The 2025-26 Indiana girls high school basketball season is officially in the books. Before we get to handing out awards and begin looking ahead to 2026-27, let’s recap the year that was from A-Z.
A is for an all-time great finale: What a final eight minutes to the high school season. Center Grove, a team with a flair for dramatic second-half comebacks, opened the fourth quarter on a 15-0 run to take a 10-point lead; Norwell, a squad built to flip a game on its head at a moment’s notice, retaliated with nine unanswered points in 90 seconds to make it a one-point game with 38 seconds remaining. Incredible theater wherein the best players on both sides were the best players.
B is for Borden Braves: IndyStar photojournalist Grace Smith and I had the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes with Borden the past two seasons, documenting their state finals experience and back-to-back state title runs. It was such a joy getting to know the coaches and players involved, and I remain in awe of both the Braves’ individual talent and how well head coach Matt Vick and assistant Amanda Rarick had them prepared for Lafayette Central Catholic (2025) and Fremont (2026). Last year’s run was defined by Borden’s ability to overcome adversity, this year’s was about handling pressure and meeting expectations, all while appreciating the final run with their beloved seniors.
C is for Center Grove: As Lillia Tapak, MacKenzie Pierce and Haley Wagoner move into more prominent roles, the wider audience will gain a greater appreciation for how talented the 2025-26 Trojans were. And that’s what was most impressive about this group and will ultimately help define their legacy. Everyone in that lineup understood what was required of them and applied their skills accordingly, making the individual sacrifices necessary to win a state championship. It’s a team-first mentality that seems to be increasingly rare in the transfer portal era.
D is for Darmelio and Danville: Two of the biggest coaching hires last offseason were Jess Darmelio leaving her post at Franklin College to take over at Carmel and Ella Collier stepping in as Danville’s coach a few months after completing her decorated playing career at Purdue. And both coaches performed marvelously in year one. Darmelio reinvigorated the Carmel girls basketball program, compiling a 10-14 record highlighted by wins over Evansville Central, Zionsville and Cathedral, and an overtime loss at Pike in late January. She has the program trending in the right direction and a ton of talent returning. Collier was dealt a tough hand with a rash of early-season injuries, but successfully adapted her “very advanced” basketball mind to the high school level, meeting her players where they were and guiding the Warriors (8-18) to the sectional championship game.
E is for Erin Miller: The Brebeuf Jesuit coach was told she should consider giving up either teaching or coaching after being diagnosed with breast cancer early last summer. But that was never really an option for the longtime coach. And while there were days she struggled to find the necessary energy to continue coaching while undergoing treatments, Miller stayed the course and with constant support from her coaching staff and players, successfully coached (and taught) through the entire season, leading the Braves to their first sectional championship since 2016.
F is for the Feathers sisters: A couple days before the 3A semistate, Teagan and Skylee Feathers’ mom, former New Prairie standout Jessica Feathers (née Vaundry) died of cancer. The junior and sophomore took to the floor that Saturday and helped Bremen roll through Lapel in the semifinal, before bowing out against Oak Hill in the semistate final.
“I’m just super thankful for Teagan and Skylee,” senior Eliana Grubbs told the South Bend Tribune. “They’re tough. They were at practice yesterday. (Their mother) wanted them to play. We are all there for them and they are both there for us. We just all came together.”
G is for Gracyn freakin’ Gilliard: Center Grove coach Kevin Stuckmeyer described Gilliard as being more “polished”; Brownsburg coach Josh Sabol crowned her among the top 2-3 players they faced while playing the toughest schedule in the state; Franklin Central coach Vince Cerbone marveled at the expansion of her game on the offensive end. Gilliard was among the (arguably even the) best players in the state this season, regardless of age and class. The numbers were sensational, she delivered in critical moments throughout the undefeated 4A state champion Trojans’ run through February and she was absolutely lights out defensively, shutting down a number of the state’s top players. Gilliard was unreal this season and nearly all the coaches I spoke about her with also made it a point to rave about her personality and demeanor away from the floor, praising the way she carries herself.
H is for Highlanders: Floyd Central went 13-11 two years ago with 60-plus points allowed in four of its final six games. Then Jerry Hickey took over and in his two seasons, the team has gone 46-9 with two sectional championships and a regional title, and not allowed more than 58 points in a single game. A very immediate and quite impressive turnaround. The Highlanders, led by their six seniors, claimed the second regional championship in program history and first since 2010 this season, allowing a paltry 35.6 points per game.
I is for Indiana Miss Basketball: This was probably the most compelling Miss Basketball race I’ve covered in my five seasons with The Indianapolis Star. It was a deep field to begin with, but basically everyone included with the initial preview played at an elite level this season and a few others not on that list entered the conversation and commanded the state’s attention.
J is for jumping schools midseason: The season’s biggest storyline came about a month into the season when four Division I prospects opted to change schools over a three-week stretch between November and December. Riley Schellhammer was the first, leaving Lawrence Central (she wound up at Greenfield-Central), Butler commit Rylee Canaan left Evansville Memorial (she quickly landed at South Spencer), and Gianna and Briley Morelli left Bishop Chatard (they soon enrolled at Noblesville). I hope this season was an anomaly rather than a sign of things to come, but I fear that’s simply the era we live in and expect we’ll see a lot of shuffling throughout the offseason, followed by another in-season transfer — or two, maybe more — in 2026-27.
