Hoosier Hotbeds

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="295753" first="Laila" last="Abdurraqib"] (2025) of Lawrence Central High School and the Indiana Blaze 16U. There was a time not long ago, when kids were always outdoors playing backyard sports whenever the weather would permit them. There were few rules applied, no coaches around, and there certainly were no trophies to play for. Whether it was your block, your neighborhood, or your community, winning was of vital importance, because you simply played for bragging rights until the next time you took the court. There were famous playgrounds coast to coast, like Rucker Park in Harlem (Manhattan), or the Venice Beach courts in Los Angeles. At one time, even the old Ben Davis outdoor courts in Indianapolis drew recognition as one of the top playgrounds in the country. You could go there and see some of the area’s top high school players, Midwestern college talent, and even a few pros during the late-Summer months. All of that got me thinking...who has the best top-end talent right now in Indiana? Below I’ve assembled a list of the top counties in Indiana when it comes to girls’ basketball talent. Why counties? Anytime you do cities or regions, it’s tough to draw firm lines as to who should or shouldn’t be included. Do you add in suburbs? What if one region has four counties, while another has eight? I felt like using singular counties was clear and concise. In order to be eligible for a county, a school’s physical location must be inside the county lines. I went through each county and assembled a group of the top seven players I could come up with who are currently in high school and returning next season (so 2023, 2024, and 2025), using a combination of talent, skill, and productivity. Below are the fifteen counties who stood out the most to me. This is meant to be fun and entertaining, and with only seven players selected from each county, there are several talented prospects who were omitted for one reason or another. I also limited teams to seven because I wanted to find a middle ground where every county was represented fairly. Several smaller counties had three or four really talented kids but no depth. While a couple of the bigger counties have a ton of depth that would have clearly outshined everyone else if I used total talent with no limits. Seven seemed like a number that made smaller counties "earn" it, while also limiting the bigger counties from dominance. Please enjoy...   1. HAMILTON COUNTY - "THE BURBS" [player_tooltip player_id="2402" first="Olivia" last="Brown"], 2023, 5-7 PG, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="96087" first="Riley" last="Makalusky"], 2023, 6-2 W, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59773" first="Ashlynn" last="Shade"], 2023, 5-10 G, Noblesville H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59775" first="Hailey" last="Smith"], 2023, 5-10 G, Fishers H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59776" first="Olivia" last="Smith"], 2023, 5-9 G, Fishers H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="177361" first="Reagan" last="Wilson"], 2024, 5-7 PG, Noblesville H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="295764" first="Maya" last="Makalusky"], 2025, 6-3 W, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. OVERVIEW: Hamilton County is absolutely loaded right now. There is a nice combination of size, skill, and ability, and there are some big-time talents drawing mid to high-major Division-I interest/offers. Noblesville’s [player_tooltip player_id="59773" first="Ashlynn" last="Shade"] leads the way, as she is a walking bucket. She helped lead the Millers to a Class 4A State Championship this season, and she is headed to the University of Connecticut in a little over a year. Joining her is backcourt ’mate [player_tooltip player_id="177361" first="Reagan" last="Wilson"], who plays with as much energy and passion as anyone in Indiana. Fishers puts forth "the twins", in [player_tooltip player_id="59775" first="Hailey" last="Smith"] and [player_tooltip player_id="59776" first="Olivia" last="Smith"]. They are really nice, strong athletes who absolutely hound the ball defensively, plus they can get downhill and score it in a variety of ways at the basket. I’ve selected three from Hamilton Southeastern for this group as well. Wing [player_tooltip player_id="96087" first="Riley" last="Makalusky"] has grown and developed her game a great deal over the last two years, and she will eventually be a Butler Bulldog because of it. Younger sister, [player_tooltip