for the first time since 2009. Named Fourth Region Player of the Year by the KABC. Played three seasons at Russellville before transferring to Franklin-Simpson before her junior season. Tallied 2,112 points and 1,233 rebounds over five varsity seasons. Earned third-team All-State honors as a junior.
Future: Signed with Tennessee Tech.
Quotable: “LaReesha is a hard matchup for opponents due to her versatility and athleticism,” Franklin-Simpson coach Ashley Taylor said. “She is the true definition of a student-athlete, always showing leadership in the classroom and on the court.”
Frederick Douglass, 5-11, sophomore
Accomplishments: Averaged 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds and shot 57.8% for a Broncos team that went 27-8 and reached the semifinals of the Sweet 16. Named Lexington’s Player of the Year by the Herald-Leader and was MVP of the 11th Region Tournament. Joined the varsity team as an eighth-grader and has 1,076 career points and 649 career rebounds.
Future: Has scholarship offers from Toledo and Western Kentucky.
Quotable: “Jaelee is a two-way player who can score at all three levels while also being an elite shot blocker,” Frederick Douglass coach Daryl Moberly said. “Her versality on offense makes her a match up nightmare - scoring off the dribble, 3-point shooting, back-to-the-basket moves and passing abilities. Her ability to read passing lanes and time opponents’ shots makes her a next-level defender.”
George Rogers Clark, 5-5, sophomore
Accomplishments: Top scorer (12.0 ppg) and 3-point shooter (43.5%, 47 for 108) for a Cardinals team that finished 28-8 after falling to Sacred Heart in the Sweet 16 championship game. Hit seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points in a Sweet 16 semifinal victory over Frederick Douglass. Has tallied 1,333 career points in four seasons of varsity play.
Future: Has scholarship offers from Bellarmine, Bowling Green, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State, Saint Louis, South Alabama, West Georgia and Youngstown State.
Quotable: “She stepped into the starting role (as a seventh-grader) and has not looked back,” GRC coach Robbie Graham said. “Kennedy has improved her game each year. She possesses really good instincts, handles the ball extremely well and shoots it really well. Kennedy is a fiery competitor who accepts all challenges with a vengeance.”
More high school sports: Male softball standout Josslyn Woosley is already turning heads as an eighth grader
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; [email protected]; Follow on X @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky All-State girls basketball selections from Courier Journal
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Selections were made via a statewide vote of girls basketball coaches. A total of 91 votes were received.
Players are listed in order by the number of votes they received.
ZaKiyah Johnson
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Sacred Heart, 6-0, senior
Accomplishments: Johnson finished her career as the most decorated player in Kentucky history – 2025 Miss Basketball winner, McDonald’s All-American, four-time state champion, four-time Sweet 16 MVP, four-time Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-State selection. Johnson averaged 21.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals in leading the Valkyries to a 35-3 record and fifth straight state championship. She played on the varsity level as a seventh- and eighth-grader at Shelby County and tallied 3,870 points and 1,571 rebounds over six seasons. She’s the all-time leading scorer at Sacred Heart with 3,090 points during her four seasons there.
Future:Signed with LSU.
Quotable: “I don’t know how anybody could dispute what she’s accomplished — her stats, the wins, the accomplishments,” Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir said. “She is, without a doubt, the best high school player ever to play in Kentucky, in my opinion.”
Leah Macy
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Bethlehem, 6-2, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 27 points (No. 3 in the state) and 13.4 rebounds (No. 8 in the state) and shot a state-best 64.4% from the field over 16 games before suffering a knee injury Jan. 26 that forced her to miss the remainder of her senior season. Named a McDonald’s All-American and the Fifth Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches, Macy is a first-team All-State selection for the fourth straight season. In six seasons of varsity play (two at Elizabethtown, two at Mercy, two at Bethlehem), Macy finished her career with 3,110 points and 1,773 rebounds.
Future: Signed with Notre Dame.
Quotable: “Leah is the complete package,” Bethlehem coach Jason Clark said. “She can do whatever is asked of her and has always been willing to do what’s necessary to help her team be successful. She leads by example and makes everyone around her want to be at their best.”
Grace Mbugua
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Danville Christian, 6-5, senior
Accomplishments: Returned from a knee injury Jan. 9 and averaged 22.3 points. 12.7 rebounds (No. 10 in the state) and three blocks and shot 54.7% from the field while leading the Warriors to a 27-8 record and a trip to the Sweet 16 semifinals. Also helped Danville Christian win the All “A” Classic state tournament and was named 12th Region Player of the Year by the KABC. In five seasons of varsity play, Mbugua tallied 2,519 points and 1,819 rebounds. She also earned first-team All-State honors as a junior.
Future: Signed with Louisville.
Quotable: “She so driven to win, and she fights that drive with making sure she’s encouraging her teammates," Danville Christian coach Billy Inmon said. "She only started playing ball when she was 12, so I anticipate a huge amount of growth when she’s at Louisville. With the recruiting class they had last year and you put her presence in the middle and she gets even stronger … I think the sky’s the limit.”
Ciara Byars
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George Rogers Clark, 6-2, senior
Accomplishments: Returned from a knee injury on Jan. 24 and averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds over 22 games, helping the Cardinals to a 28-8 record and runner-up finish in the Sweet 16. Named Co-10 Region Player of the Year by the KABC. This is her fourth All-State selection, earning second-team honors as a freshman and junior and first-team honors as a sophomore. Byars joined the varsity team as a seventh-grader and posted career totals of 1,917 points (No. 3 in program history) and 920 rebounds.
