Herald-Leader 11: Names to know in 11th Region girls basketball this season
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The 2025-26 Kentucky girls basketball season is scheduled to tip off Dec. 1. Here are 11 of the 11th Region’s best players in order of how they were voted by the region’s coaches in our @HLpreps preseason survey.
Coaches were asked to rank the “top 10 players in the region,” and the Herald-Leader compiled the first 11 for this list, which includes their height, class, last year’s points per game and a brief note. Each player’s name has a link to their online highlights or social media.
The Girls Herald-Leader 11
1. Jaelee Knowles, Frederick Douglass (6-0 Jr., 17.6 ppg): Last season’s Lexington player of the year also earned all-region and Herald-Leader second team all-state honors while nearly averaging a double-double . She could be counted on for multiple blocks in a game as well. Coach Daryl Moberly expects her perimeter game to make a leap this season, making her a bigger threat at all three levels. Her college offers include Western Kentucky.
2. Tamia Waide, Frederick Douglass (5-8 Fr., 11.9 ppg): Needed for more offense when senior Kate Baker was lost for the postseason due to injury, Waide delivered with some of her best games down the stretch, including 18 points in the region finals. Her Sweet 16 performances helped her earn H-L all-state honorable mention.
3. Makiyia Wheeler, Franklin County (5-6 Jr., 6.3 ppg): The only returning starter for the Flyers, Wheeler made her biggest impact on defense for a team that only allowed 38.6 points per game a season ago. “She has elite speed and her defensive tenacity is pure,” coach Madisen W. Sandford said. Her college offers include Bellarmine.
4. Kendall Kearney, Great Crossing (5-4 So. 12.1 ppg): An all-region player as a freshman, Kearney “affects the game in a lot of ways that don’t show up on the score sheet,” coach Matt Walls said.
5. Layla Flynn, Paul Laurence Dunbar (5-7 Jr., 14.8 ppg): A two-sport standout who started for Dunbar’s 43rd District champion soccer team, Flynn calls basketball her first sport and was hailed by coach Erik Daniels as an elite on-ball defender who forced more than 200 steals last season.
6. Laci Sandlin, Madison Southern (5-10 Sr., 15.8 ppg): Part of the Eagles’ dynamic guard duo along with fellow senior Hadley French, Sandlin had the best point production of her career as a junior. She ranked second on the team in rebounding at 6.3 per game.
7. Malia Campbell, Western Hills (6-0 So., 14.6 ppg): Campbell turned in a double-double a night in leading her team in scoring and rebounding (11.1 rpg) and helping the Wolverines to their best record in coach Jana Hughes’ three seasons.
8. Piper Graham, Lexington Christian (5-7 Sr., 14.2 ppg): A first team all-city and all-region performer in her first season for the Eagles, Graham is a “versatile player who makes an impact on both ends of the floor,” coach Tim Bradshaw said.
9. Hadley French, Madison Southern (5-4 Sr., 11.6 ppg): The Eagles’ leading scorer as a freshman and a sophomore, French missed 12 games last season as she recovered from an Achilles injury. She still led the team in 3-pointers on the abbreviated schedule and averaged 3.1 made 3s per game.
10. Kyiah Taylor, Franklin County (5-7 8th, 2.5 ppg): An eighth grader with offers already from Pitt and Robert Morris, coach Sandford said Taylor’s “basketball IQ is off the charts. She is shifty, quick, vocal and is an elite ball handler. … Kyiah will make a huge impact this season.”
11. Jayden Jeffers, Henry Clay (5-9 Sr., 8.6 ppg): A Kentucky State commit, Jeffers has “the ability to shoot off the dribble and score in the paint,” coach Brian Tribble said. He expects her to thrive in his fast-paced offense.
Others nominated
Bryan Station: Akiyah Wade; Frederick Douglass: Mikalee “MK” Bennett; Great Crossing: Samantha Brown; Henry Clay: Kelsie Lawson; Lafayette: Addison Combs; Madison Central: Jordynn Miles; Paul Laurence Dunbar: Kaleigh Potts; Sayre: Kathryn Kinder; Scott County: Kierstin Young, Dymon Percell; Tates Creek: Koko Castle; Western Hills: Sakota Wilder.
Methodology
The 11th Region’s 19 coaches were asked to rank the 10 best players in the 11th Region. The list reflects all the players put forth by the 12 coaches who responded to that question in the survey.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