player_id="295764" first="Maya" last="Makalusky"], is Hamilton County’s next budding star, as she has already earned her share of high-major offers. At 6-3, with her ability to shoot the ball, she is difficult to defend. Then there is [player_tooltip player_id="2402" first="Olivia" last="Brown"]...the consummate pass-first point guard. She has been setting up fellow teammates for years, plus she’s a high-level defender who can guard 84-feet. Hamilton County is a big reason I limited selections to seven girls per county, because the next group of [player_tooltip player_id="59743" first="Kelsey" last="DuBois"], [player_tooltip player_id="127238" first="Mackenzie" last="Thomas"], [player_tooltip player_id="177334" first="Elizabeth" last="Kelleher"], [player_tooltip player_id="177352" first="Camryn" last="Runner"], [player_tooltip player_id="176168" first="Talia" last="Harris"], [player_tooltip player_id="177355" first="Joirdyn" last="Smith"], [player_tooltip player_id="295776" first="Meredith" last="Tippner"], and others, could form a group equal to or better than most other counties’ top teams.   2. ST. JOSEPH COUNTY - "METROPOLIS" (of Northern Indiana) [player_tooltip player_id="59744" first="Julia" last="Economou"], 2023, 5-11 F, Penn H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59748" first="Nevaeh" last="Foster"], 2023, 5-8 G, Mishawaka Marian H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="96086" first="RaShunda" last="Jones"], 2023, 5-7 PG, South Bend Washington H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="127232" first="MaKaya" last="Porter"], 2023, 5-11 F, Mishawaka Marian H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59769" first="Amiyah" last="Reynolds"], 2023, 6-0 W, South Bend Washington H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="295770" first="Kira" last="Reynolds"], 2025, 6-3 F/C, South Bend Washington H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="295780" first="Ryiah" last="Wilson"], 2025, 5-7 G, South Bend Washington H.S. OVERVIEW: This area of the state is a bit underappreciated when it comes to girls’ basketball, but several area schools have made deep tournament runs over the years. South Bend Washington will bump up to Class 4A following their 2022 Class 3A State Championship. The thing is, though, they might just be the most talented team in Class 4A. [player_tooltip player_id="59769" first="Amiyah" last="Reynolds"] and [player_tooltip player_id="96086" first="RaShunda" last="Jones"] return to lead the Panthers one more time. Reynolds is a long, fluid, and smooth do-everything type who can play point guard, knock down shots, or attack the basket and score. Jones might be the state’s best on-ball defender, she has incredible speed and quickness, and she has developed into an offensive threat as well. Reynolds is committed to the University of Maryland, while Jones is committed to Purdue University. [player_tooltip player_id="295770" first="Kira" last="Reynolds"] came in and immediately made an impact for Washington, and she should provide even more production with her oldest sister, [player_tooltip player_id="97241" first="Mila" last="Reynolds"], graduating. [player_tooltip player_id="295780" first="Ryiah" last="Wilson"] is another Washington Freshman who stood out this season. She is an elite athlete, similar to Jones, with great length, speed, and quickness. The Mishawaka Marian pair of [player_tooltip player_id="59748" first="Nevaeh" last="Foster"] and [player_tooltip player_id="127232" first="MaKaya" last="Porter"] hold their own and each provide something different. Foster is a high-level scorer who can bury shots with range, she can get downhill and score, plus she is a creative passer. Porter is a strong, physical athlete who operates in the mid-post, but she can head to the block or play around the perimeter as well. [player_tooltip player_id="59744" first="Julia" last="Economou"] will be Penn’s top returnee in 2022-2023, and she is a Swiss Army Knife who does a little of everything well. She’s another forward who operates a lot in the mid-post, but she too can play around the perimeter or in the paint.   