Kentucky Miss Basketball Explained

The Kentucky "Miss Basketball" honor recognizes the top female high school basketball player in the state of Kentucky. Due to Kentucky's status as a culturally rich basketball state, Miss Basketball winners are highly coveted student athletes by colleges throughout the United States. Originally, there was only a “Kentucky Mr. Basketball” from 1954 to 1975, until 1976 when they created an award for women as well. The reward is presented by The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation[1] and is given to senior players that have shown exceptional basketball skills. In the past 45 years, all but one of these players has gone on to play basketball in college. Six of them were drafted into the WNBA.

Award winners

Year[2] PlayerHigh SchoolCollegeWNBA Draft
1976Donna MurphyNewportMorehead State
1977Geri GrigsbyMcDowellKentucky
1978Irene MooreBreathitt County
1979Beth WilkersonParisOld Dominion
1980Lisa CollinsLaurel CountyKentucky
1981Lillie MasonOlmstead HighWestern Kentucky
1982Connie GoinsFranklin Co./Western Hills Duke
1983Clemette HaskinsWarren CentralWestern Kentucky
1984Carol ParkerMarshall CountyPaducah Community College
1985Bridgette CombsWhitesburgWestern Kentucky
1986Kris MillerOwensboro CatholicKentucky
1987Mary TaylorMarshall CountyWestern Kentucky
1988Kim PehlkeLouisville DossWestern Kentucky
1989Lisa HarrisonLouisville SouthernTennessee1999 WNBA draft

3rd Rnd, 34th overall by the Phoenix Mercury

1990Kim MaysKnox CentralEastern Kentucky
1991Ida BowenSheldon ClarkWestern Kentucky
1992Becky McKinleyBullitt EastKentucky
1993Brandi AshbyWebster CountyHawaiʻi/Western Kentucky
1994Laurie TownsendApolloWestern Kentucky
1995Ukari FiggsScott CountyPurdue1999 WNBA draft

3rd Rnd, 28th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks

1996Jaime WalzFt. Thomas HighlandsWestern Kentucky
1997Rachel ByarsUnion CountyWestern Kentucky/ Boston College
1998Beth ViceMontgomery CountyAlabama
1999Jody SizemoreLeslie CountyMorehead State
2000Jenni BenningfieldAssumptionVanderbilt2004 WNBA draft

2nd Rnd, 22nd overall by the Charlotte Sting

2001Katie SchweggmanBishop BrossartMiami (OH)
2002Erica HallmanHolmesKansas
2003Megen GearhartWest CarterMorehead State
2004Crystal KellySacred HeartWestern Kentucky2008 WNBA draft

3rd Rnd, 31st overall by the Houston Comets

2005Carly OrmerodSacred HeartKentucky
2006Arnika BrownChristian CountyKentucky/St. Catharine/Western Kentucky
2007Rebecca GrayScott CountyNorth Carolina/Kentucky/Union College
2008Tia GibbsButler TraditionalVanderbilt/Louisville
2009A'dia MathiesLouisville IroquoisKentucky2013 WNBA draft

1st Rnd, 10th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks

2010Sarah Beth BarnetteLexington Christian AcademyKentucky/Virginia
2011Sara HammondRockcastle CountyLouisville
2012Sydney MossBoone CountyFlorida/Thomas More College
2013Makayla EppsMarion CountyKentucky2017 WNBA draft

3rd Rnd, 33rd overall by the Chicago Sky

2014Ivy Brown LaRue CountyWestern Kentucky
2015Maci MorrisBell CountyKentucky
2016Erin BoleyElizabethtownNotre Dame/Oregon
2017Lindsey DuvallBullitt EastLouisville/Northern Kentucky
2018Seygan RobinsMercer CountyLouisville/UT Martin
2019Savannah WheelerBoyd CountyMarshall
2020Maddie ScherrRyle High SchoolOregon/Kentucky
2021Brooklyn MilesFranklin County Tennessee
2022Amiya JenkinsAnderson County Kentucky
2023Haven FordRowan County Murray State
2024Trinity RowePikeville Southern Mississippi

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mr and Miss Kentucky Basketball Awards Ceremony . 2024-06-11 . mrandmisskybasketball.com . en-US.
  2. Web site: Kim . David J. . Let's look back at the last 20 Kentucky Miss Basketball award winners . 2024-06-11 . The Courier-Journal . en-US.