Who are Kentucky’s top 25 girls high school basketball teams for 2025-26?
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2025-26 Kentucky High School Basketball Preview
The Herald-Leader/Kentucky.com is publishing preview stories leading up to the start of the 2025-26 high school basketball season. You can read everything we’ve published by clicking on this drop-down list.
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Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir laughed when asked in jest whether her Valkyries were done ruining Kentucky girls high school basketball for everyone else.
The private school on Louisville’s east side won its record ninth Girls’ Sweet 16 championship and fifth straight last season with a come-from-behind 65-60 victory against George Rogers Clark.
Though the Valkyries lost a generational player with the graduation of 2025 Miss Basketball ZaKiyah Johnson, they bring plenty of talent back, including Marshall commit Brianna Wilkins and junior point guard Amirah “Tootie” Jordan, two of their top three leading scorers a season ago.
But there were enough doubters among Moir’s peers to put this year’s Herald-Leader Girls Basketball Preseason No. 1 ranking in doubt.
Sacred Heart claimed the most No. 1 votes among the state’s girls varsity coaches with 42 to Clark’s 25 for a fifth straight preseason No. 1 ranking to match its current title run. But the overall points difference between the two in the final tally was just 766-758, a margin of less than a single 10-point ballot.
When told of those results, Moir noted state championships aren’t won via referendum.
“I think people are going to see that it’s harder to do than just on paper,” she said. “To win the state tournament is hard. … It’s going to be interesting, but I like our chances.”
No. 2 George Rogers Clark brings back experienced talent, too, including Cincinnati commit Kennedy Stamper and Robert Morris signee Teigh Yeast.
And Sacred Heart’s toughest competition might come from within the 7th Region. No. 3 Assumption received 18 No. 1 votes and has the Herald-Leader preseason player of the year, Ashlinn James, a senior Indiana commit.
“Our experience is going to be a big factor,” Moir said. “To get out of the 7th Region is an accomplishment in itself. We expect the competition. We embrace it. Obviously, Assumption is up there and Manual has a really nice team, too.”
It won’t take long for Moir to figure out whether her team has what it takes to keep Sacred Heart’s dynasty rolling. The Valkyries’ schedule includes a who’s who of top teams from Dec. 1’s tipoff until the final game of the regular season on Feb. 20.
“A lot of things go into it. The best team doesn’t always win,” Moir said. “That’s what I think is amazing about what we’ve been able to do. The first year we won it, we probably weren’t the best team. But at the end we were, and it was a lot of fun.”
Here’s a look at this year’s Herald-Leader High School Girls’ Basketball Preseason Top 25 as voted on by the state’s coaches with a brief summary on what we know about the top 10 teams and a note about each of the next 15. Our online version includes a link to each team’s schedule. Play begins Dec. 1.
THE TOP 10
(No. 1 votes, then last season’s record in parentheses.)
1. Sacred Heart (42) (35-3): The graduation of ZaKiyah Johnson, a four-year starter and the best player in program history will be an adjustment, but this is Sacred Heart. “This summer the Valkyries went undefeated and played almost all of the top competition in the state,” coach Donna Moir said. “So, the expectation is to return to Rupp Arena.” Returning starters Brianna Wilkins (11.7 points), a 5-10 senior, and Amirah Jordan (13.0), a 5-5 junior point guard will be joined by sophomores Riley Gilvin and Tahri Ralston, who carry on the legacies of older sisters Josie Gilvin and Triniti Ralston, respectively, in the program and already have Division I college offers. Emma Zutterman, a 5-10 senior, rounds out the first five on the floor.
2. George Rogers Clark (25) (28-8): The Cardinals feature junior point guard Kennedy Stamper (12.0 points), a Cincinnati commit and starter since seventh grade who has been a key part of Clark’s four straight 10th Region titles. Three-sport standout Teigh Yeast (10.1 points), a 5-9 senior, has signed with Robert Morris for hoops. Expect bigger contributions from senior Anaya Chestnut, who lost most of last season due to injury, and eighth grader E’liyah Strode.
3. Assumption (18) (23-6): The Rockets came within a bucket of upending Sacred Heart’s historic run in last season’s 7th Region semifinals and return Indiana commit Ashlinn James (12.2 points), a 5-9 senior and contender for 2026’s Miss Basketball. Ava Moore (7.8 points), a 5-10 senior, has college offers including Bellarmine. “We have depth and will be fast,” coach Caryn Kovatch said. “We’ll need to maintain playing at a high level the entire season to achieve our team goals.”
4. Cooper (2) (26-6): Longtime college assistant and Boone County alum Christian Prohaska takes over as head coach as the Jaguars aim for an unprecedented fifth straight 9th Region title. Three of last season’s top four scorers return, led by Haylee Noel (16.4 points), a 5-11 junior whose multiple college offers include Missouri and Arkansas.
5. Frederick Douglass (27-8): The Broncos team that reached the Girls’ Sweet 16 semifinals without its lone senior due to injury returns intact, led by 6-foot junior Jaelee Knowles (17.6 points, 9.6 rebounds), last season’s Lexington player of the year. Tamia Waide (11.9 points) a 5-8 freshman, already has a college offer from Northern Kentucky.