3. MARION COUNTY - "NAPTOWN" [player_tooltip player_id="59726" first="Asiah" last="Baxter"], 2023, 5-10 F, Warren Central H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="203653" first="Cristen" last="Carter"], 2023, 6-3 C, Ben Davis H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="96077" first="Ava" last="Couch"], 2023, 5-10 W, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis) [player_tooltip player_id="96082" first="Taylor" last="Guess"], 2023, 6-1 F, Ben Davis H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="155437" first="Monica" last="Williams"], 2023, 5-10 W, Lawrence North H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="295753" first="Laila" last="Abdurraqib"], 2025, 5-7 PG, Lawrence Central H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="295763" first="Jaylah" last="Lampley"], 2025, 6-1 W, Lawrence Central H.S. OVERVIEW: With more than 40 high schools inside of the Marion County limits, Indianapolis has the most depth throughout the state. However, at this time, they are just third on this list due to a lack of high-major Division-I talent. Still, though, there are probably 5-10 other kids who could have made this group. The most talented of the group is youngster [player_tooltip player_id="295763" first="Jaylah" last="Lampley"]. What she gets done at her age and height is impressive. She is so well-rounded skillfully, athletic and smooth, and of course tall and long. She already has too many high-major Division-I offers to count. High school teammate [player_tooltip player_id="295753" first="Laila" last="Abdurraqib"] missed the 2021-2022 season with an injury, but she has returned and has been ramping up to near dominance at times this Spring. She is a strong, explosive point guard who plays with a toughness and physicality, plus she is skilled beyond her years. Warren Central’s [player_tooltip player_id="59726" first="Asiah" last="Baxter"] is an absolute workhorse on the floor. She has a tremendous nose for the ball, she can score it in the paint, but she also has touch outside and can hurt you from 3-point range. The Ben Davis twin towers of [player_tooltip player_id="96082" first="Taylor" last="Guess"] and [player_tooltip player_id="203653" first="Cristen" last="Carter"] have a great deal of potential and have become more productive each year. Guess is an extremely bouncy, active, and athletic power forward, while Carter is a long, wiry-strong, and active post who runs the floor well and defends the paint. North Central’s [player_tooltip player_id="96077" first="Ava" last="Couch"] possesses one of the best motors in the state, and she is a knockdown shooter with some range, while [player_tooltip player_id="155437" first="Monica" last="Williams"] of Lawrence North is a point forward type who can create offense for herself or others.   4. ALLEN COUNTY - "SUMMIT CITY" [player_tooltip player_id="96079" first="Taylor" last="Fordyce"], 2023, 5-10 G, Carroll H.S. (Fort Wayne) [player_tooltip player_id="59759" first="Nevaeh" last="Jackson"], 2023, 5-11 F, Fort Wayne Northrop H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59758" first="Saniya" last="Jackson"], 2023, 5-11 W, Fort Wayne Northrop H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59778" first="Alison" last="Stephens"], 2023, 5-11 F, Homestead H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="177314" first="Alexis" last="Castator"], 2024, 6-1 W, Carroll H.S. (Fort Wayne) [player_tooltip player_id="177317" first="Destini" last="Craig"], 2024, 5-9 F, Fort Wayne Snider H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="177321" first="Joh’nea" last="Donahue"], 2024, 5-7 G, Fort Wayne Snider H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="177351" first="Jordyn" last="Poole"], 2024, 5-5 PG, Fort Wayne Snider H.S. OVERVIEW: Fort Wayne has been home to several nice ballplayers over the years, and there are a number of talented, skillful kids currently residing in Allen County. The most entertaining of the bunch is easily Snider point guard [player_tooltip player_id="177351" first="Jordyn" last="Poole"]. Her combination of speed, quickness, and creativity with the ball in her hands is always enjoyable to watch. She can create offense for others or score it herself, plus she’s a top-level defender. [player_tooltip player_id="177321" first="Joh’nea" last="Donahue"] had a strong Spring, earning a great deal of college interest herself. She’s another nice athlete with a solid frame, and she has the ability to play both on and off the ball. The third Snider Panther, [player_tooltip player_id="177317" first="Destini" last="Craig"], is also highly productive, as she plays with a tremendous motor, strength, and physicality. She is best attacking the basket from the short-corners or mid-post, and she’s a great rebounder in traffic. Carroll’s [player_tooltip player_id="177314" first="Alexis" last="Castator"] has as much potential as anyone on this list. She has a nice offensive skillset at 6-1, she’s a