Meet The Courier Journal's 2023-24 All-State girls basketball first-team selections
Here are the first-team selections for The Courier Journal's Kentucky All-State girls basketball team for the 2023-24 season.
Selections were made via a statewide vote of girls basketball coaches. A total of 98 votes were received.
Players are listed in order by the number of votes they received.
ZaKiyah Johnson
Sacred Heart, 6-0, junior
Accomplishments: Averaged 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals for a Valkyries team that went 31-7 and won its fourth straight state championship. Shot 49% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range (80 of 212). She’s putting together one of the greatest careers in Kentucky history – three straight Sweet 16 MVPs, three straight Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year awards and three straight first-team All-State selections. ESPN has her ranked as the nation’s No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2025. Johnson played at Shelby County as a seventh- and eighth-grader and has totaled 3,065 points and 1,282 rebounds over five varsity seasons. She earned second-team All-State honors as an eighth-grader.
Future: Considering offers from Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Southern California, Tennessee, UCLA and UConn.
Quotable: “Z is a true do-it-all player,” coach Donna Moir said. “Whatever was needed, she could and would deliver, making the extraordinary look ordinary. All she wants is to win. So if we needed a rebound, a stop, a post up, a 3, she was ready to do what it takes to get the win. It makes it easier when one of the best players in the country is one of the hardest workers in our gym.”
Leah Macy
Bethlehem, 6-2, junior
Accomplishments: For the second straight season Macy ranked among the state’s top 10 in scoring (25.0 ppg, sixth), rebounding (13.8 rpg, sixth) and field-goal percentage (.673, second). She also shot 78.1% from the free-throw line while helping the Banshees to a 27-9 record and a trip to the quarterfinals of the Sweet 16. ESPN has her ranked as the nation’s No. 8 recruit in the Class of 2025. Macy was a third-team All-State pick as an eighth-grader at Elizabethtown and now has earned first-team honors three straight seasons (at Mercy as a freshman and sophomore). In five seasons of varsity play, she has 2,678 points and 1,557 rebounds.
Future: Macy has a bevy of Division I scholarship offers and is considering Duke, Illinois, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, TCU, UConn and Vanderbilt.
Quotable: “Leah is extremely talented and a prime example of hard work paying off,” coach Jason Clark said. “She strives to be the best she can be every time she takes the court. She is never satisfied and always wanting to work to improve her game. … She can score at all levels, handle the basketball, make the perfect pass, dominate the boards and protect the paint on defense. Leah is extremely coachable, a fierce competitor, and her basketball IQ is top-notch.”
Trinity Rowe
Pikeville, 5-5, senior
Accomplishments: Kentucky’s Miss Basketball winner averaged 16.2 points and 2.8 rebounds for a Pikeville squad that finished 27-6 after falling in the first round of the Sweet 16. She shot 49.6% from the field and 40.1% from 3-point range (87 of 217), tying for eight in the state in 3-pointers made. Rowe joined the Pikeville varsity team as a seventh-grader and finished her career with 2,463 points. She was a first-team All-State pick as a sophomore and earned second-team honors as a freshman and junior.
Future: Signed with Southern Mississippi
Quotable: “Trinity is a true point guard,” coach Kristy Orem said. “She can score at every level and will be remembered as an elite passer that makes everyone around her better.”
Claire Johnson
McCracken County, 5-10, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 23.1 points, 4.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds for a Mustangs team that went 32-6 and finished as the state runner-up to Sacred Heart for the second straight year. She shot 57.1% from the field and 33.7% from 3-point range (63 of 187). She was named First Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches and tallied 2,424 points, 494 assists, and 367 steals in her career. She earned third-team All-State honors as a junior.
Future: Signed with Samford
Quotable: “Strong point guard who can score at all three levels,” coach Scott Sivills said. “What makes her special is that she makes everyone around her better. She has great instincts on the floor and is a relentless defender. She plays very well in the open floor with great quickness, and her basketball IQ is second to none."
