Naptown (Indianapolis)
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The featured image is of Daneijah Wynn Daneijah Wynn 5'11" | PF Lawrence Central | 2024 IN (2024) of Lawrence Central High School. Indianapolis has a multitude of nicknames, from Naptown, to the Circle City, as well as The Crossroads…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Daneijah Wynn Daneijah Wynn 5'11" | PF Lawrence Central | 2024 IN (2024) of Lawrence Central High School.
Indianapolis has a multitude of nicknames, from Naptown, to the Circle City, as well as The Crossroads of America. It is home to the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, as well as colleges of all sizes. The Indiana Repertory Theatre, the Madam Walker Legacy Center, Clowes Memorial Hall, and the Murat Theatre, among other venues, also bring a number of events to the Hoosier State’s capital city. And if you’re into speed, you can always venture over to Speedway, Indiana, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway…The Racing Capital of the World.
Five years ago, when I first started with Prep Girls Hoops, I introduced different areas of the state and their top prospects. I wanted to again work through that this Fall and offer you a much more detailed look at the Hoosiers State’s different regions and the prospects who should shine this Winter throughout those regions. This article will focus on Indianapolis itself, specifically those prospects who play at the more than 40 high schools within Marion County. Of the 13 schools in the state with an enrollment greater than 3000 students, five of them are located inside the Indianapolis city limits, including three of the four biggest (Ben Davis-4557, Warren Central-3868, & North Central-3709).
Year after year, Indianapolis produces a great deal of talent and highly ranked teams, so it should come to no one’s surprise that players like 2021 Miss Basketball Jayla Smith (Lawrence North) comes directly from Naptown, as did prospects like Tanyuel Welch (North Central 2022), Ariana Wiggins (Heritage Christian 2021), Meg Newman (North Central 2021), Khera Goss (Ben Davis 2020), Jasmine McWilliams (North Central 2020), Shaila Beeler (Warren Central 2019), and Rikki Harris (North Central 2019). All of those ladies were Indiana All-Stars and are currently playing at Division-I schools.
At the same time, with so many big schools and so many schools in such a small area, prospects can often go underrecruited and even unnoticed at times within their own area/school. I often encourage small colleges to visit Indianapolis and watch entire rosters at schools, not focusing solely on one or two players, because there are several hidden gems each year in Naptown. With that said, I wanted to take the time to highlight a handful of girls who may not often grab the spotlight, but who deserve their share of recognition for their basketball abilities. All of these girls are strictly from schools in Marion County and Indianapolis.
.
Kayla Lacombe
Kayla
Lacombe
5'8" | SF
Arsenal Technical | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-8 SF, Arsenal Technical H.S.
– Kayla is a very strong/powerful, bruising style of small forward. She does a nice job of using her body to take care of the ball and create space, plus she’s a crafty scorer who can finish in a variety of ways inside of 15-feet. She is incredibly productive, to the tune of 21.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game as a Junior, plus she knocked down 40 triples in 23 games played. She can also handle the ball in transition, or she can post smaller defenders around the block. She is very versatile.
Emani Washington
Emani
Washington
5'7" | CG
Lawrence North | 2024
IN
, 2024, 5-7 SG, Lawrence North H.S.
– Emani is an extremely long, wiry-strong athlete who moves well in all directions. She is a playmaker off the bounce, and she’s great in the open floor, creating scoring opportunities for herself or teammates in transition. She has some touch from behind the arc, but it’s her playmaking ability off the bounce that stands out. She rebounds her position well, and I like the fact she can defend multiple positions with her length and athleticism. She will be a part of a very strong backcourt for the Lady Wildcats this year.
Daneijah Wynn
Daneijah
Wynn
5'11" | PF
Lawrence Central | 2024
IN
, 2024, 5-11 CF, Lawrence Central H.S.
– “Jourdyn” is a powerfully strong, physical forward who plays with the utmost versatility. She has plenty of strength and toughness to play around the basket, defend the post, and rebound by boxing out, plus she can pursue caroms. Additionally, she has some ball skill, she can create a little off the bounce, and she’s a nice downhill attacker. Her touch is very good in the mid-post, and she can occasionally extend it to beyond the arc, causing mismatch problems for opponents who try to take away her interior play.
