Sweet 16 Impressive Performances
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Photo Credit: Cam Anderson Grace Mbugua KY #4 PF #2 HEIGHT 6'4" POS PF CLASS 2025 View Profile Grace Mbugua State: Kentucky School: Danville Christian Grace Mbugua Grace Mbugua 6’4″ | PF Danville Christian | 2025 State KY looked as…
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Grace Mbugua Grace Mbugua 6’4″ | PF Danville Christian | 2025 State KY looked as good as advertised in Danville Christian’s first ever appearance in the Sweet 16. Mbugua has elite skills for a 6’4 player, she ran the floor extremely well in transition, did a good job making herself available for the entry pass down low, rebounded with authority, and showed off some impressive outside shooting ability. She was unstoppable offensively and scored almost every time she touched the ball. Her individual effort on both ends of the floor almost pushed her team past the first round but Cooper was able to hang on to get the victory. Mbugua finished with 34 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals. (Featured Image)
Leah Macy Leah Macy 6’3″ | PF Bethlehem | 2025 State KY put on a dominant performance in the first round matchup against Pikeville. She asserted herself right off the gate on offense using a vary of post moves to finish at the rim and some nice face-up jumpers from the low block. Macy also brought the ball up the court and ran isolation plays on several possessions, which made it even more difficult to keep her in check. She finished the game with 31 points, 17 rebounds, an assist, 2 blocks, and a steal.
Sacred Heart Academy won their fourth straight state title, giving them eight in total in program history. The Valkyries now have a state tournament record of 33-4, and have won 73 straight games against in-state competition. The 2023-2024 Kentucky MaxPreps HS girls basketball player of the year and #5 ranked junior in the nation ZaKiyah Johnson ZaKiyah Johnson 6’0″ | SF Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY was on a mission in the Sweet 16. She went off in the championship game finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal and went on to win her third consecutive state tournament MVP.
Claire Johnson Claire Johnson 5’10” | CG McCracken County | 2024 State KY left her mark on the KHSAA girls state tournament for years to come. In the finals against Butler she stuffed the stat sheet with a game-high 39 points, along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals. This incredible individual performance tied the Laurel County legend Stacey Reed for the 5th most points scored in a state tournament game. Johnson’s will to win and competitive spirit helped the Lady Mustangs make it back to the championship game, where they came up short against Sacred Heart Academy for the second year in a row.
Highlights
Atylia Green Atylia Green 5’7″ | CG Henderson County | 2026 State KY had a pair of impressive performances at the state tournament. In the first round battle against Owensboro, she did a fantastic job recognizing mismatches and taking advantage by driving to the basket for points inside or knocking down shots from beyond the arc. Green caught fire in the second half and finished the game with 17 points, helping the Lady Colonels advance to next round, where she had 21 points, 4 assists, and a rebound against Cooper.