Grace Mbugua
Danville Christian, 6-5, junior
Accomplishments: Ranked among the top 10 in the state in scoring (25.7 ppg, fifth), rebounding (15.4 rpg, second) and field-goal shooting (61.8%, seventh). She also averaged 6.6 blocks per game and helped the Warriors go 29-3 and reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Since joining the varsity squad as an eighth-grader, Mbugua has tallied 2,007 career points and 1,527 career rebounds.
Future: Mbugua committed to Liberty during her freshman year but recently announced she had reopened her recruiting.
Quotable: “Grace is the quickest, most versatile and complete 6-5 girl in the country,” coach Billy Inmon said, “but is an even better person.”
Reagan Bender
Sacred Heart, 5-10, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 13.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals for a Valkyries team that went 31-7 and won its fourth straight state championship. She shot 44% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range (50 of 156) and was named Co-Seventh Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. Rare player to win four state championships during her high school career and finished with 1,818 career points. She was a first-team All-State pick as a junior and honorable-mention selection as a sophomore.
Future: Committed to University of Louisville
Quotable: “Reagan is a winner and has put in the work to be a great player,” coach Donna Moir said. “She is known for being a knockdown shooter but has also been the glue to our team the last four years. Never scared of the moment. Wanted to take the shot and usually made the shot. Nobody was more competitive.”
Shaelyn Steele
Russell, 5-6, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 21.1 points and 6.2 rebounds for a Red Devils team that finished 28-7 after falling in the first round of the Sweet 16. She shot 42.2% from the field and 31.5% from 3-point range (58 of 184). She was named 16th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. Steele joined the varsity team as a seventh-grader and finished her career with 3,127 points and 1,082 rebounds. She earned first-team All-State honors as a sophomore and was a second-team selection as a freshman and junior.
Future: Signed with Penn State
Quotable: “Shaelyn is able to score on all three levels,” coach Mandy Layne said. “She is an elite athlete that will be remembered as one of the most successful players in our state.”
Dea Bradley
Hart County, 5-5, senior
Accomplishments: The state’s leading scorer at 29.1 ppg, Bradley helped the Raiders to an 18-13 record and was named Fifth Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. She shot 55.7% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range (60 of 145). She joined the Hart County varsity team as a seventh-grader and finished with a school-record 3,228 career points. She was a second-team All-State pick as a junior.
Future: Committed to Campbellsville
Quotable: “Dea is an exceptional point guard who gets to the rim and finishes strong,” coach Jessica Lindsey said. “She can see the floor really well and is a great defender. Dea's talent and work ethic set her apart from others.”
Logan Palmer
Cooper, 6-1, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 15.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals for a Jaguars squad that went 31-5 and reached the semifinals of the Sweet 16. She shot 45.6% from the field and 33.9% from 3-point range (39 of 115). She helped Cooper win three straight Ninth Region championships and finished her career with 1,643 points and 609 rebounds.
Future: Signed with Evansville
Quotable: “Logan Palmer is a true competitor,” coach Justin Holthaus said. “Her overall toughness matched with her offensive abilities make her one of the top players in the state of Kentucky. Logan’s ability to score at a high level from anywhere on the court paired with her length and athleticism make her a tough matchup.”
Destiny Jones
Central, 5-10, senior
Accomplishments: Ranked among the top 20 in the state in scoring (23.6 ppg, eighth), rebounding (11.7 rpg, 19th) and field-goal shooting (59.6%, 11th). She helped the Yellow Jackets to a 24-10 record and a spot in the regional semifinals. Named Co-Seventh Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches and Seventh Region Player of the Year by The Courier Journal. Posted 1,958 points and 1,034 rebounds during her career.
Future: Signed with West Georgia
Quotable: “Destiny Jones is an authentic, positive person,” coach Deshawn Pendleton said. “She motivated herself to be successful in life and basketball. It was a joy to coach her. I compare her to Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley because of her toughness and high energy."
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.
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