well-rounded athlete, and she has a natural feel for the game. High school teammate [player_tooltip player_id="96079" first="Taylor" last="Fordyce"] gives the Chargers an offensive weapon who can knock down shots outside or attack the basket and finish through contact with her strength. [player_tooltip player_id="59778" first="Alison" last="Stephens"] is the one kid on this listed already committed...to the University of Nebraska Omaha. She is a strong forward with great touch from beyond the arc. You’ll notice this list has eight kids on it, because I found it difficult to choose just one of the Northrop twins, [player_tooltip player_id="59758" first="Saniya" last="Jackson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="59759" first="Nevaeh" last="Jackson"]. They are both long, fluid athletes with some bounce. Saniya has long been a perimeter threat, while Nevaeh has transitioned nicely from the mid-post to the perimeter over the last year. Both play extremely hard as well.   5. JOHNSON COUNTY - "THE SOUTH SIDE" [player_tooltip player_id="59729" first="Savanna" last="Bischoff"], 2023, 5-9 G, Center Grove [player_tooltip player_id="59746" first="Abby" last="Fleetwood"], 2023, 5-8 PG, Indian Creek [player_tooltip player_id="59785" first="Adelyn" last="Walker"], 2023, 5-8 W, Franklin Community [player_tooltip player_id="239346" first="Lauren" last="Foster"], 2024, 5-7 G, Indian Creek [player_tooltip player_id="177336" first="Scarlett" last="Kimbrell"], 2024, 5-11 W, Franklin Community [player_tooltip player_id="201884" first="Rachel" last="Wirts"], 2024, 6-2 F/C, Center Grove [player_tooltip player_id="201885" first="Faith" last="Wiseman"], 2024, 6-3 F, Indian Creek OVERVIEW: Rounding out the Top-5, Johnson County has seen a significant talent boost over the last few years. Case in point, Franklin Community High School made a run to the Class 4A State Finals this year. Headlining this group of South Siders is Indian Creek’s [player_tooltip player_id="201885" first="Faith" last="Wiseman"]. She has put together an incredible Spring, she looks taller, much stronger, but still fluid and somewhat bouncy. She has always been skilled facing the basket, and her inside-out ability is drawing high-major offers/interest. With Brown County transfer [player_tooltip player_id="59746" first="Abby" last="Fleetwood"] being eligible in 2022-2023, and combining her in the backcourt with [player_tooltip player_id="239346" first="Lauren" last="Foster"], Indian Creek will be a team to beat. Fleetwood is a tough-nosed, gritty, but skillful point guard who can shoot/score or distribute. Foster is a run-through-walls type of kid who not only plays exceedingly hard, but she has nice skill and balance to her game. [player_tooltip player_id="59785" first="Adelyn" last="Walker"] and [player_tooltip player_id="177336" first="Scarlett" last="Kimbrell"] return to lead the Grizzly Cubs next season. Walker is a nice, strong athlete who has played well all Spring. She hounds the ball defensively, and she’s a nice driver and creator offensively. Kimbrell is a dangerous shooter, with range well-beyond the 3-point line. Her in-the-gym range makes her tough to defend, because she just keeps backing up, plus she can put it on the floor and go by defenders. [player_tooltip player_id="59729" first="Savanna" last="Bischoff"] has a tough-nosed, feisty game, and she is skillfully versatile. She can play on the ball and initiate the offense, plus she’s a capable shooter/scorer. The addition of [player_tooltip player_id="201884" first="Rachel" last="Wirts"] to the Trojan lineup last year was significant, offering them a skillful, hard-working front-liner. She has started to stretch her range to the 3-point line this Spring as well.   6. LAKE COUNTY [player_tooltip player_id="127214" first="Tori" last="Allen"], 2023, Andrean; [player_tooltip player_id="96078" first="Asia" last="Donald"], 2023, Hobart; [player_tooltip player_id="176406" first="Aniyah" last="Bishop"], 2024, Lake Central; [player_tooltip player_id="177310" first="Kennedy" last="Blakely"], 2024, Hammond Bishop Noll; [player_tooltip player_id="201878" first="Riley" last="Milausnic"], 2024, Lake Central; [player_tooltip player_id="298252" first="Ava" last="Ziolkowski"], 2024, Crown Point; [player_tooltip player_id="295781" first="Vanessa" last="Wimberly"], 2025, Lake Central OVERVIEW: "The Region" (Lake County) has a lot of young talent, and Lake Central looks to be a Top-10 team statewide for the foreseeable future. [player_tooltip player_id="295781" first="Vanessa" last="Wimberly"] is a dynamic young playmaker. But don’t sleep on the skill [player_tooltip player_id="127214" first="Tori" last="Allen"] brings to the court, or the explosive scoring and talent [player_tooltip player_id="96078" first="Asia" last="Donald"] possesses.   