Kristian Dinkins
Kristian
Dinkins
5'8" | SF
North Central (Indianapolis) | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, 5-8 SF/SG, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
– Kristian has always flashed potential during the grassroots seasons, but this June she also shined for the Lady Panthers during the IBCA team event. She has an accurate stroke from 3-point range, plus she’s a strong driver who can get downhill and power through contact to finish. Additionally, she can act as a point forward at times, initiate the offense, or create openings for teammates. I have a feeling if she plays as much this Winter as she did for North Central in June, she could be primed for a breakout year.
D’Aaliyah Kemp
D’Aaliyah
Kemp
6'2" | PF
Park Tudor | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, 6-2 PF, Park Tudor H.S.
– D’Aaliyah is one of the more intriguing prospects in the state’s 2026 class, because she isn’t even close to reaching her ceiling, and she continues to improve each time out. She has tremendous length, the potential to grow another inch or two, and the frame to add solid muscle mass, but she already tries to play with contact and physicality. She has good instincts around the basket, she pursues rebounds, but she can also shoot the ball facing the basket to the 3-point line. Once she finishes growing, watch out!
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Additional Marion County Prospects in Our Rankings for 2024-2026:
Hermoni Andrew
Hermoni
Andrew
5'5" | PG
Ben Davis | 2024
IN
, 2024, Ben Davis H.S.
Jaycianna Clark
Jaycianna
Clark
5'8" | PF
Herron | 2024
IN
, 2024, Herron H.S.
Catherine Cline
Catherine
Cline
6'0" | SF
Cathedral | 2024
IN
, 2024, Cathedral H.S., committed to Loyola University Chicago for soccer
KeKe Cole
KeKe
Cole
5'7" | SF
Pike | 2024
IN
, 2024, Pike H.S.
Morgan Crowe
Morgan
Crowe
5'8" | SF
Pike | 2024
IN
, 2024, Pike H.S.
Mya Davis
Mya
Davis
5'7" | CG
Heritage Christian | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Heritage Christian H.S.
Alex DeLisle
Alex
DeLisle
6'0" | SF
Speedway | 2024
IN
, 2024, Speedway H.S.
Isyss Donelson
Isyss
Donelson
5'8" | SF
Warren Central | 2024
IN
, 2024, Warren Central H.S.
Malaysha Flanagan
Malaysha
Flanagan
5'9" | PF
George Washington | 2024
IN
, 2024, George Washington H.S.
Natalia Franklin
Natalia
Franklin
6'1" | C
Lawrence North | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Lawrence North H.S.
Jadyn Harris
Jadyn
Harris
6'3" | C
Pike | 2024
IN
, 2024, Pike H.S.
Kaitlyn Hoff
Kaitlyn
Hoff
5'11" | PF
North Central (Indianapolis) | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
Candyce Hollins
Candyce
Hollins
5'10" | SF
Warren Central | 2024
IN
, 2024, Warren Central H.S.
Jasmine Horsman
Jasmine
Horsman
6'1" | C
Roncalli | 2024
IN
, 2024, Roncalli H.S.
Denyha Jacobs
Denyha
Jacobs
5'7" | SF
Warren Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Warren Central H.S.
Scottlynn Johnson
Scottlynn
Johnson
5'11" | PF
Ben Davis | 2024
IN
, 2024, Ben Davis H.S.
Kaiden Kreinhagen
Kaiden
Kreinhagen
5'8" | SF
North Central (Indianapolis) | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
Taylor Lewis
Taylor
Lewis
6'2" | C
Cathedral | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Cathedral H.S., committed to Villanova University for volleyball
Claire Lindsey
Claire
Lindsey
5'7" | CG
Roncalli | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Roncalli H.S.
Veronica Lugo
Veronica
Lugo
5'4" | CG
Warren Central | 2024
IN
, 2024, Warren Central H.S.
Koryn Marshall
Koryn
Marshall
5'8" | SF
Heritage Christian | 2024
IN
, 2024, Heritage Christian H.S.
Kamara Mills
Kamara
Mills
5'8" | SG
Lawrence North | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Lawrence North H.S., committed to Queens University of Charlotte
D.J. Pannell
D.J.
Pannell
5'5" | CG
North Central (Indianapolis) | 2024
IN
, 2024, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
Heaven Thompson
Heaven
Thompson
5'8" | SG
Decatur Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Decatur Central H.S.
Alexis Warren
Alexis
Warren
6'1" | C
Pike | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Pike H.S.
