Advertisement

Starting 5: Sacred Heart star ZaKiyah Johnson set for another showing with USA Basketball, more

Sacred Heart Academy superstar ZaKiyah Johnson, one of the top girls basketball players in the country, will put her talent on display over the next week. From July 28 to 30 in Memphis, Tennessee, she'll be one of 12 participants at the 3x3 Women’s U17 National Team trials.

It won't be her first taste of USA Basketball; Johnson attended the 2023 Women’s Junior National Team minicamp in Dallas earlier this year.

Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson celebrates making a three against McCracken in the 2023 Mingua Beef Jerky Girls Sweet 16 on March 11, 2023.
Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson celebrates making a three against McCracken in the 2023 Mingua Beef Jerky Girls Sweet 16 on March 11, 2023.

After she wraps up at the national team trials, she'll head to San Francisco to participate in the Curry Camp, an annual training event for the nation's top high school basketball players hosted by one of the NBA's most mesmerizing talents: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. The sharpshooter extraordinaire provides hands-on instruction during the camp.

Johnson has been named the Gatorade Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year each of the past two seasons and is ranked as the No. 3 player in the nation in the 2025 class, per ESPN HoopGurlz.

ZaKiyah Johnson: For Sacred Heart star, whirlwind recruiting process is 'a dream come true'

C.L. Brown: Going from newcomers to winners shouldn’t take long for Jeff Walz, John Calipari's teams

Around the area: Louisville native Kiyaunta Goodwin reportedly on move again; new girls basketball coach named at Assumption High

Five-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin was all smiles after he made the decision to play football at Kentucky instead of Michigan State during a signing ceremony at the Aspirations gym in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 15, 2021.
Five-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin was all smiles after he made the decision to play football at Kentucky instead of Michigan State during a signing ceremony at the Aspirations gym in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 15, 2021.
The Fusion Medley 8U softball team won the World Series in Panama City Beach, Florida, earlier this month. The team finished the season with an overall record of 77-16.
The Fusion Medley 8U softball team won the World Series in Panama City Beach, Florida, earlier this month. The team finished the season with an overall record of 77-16.

New season, new faces: Meet top 10 KHSAA girls golfers from the Louisville area in 2023

Can Christian Academy win it again?: Meet the top KHSAA boys golfers from Louisville area in 2023

High school recruiting: Louisville baseball lands in-state commitment from RHP Brandin Crawford; CAL's Mariah Knight headed to Purdue-Fort Wayne

Christian Academy of Louisville's Mariah Knight tries to drive around Central's Shanese Carr in the first half of the Seventh District Kentucky high school girls quarterfinals on Feb. 27, 2023.
Christian Academy of Louisville's Mariah Knight tries to drive around Central's Shanese Carr in the first half of the Seventh District Kentucky high school girls quarterfinals on Feb. 27, 2023.

Kentucky, Louisville or the field?: Karter Knox, 5-star 2024 recruit, weighs 'difficult' decision

Tyran Stokes: Louisville native is basketball phenom at 15. Is a homecoming in his future?

Mark your calendars

Racing Louisville FC: What to know about six players in 2023 World Cup

Kentucky high school sports records: Meet the all-time winningest coaches in KHSAA history

Play of the week: Cincinnati Reds super prospect Noelvi Marte homers for first time with Louisville Bats

With Elly De La Cruz making waves in the majors, Noelvi Marte is now the Cincinnati Reds' top prospect — ranked 16th overall, per MLB.com, among all players in the minors. The organization promoted Marte from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Louisville less than a month ago.

Marte tallied eight homers in 50 games for Chattanooga. But he'd yet to notch one as a Bat.

Until Thursday.

He turned on the first pitch he saw from Columbus right-hander Jhon Romero — with authority.

It left Marte's bat at 113.8 mph and landed 464 feet away from home plate.

To the delight of Bats — and Reds — fans everywhere.

Each week we'll highlight what's going on in and around Louisville, from high school to pro sports, in our "Starting 5." Got a story to tell or a play of the week? Tweet at us @CJ_Sports. Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sacred Heart Academy's ZaKiyah Johnson with Team USA, Louisville Bats