6. Simon Kenton (2) (26-5): The Pioneers snapped Sacred Heart’s 92-game win streak against in-state competition last season and return most of the roster, led by top scorer Brynli Pernell (14.7 points), a 5-6 junior and one of only two underclassmen to earn Herald-Leader first-team all-state honors last season.
7. Henderson County (28-6): Owners of the 21 of the last 24 2nd Region titles, including the last seven in a row, the Colonels return 5-7 senior Kentucky State commit A’Tylia Green (12.8 points), and 5-5 senior Addy Gish (6.3), a three-year starter at point guard. Brooklyn Gibson (13.4 points), a 5-8 senior Asbury commit, led the team in scoring last season but will be slowly working her way into the lineup as she recovers from a June knee injury.
8. Taylor County (25-9): Longtime Elizabethtown coach Donnie Swinney stepped out of retirement to serve as interim head coach just days after the abrupt resignation of Matthew Turner less than a month before the season. Swinney inherits the defending 5th Region champs and Kennedy Deener (19.0 points), a 5-8 freshman who emerged last season as one of the top players in the state.
9. North Laurel (32-3): The three-time defending 13th Region champions return two regular starters. Mariella Claybrook (10.0 points, 8.3 rebounds), a 6-2 junior, will be the focal point for the Jags and their opponents as senior point guard Haley Combs (5.5 points) directs the team on the floor.
10. Notre Dame (22-8): George Stoll, a former Newport Central Catholic coach who led the Thoroughbreds to a region title in 2014, takes over a Pandas squad that returns two of last season’s top three scorers in 5-11 senior Bellarmine commit Emma Holtzapfel (11.9 points) and 5-8 junior guard Amelia Stallard (7.9).
THE NEXT 15
(With last year’s record and a brief note.)
11. Ashland Blazer (21-11): Gabby Karle (11.1 points), a 5-8 senior Malone commit, takes over at the point for the Kittens, who also return starters Aryanna Gulley (9.0), a 5-11 senior, and Brookelyn Duckwyler (10.0), a 5-8 junior.
12. Calloway County (25-8): The Lakers appear primed for a 1st Region run with 6-0 North Alabama signee Sayler Lowe (19.6 points) and 5-8 Southern Indiana commit Jaidan Koch (16.0).
13. Mercy (19-15): Abby Reitzel (15.4 points), a 5-7 senior Indiana Tech commit, is one of five key players back for the 6th Region champs.
14. Manual (21-11): Three of the Crimsons’ top five scorers return, including 5-6 sophomore point guard Takenzie Young (8.6 points).
15. South Laurel (25-6): The 13th Region runner-up lost just one senior and will be led by 5-11 juniors Maci Messer (14.3 points) and Peyton Mabe (9.3).
16. Franklin County (26-6): Makiyia Wheeler (6.3 points), a 5-6 junior with offers including Bellarmine, is the lone returning starter for first-year head coach Madisen Webb Sandford.
17. Bethlehem (19-8): Longtime Whitefield coach Glenn Wathen takes over a young Banshees squad that includes juniors Kaylee McElroy (9.1 points) and Loren Macy (9.2).
18. Butler (1) (22-7): Senior Keziah Renee (16.8 points) made 3-pointers at a 53.5% rate last season, the best in the state. Sophomore Faith Mosley (10.4 points) made 44.6%.
19. Ryle (9-23): A more mature Raiders team will be led 5-10 senior Western Illinois commit Jaelyn Jones (18.2 points) and 6-6 freshman phenom Jayden McClain (10.2).
20. West Jessamine (24-8): The Colts won the program’s first 46th District title despite injuries to key players. Claire Marshall (15.2 points, 12.1 rebounds), a 6-0 junior, is a big reason why.
21. Bullitt East (16-12): Leading scorers Mollie Johnston (15.6 points) and Anna Tinelli, (14.2), both seniors, have each topped 1,000 career points.
22. Franklin-Simpson (28-3): Kloie Smith (9.2 points), a 6-0 senior North Alabama softball commit, steps into a lead basketball role for the defending 4th Region champs.
23. Johnson Central (27-4): The defending 15th Region champs retool with a very young team around leading scorer Karlea Stanley (11.6 points), a 5-8 sophomore.
24. Daviess County (21-13): The Panthers won the program’s first 3rd Region title and have their top scorer back in Kennedy Lane (18.6 points), a 5-7 senior who made 72 threes.
25. McCracken County (18-14): Mustangs coach Scott Sivills believes 5-7 sophomore Ava Hughes (15.1 points) and 5-11 senior Reagan Hill (7.9) are “set to have huge seasons.”
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
(Teams mentioned on at least two ballots in points order.)
Highlands, Elizabethtown, Holy Cross (Covington), Breckinridge County, Owensboro Catholic, Marshall County, Barren County, Campbell County, North Hardin, South Oldham, Danville Christian, Christian County, Boyd County, Central, Pikeville, Bishop Brossart, Rockcastle County.
METHODOLOGY
Our annual survey was emailed to all 271 girls basketball head coaches using their email registered with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. Multiple attempts were made to encourage every school to participate. Coaches were asked to select their top 10 teams and points were assigned based on a team’s position on the ballot (10 points for No. 1, nine points for No. 2, etc.). Some schools participated in the survey but declined to vote. A total of 92 coaches (33.9%) voted in our top-10 teams poll of the 159 coaches (58.7%) who responded to the survey and supplied information about their teams. Thanks to all.
This story was originally published November 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