Gianna Wheeler
Gianna
Wheeler
5'9" | SF
Indiana School for the Deaf | 2024
MD
, 2024, Indiana School for the Deaf
Zoe Wheeler
Zoe
Wheeler
5'9" | SF
Ben Davis | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Ben Davis H.S.
Carys Wilson
Carys
Wilson
5'10" | SF
Franklin Central | 2024
IN
, 2024, Franklin Central H.S.
Adrianna Woods
Adrianna
Woods
5'8" | SF
Lawrence North | 2024
IN
, 2024, Lawrence North H.S.
Laila Abdurraqib
Laila
Abdurraqib
5'7" | PG
Lawrence Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Lawrence North H.S.
Abby Beasley
Abby
Beasley
5'8" | SF
Cathedral | 2025
IN
, 2025, Cathedral H.S.
Gabrielle Burrus
Gabrielle
Burrus
5'2" | PG
North Central (Indianapolis) | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
Anna Caskey
Anna
Caskey
6'0" | C
Bishop Chatard | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Bishop Chatard H.S.
Casey Frost
Casey
Frost
5'10" | PF
Heritage Christian | 2025
IN
, 2025, Heritage Christian H.S.
Soriah Gouard
Soriah
Gouard
5'9" | SG
Decatur Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Decatur Central H.S.
Lily Graves
Lily
Graves
5'11" | SG
Franklin Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Franklin Central H.S.
Kya Hurt
Kya
Hurt
5'7" | PG
Lawrence North | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Lawrence North H.S.
Mariah Kenter-Garrett
Mariah
Kenter-Garrett
5'6" | PG
Lawrence Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Lawrence Central H.S.
Jaylah Lampley
Jaylah
Lampley
6'2" | SF
Lawrence Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Lawreance North H.S.
Joslyn Marshall
Joslyn
Marshall
5'8" | SG
Heritage Christian | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Heritage Christian H.S.
Kassie McMasters
Kassie
McMasters
5'8" | SG
Decatur Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Southport H.S.
Emma Mcvey
Emma
Mcvey
5'7" | SG
Franklin Central | 2025
IN
, 2025, Franklin Central H.S.
Sara Rosko
Sara
Rosko
5'3" | PG
Roncalli | 2025
IN
, 2025, Roncalli H.S.
Savannah Schafer
Savannah
Schafer
5'9" | SF
Brebeuf Jesuit | 2025
IN
, 2025, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory
Ashiyah Teague
Ashiyah
Teague
6'0" | PF
Lawrence North | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Pike H.S.
Jamaya Thomas
Jamaya
Thomas
6'1" | C
Lawrence North | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Lawrence North H.S.
Jaeda Wilson
Jaeda
Wilson
5'7" | CG
Cathedral | 2025
State
IN
, 2025, Cathedral H.S.
Kamrah Banks
Kamrah
Banks
5'9" | PG
Crispus Attucks | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Decatur Central H.S.
Kenadi Banks
Kenadi
Banks
5'7" | SG
Crispus Attucks | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Decatur Central H.S.
Mia Barnes
Mia
Barnes
5'7" | SG
Decatur Central | 2026
IN
, 2026, Decatur Central H.S.
Komari Booker
Komari
Booker
5'11" | PF
Pike | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Pike H.S.
Laila Brown
Laila
Brown
6'2" | C
Ben Davis | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Ben Davis H.S.
Keadriah Butler
Keadriah
Butler
5'9" | SG
Lawrence North | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Lawrence North H.S.
Alonna Divine
Alonna
Divine
5'8" | CG
Pike | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Ben Davis H.S.
D’Aaliyah Kemp
D’Aaliyah
Kemp
6'2" | PF
Park Tudor | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Park Tudor H.S.
Alyx Kendall
Alyx
Kendall
6'1" | PF
Bishop Chatard | 2026
IN
, 2026, Bishop Chatard H.S.
Lola Lampley
Lola
Lampley
6'3" | PF
Lawrence Central | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Lawrence Central H.S.
Jelyza Lapsley
Jelyza
Lapsley
5'3" | PG
Heritage Christian | 2026
IN
, 2026, Heritage Christian H.S.
Aniyah McKenzie
Aniyah
McKenzie
6'0" | PF
Lawrence Central | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Lawrence Central H.S.
Nylah Peoples
Nylah
Peoples
5'11" | PF
Lawrence North | 2026
IN
, 2026, Lawrence North H.S.
Naja Winston
Naja
Winston
5'11" | PF
Lawrence North | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, Lawrence North H.S.