Future: Signed with Michigan.
Quotable: “Ciara Byars is a player with a very high basketball IQ,” GRC coach Robbie Graham said. “She truly loves and understands the game of basketball along with being a fierce competitor. Ciara is a three-level scorer with tremendous hands and footwork. She possesses outstanding leadership qualities.”
Brooke Nichelson
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North Laurel, 5-10, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 23.8 points (No. 6 in state) and 8.9 rebounds while leading the Jaguars to a 32-3 record and their third straight trip to the Sweet 16. Also shot 43.8% from 3-point range (85 of 194), ranking fifth in the state. Named 13th Region Player of the Year by the KABC. Joined the varsity team as a seventh-grader and finished career with 2,495 points and 1,033 rebounds. Earned honorable-mention All-State honors as a sophomore and junior.
Future: Signed with Murray State.
Quotable: “Brooke Nichelson is renowned statewide for her exceptional athleticism,” North Laurel coach Eddie Mahan said. “She’s a dynamic scorer who excels in transition and boasts a versatile three-level scoring ability in the half-court. With her talent still unfolding, Brooke is poised for outstanding achievements in her future endeavors.”
Peyton Bradley
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Meade County, 5-9, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 28.2 points (No. 2 in state), 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists for a Green Wave squad that finished 21-11. Shot 41.6% from 3-point range and ranked second in the state with 114 makes from behind the arc. Named Third Region Player of the Year by the KABC and earned first-team All-State honors for the first time after three straight second-team selections. Finished her career with a program-record 3,265 points and 510 3-pointers, ranking second in state history behind Highlands’ Jaime Walz (539).
Future: Committed to Louisville.
Quotable: "Peyton Bradley is a long-range sharpshooter with tremendous guard skills and high game IQ," Meade County coach Dina Hackert said. "She’s a culture leader, fierce competitor, hard worker and a winner. She is a complete-package player and an impact person. She will be remembered in Meade County not just for the championships and records she’s attained but for her love for Lady Waves basketball and her community."
Lainey Johnson
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Anderson County, 6-0, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.2 steals for a Bearcats squad that finished 25-9. Shot 35.2% from 3-point range (77 of 219) and was named Eighth Region Player of the Year by the KABC. She earned second-team All-State honors as a sophomore and third-team recognition as a junior. Ranks second in program history in career points (2,512), rebounds (946) and 3-pointers made (311).
Future: Signed with Campbellsville.
Quotable: “Lainey's ability to conform her game to our team’s needs from game to game is special,” Anderson County coach Clay Birdwhistell said. “She played every position for us this season.”
LaReesha Cawthorn
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Franklin-Simpson, 6-0, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 20.5 points and 10.7 rebounds and shot 54.3% from the field for a Wildcats squad that finished 28-3 and won the Fourth Region title for the first time since 2009. Named Fourth Region Player of the Year by the KABC. Played three seasons at Russellville before transferring to Franklin-Simpson before her junior season. Tallied 2,112 points and 1,233 rebounds over five varsity seasons. Earned third-team All-State honors as a junior.
Future: Signed with Tennessee Tech.
Quotable: “LaReesha is a hard matchup for opponents due to her versatility and athleticism,” Franklin-Simpson coach Ashley Taylor said. “She is the true definition of a student-athlete, always showing leadership in the classroom and on the court.”
Jaelee Knowles
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Frederick Douglass, 5-11, sophomore
Accomplishments: Averaged 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds and shot 57.8% for a Broncos team that went 27-8 and reached the semifinals of the Sweet 16. Named Lexington’s Player of the Year by the Herald-Leader and was MVP of the 11th Region Tournament. Joined the varsity team as an eighth-grader and has 1,076 career points and 649 career rebounds.
Future: Has scholarship offers from Toledo and Western Kentucky.
Quotable: “Jaelee is a two-way player who can score at all three levels while also being an elite shot blocker,” Frederick Douglass coach Daryl Moberly said. “Her versality on offense makes her a match up nightmare - scoring off the dribble, 3-point shooting, back-to-the-basket moves and passing abilities. Her ability to read passing lanes and time opponents’ shots makes her a next-level defender.”
Kennedy Stamper
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George Rogers Clark, 5-5, sophomore
Accomplishments: Top scorer (12.0 ppg) and 3-point shooter (43.5%, 47 for 108) for a Cardinals team that finished 28-8 after falling to Sacred Heart in the Sweet 16 championship game. Hit seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points in a Sweet 16 semifinal victory over Frederick Douglass. Has tallied 1,333 career points in four seasons of varsity play.
Future: Has scholarship offers from Bellarmine, Bowling Green, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State, Saint Louis, South Alabama, West Georgia and Youngstown State.
Quotable: “She stepped into the starting role (as a seventh-grader) and has not looked back,” GRC coach Robbie Graham said. “Kennedy has improved her game each year. She possesses really good instincts, handles the ball extremely well and shoots it really well. Kennedy is a fiery competitor who accepts all challenges with a vengeance.”
More high school sports: Male softball standout Josslyn Woosley is already turning heads as an eighth grader
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; [email protected]; Follow on X @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky All-State girls basketball selections from Courier Journal
Continue reading...