7. VANDERBURGH COUNTY [player_tooltip player_id="328917" first="Amiyah" last="Buchanan"], 2023, Evansville North; [player_tooltip player_id="127211" first="Emily" last="Mattingly"], 2023, Evansville Memorial; [player_tooltip player_id="177335" first="Avery" last="Kelley"], 2024, Evansville Memorial; [player_tooltip player_id="177332" first="Sophia" last="Johnson"], 2024, Evansville Memorial; [player_tooltip player_id="366797" first="Matea" last="Bradfield"], 2025, Evansville Reitz; [player_tooltip player_id="295756" first="Myla" last="Browning"], 2025, Evansville Memorial; [player_tooltip player_id="295791" first="Kaelyse" last="Mitchell"], 2025, Evansville Reitz OVERVIEW: Evansville Memorial is deep and talented, and they should be the best team in the county in 2022-2023. [player_tooltip player_id="328917" first="Amiyah" last="Buchanan"] moved in from Alabama this past season, and her play this Spring is starting to draw Division-I offers/interest. Evansville Reitz is up-and-coming, and [player_tooltip player_id="366797" first="Matea" last="Bradfield"] is a "sleeper" of a talent in the 2025 class.   8. ELKHART COUNTY [player_tooltip player_id="203654" first="Eva" last="Fisher"], 2023, Northridge; [player_tooltip player_id="59749" first="Brea" last="Garber"], 2023, Fairfield; [player_tooltip player_id="177318" first="Morgan" last="Cross"], 2024, Northridge; [player_tooltip player_id="201872" first="Gaby" last="Gates"], 2024, Northridge; [player_tooltip player_id="177328" first="Kyra" last="Hill"], 2024, Goshen; [player_tooltip player_id="369826" first="Samiyah" last="Stout"], 2024, Elkhart; [player_tooltip player_id="239359" first="Justyce" last="Williams"], 2024, Jimtown OVERVIEW: The "RV Capital of the World" has a really nice group of skillful ballplayers to choose from right now. [player_tooltip player_id="203654" first="Eva" last="Fisher"] is a high-motor kid who can play a variety of positions, [player_tooltip player_id="177328" first="Kyra" last="Hill"] has improved tremendously over the last year and has a high ceiling, and [player_tooltip player_id="369826" first="Samiyah" last="Stout"] is a talented athlete who is just starting to draw statewide attention.   9. HENDRICKS COUNTY [player_tooltip player_id="59780" first="Kailyn" last="Terrell"], 2023, Brownsburg; [player_tooltip player_id="59786" first="Sydney" last="Warran"], 2023, Cascade; [player_tooltip player_id="59791" first="Isabelle" last="Wooten"], 2023, Danville; [player_tooltip player_id="239347" first="Payton" last="Benge"], 2024, Plainfield; [player_tooltip player_id="177322" first="Kenzie" last="Fulks"], 2024, Bethesda Christian; [player_tooltip player_id="295789" first="Avery" last="Gordon"], 2025, Brownsburg; [player_tooltip player_id="366801" first="Aniah" last="Smith"], 2025, Avon OVERVIEW: Hendricks County has long been known for its girls’ basketball talent. There is a lot of balance in the county this year, but Brownsburg’s [player_tooltip player_id="295789" first="Avery" last="Gordon"] has a great deal of potential and only gets better each time she takes the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="177322" first="Kenzie" last="Fulks"] is a big-time scoring threat, while [player_tooltip player_id="59780" first="Kailyn" last="Terrell"] plays with an outstanding motor.   10. BOONE COUNTY [player_tooltip player_id="59754" first="Mallory" last="Heerdt"], 2023, Zionsville; [player_tooltip player_id="59757" first="Laila" last="Hull"], 2023, Zionsville; Maiya Newsom, 2023, Lebanon; Emmy Roys, 2023, Western Boone; Katheryn Rutherford, 2023, Western Boone; [player_tooltip player_id="177313" first="Allison" last="Caldwell"], 2024, Zionsville; [player_tooltip player_id="177325" first="Emma" last="Haan"], 2024, Zionsville OVERVIEW: There is a heavy influence of Zionsville Eagles on here, and the Lady Eagles look to have a big 2022-2023 season, led by 6-1 forward [player_tooltip player_id="59757" first="Laila" last="Hull"]. She is a talented athlete with inside-out skill. The 2024 duo of [player_tooltip player_id="177313" first="Allison" last="Caldwell"] and [player_tooltip player_id="177325" first="Emma" last="Haan"] are tough to defend, because they are both skillful shooters who play extremely hard.   HONORABLE MENTION: Clark County, Hancock County, Madison County, Porter County, Tippecanoe County