Nationally Ranked Freshman Transferring to National Powerhouse
Prep Girls Hoops 2023 National Rankings were recently released and a growing familiar name in the state of Washington, Mjracle Sheppard, was listed in those rankings coming at number 43. Sheppard spent her freshman season at Eastside Catholic High School in Sammamish, Washington but she took to social media Saturday afternoon to announce she will be transferring to a new school for the remainder of her high school career. In a highly anticipated Instagram Live announcement, Mjracle proudly stated that she will be moving across the country to attend nationally renowned Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida.
Montverde Academy is an international, independent college preparatory school for grades Pre-K through post-graduate studies, with a boarding program serving grades 7-12. The goal of the girl’s basketball program is to “develop young women as student-athletes with a desire to compete for post-secondary opportunities at the highest levels of NCAA basketball.” Montverde’s alumni list includes Louisville’s 6’4 Ramani Parker and 6’2 BriShonne Tollie of Southern Methodist University. The class of 2020 saw all five seniors move on to the Division 1 level including Erin Dumas (Evansville), Kyusha Kseniia (Middle Tennessee State), Caleigh Rose-West Caleigh Rose-West 6'0" | SF Montverde Academy | 2020 State FL (New Orleans), Nina De Leon (Austin Peay State) and Kayla Morris Kayla Morris 6'3" | C Montverde | 2020 State FL (East Carolina). Former members of the boy’s team includes NBA players like Ben Simmons, D’Angelo Russel, RJ Barrett, Joel Embiid, Dakari Johnson, Luc Mbah Moute and multiple other professional basketball players. The girl’s program finished the 2018 season ranked 15th in the country, according to USA Today and the 2020 group defeated two top 25 nationally ranked teams in their rigorous schedule.
Montverde’s girl’s basketball program is a Nike Elite high school team led by women’s basketball legend, Laura Harper. Coach Harper was a National Champion playing at the University of Maryland and won the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player in 2006. Harper is an ACC Legends Inductee and her jersey hangs in the rafters at the University of Maryland. She would go on to be selected 10th overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft and enjoy a solid professional playing career before joining the college coaching ranks. She most recently held the assistant position at the University of Florida before taking the Head job at Montverde for the 2019-2020 season. Coach Harper is assisted by 2012 SEC First Team All-League player, Jennifer George, who played at the University of Florida. As a player, Coach Jennifer was a 2013 All SEC Defensive team member and she made the 2012 WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team Honorable Mention list. Following her collegiate career, she was selected by the Indiana Fever in the 2013 WNBA draft as the 33rd overall pick.
Mjracle is the second girls basketball player out of Washington in the last two years to make the decision to attend the esteemed Montverde Academy program. Mjracle will join Niveya Henley Niveya Henley 6'0" | SF Montverde Academy | 2021 State FL who broke the news of her transfer to Montverde in August of 2019. Attending academies for athletic and academic reasons is a growing trend nationwide and in the Evergreen State. Tacoma, Washington native and current professional basketball player, Aahmaad Rorie, played on the Montverde boy’s team for part of a season a little less than a decade ago. Others that have gone the prep/academy route include Vancouver, Washington’s Ahna Burney Ahna Burney 5'8" | PG DME Academy (FL) | 2019 State WA (DME Sports Academy – 2019) who currently plays Division 1 at the University of Central Florida. Seattle, Washington’s Marjon Beauchamp (Dream City Christian – 2020), Tacoma, Washington’s Avery Bradley who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers (Findlay Prep – 2009) and fellow Findlay Prep grad and Texas Christian University standout, PJ Fuller from Seattle, Washington (2019). This trend of attending an academy has been steadily growing on the boy’s side, but its has officially made its splash with 2019, 2021 and 2023 grads on the girl’s side.
[player_tooltip player_id="115414" first="Mjracle" last="Sheppard"] blocks 2020 McDonald’s All-American, [player_tooltip player_id="20150" first="Dalayah" last="Daniels"] (PC: Sniper Media Group)At 5’9, Sheppard is one of Washington’s top defenders, capable of guarding multiple positions all over the floor. Her defensive prowess helped her to win Metro League Defensive Player of the Year in the 2019-2020 season. She has a knack for making the flashy play in transition that can result in some oo’s and ah’s from the crowd. The 5’9 point guard ranks as the number two prospect in Washington’s 2023 class and the 43rd player overall in the country. She will join a stacked Montverde team that boasts approximately 8 other girls with Division 1 offers. The Montverde Lady Eagles figure to have up to 4-5 girls ranked in the top 150 in their class nationally.