K is for KK and Kayla: KK Holman has been one of my favorite players to watch these past four years. The speed at which she plays and intensity she brings every night is truly unique, and I was really impressed by how she helped lead a youthful HSE team through the first leg of the season. Her running mate, Bowling Green signee Kayla Stidham, was similarly brilliant, helping shoulder the workload by averaging career-highs in points and rebounds. She caught fire in December, scoring 20-plus points in seven of eight games. That run was punctuated by a buzzer-beater vs. Valparaiso shortly after Holman exited with a knee injury, and a 30-point effort against Decatur Central the next night.
L is for Laniah: Laniah Wills is in rarified air with her 2,407 career points and all-time state-record 1,402 rebounds (statistics, by the way, which came against a reasonably tough schedule and with virtually zero garbage-time minutes). But the Butler-bound senior’s development as a leader these past couple seasons should not be overlooked. Wills grew into that role, coach Zach Newby said last season, becoming a more effective vocal leader and eventually, an extension of the coaching staff. That helped the Bulldogs win 17 games amidst a potential rebuilding season in 2024-25, then claim their third regional championship in four seasons in 2025-26. Wills figures to be a lock for Indiana All-Star plaudits and could be among the finalists for Miss Basketball.
M is for Mollie: Not only Mollie (Ernstes), of course, but let’s start with the Jennings County senior. She was sensational all season and was at her absolute best in February. Ernstes showed off her versatility with that 16-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double vs. Greensburg in the sectional championship game, then showed off that ability to take over as a scorer against Silver Creek (29 points), Washington (21) and Roncalli (33). She was relentlessly efficient and is going to do big things at Kansas (I won’t be surprised if she shows up as a Miss Basketball finalist later this month).
But how about the Panthers’ development as a team? Their success in February was the result of everyone surrounding Ernstes — Etta Young, Aniston Kent, Riley Byford, Addison Petro, Kaydence Lowman and Hailey Dunham — taking strides in their individual games.
Coach Kristi Sigler has a lot to replace entering next season, but has a couple really good cornerstone pieces in Young and Kent.
N is for no more postseason doubleheaders: I don’t like them, especially in the semistate round. Bring back the two-game regional with the semifinals on either Wednesday (limit scheduling conflicts with the boys side) or Friday (recreate that sectional semifinals atmosphere) followed by the regional championships on Saturday.
There are more host sites that round, so travel would be less burdensome for fans and schools would not have to worry about hotel costs. Then you return to the one-game semistate, where it’s easier for fans to justify making the long trek from Indianapolis to LaPorte or Jasper, for instance, and would lend itself to a better atmosphere with two games.
O is for outstanding freshmen: The Class of 2029 made its highly anticipated debut this season and those freshmen did not disappoint. Arianna Rowell enjoyed a record-setting season at South Bend St. Joseph, while Laine Lyles (Culver Academies) and Jillian Sanderson (Penn) both led their teams on postseason runs.
Locally, there was Lillia Tapak running point for the undefeated state champion Trojans, Savayah Mitchell and Malyiah Evans playing starring roles for top-ranked Pike, and Lillian Clark and Gabby Bassett helping lead the way at Westfield. And we can’t forget Hamilton Heights — whose lineup was almost entirely freshmen led by Riley Suarez and Bayleigh Eisele — or Marion County squads Lawrence North and Decatur Central, who have extremely bright futures with Jordyn Suggs and Cerinity Johnson now officially in the fold.
P is for Pekin: How about those Eastern (Pekin) Musketeers? They caught fire at the right time, unlocking a consistency that had eluded them throughout the regular season due in part to injuries and embarked on an unprecedented run to a 2A state championship. Everyone shared in their success, but I wanted to spotlight Sidney Burton, who was brilliant in the tournament, and Addie Smith, whose defensive performances were highlighted by a lockdown effort against North Knox star Lexi Primus in the semistate semifinals.
Q is for Quakers: Their season ended in sectionals, but what a season this was for Plainfield. Ravaged by injuries dating back through the entire offseason, they never had a fully healthy roster for practice, their best player (Hannah Menser) dealt with a season-long hip injury, then another of their standouts (Berkeley Williams) suffered an ankle injury late in the season. Adding insult to injury, the bingo balls charted them an unfairly lopsided path through sectional. And yet the Quakers found a way, securing a come-from-behind win over Ben Davis and a thrilling triumph over rival Brownsburg to complete the three-game series sweep, before falling to Pike in a competitive sectional championship bout.
R is for Rosswurm: Few can match the résumé Vanessa Rosswurm constructed during her four-year career. Norwell’s all-time leading scorer, she guided the Knights to four sectional championships and three consecutive state finals appearances with a 3A title in 2024. She was unreal last month, securing notable wins over Homestead, Fort Wayne Snider, Crown Point and McCutcheon. In the final game of her high school career, the Indiana Wesleyan commit scored 22 points on 7-of-18 shooting.
S is for Shirley: I don’t think it needs to be said, but just in case: Maddy Shirley should be an Indiana All-Star. The Evansville Central senior joined Wills in that exclusive club with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, finishing with 2,113 and 1,069 in her four varsity seasons. Shirley and the Bears competed on a statewide stage at the Hall of Fame Classic (34 points on 13-of-19 shooting vs. Plainfield), and her accomplishments this season (23.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.2 bpg) came as she dealt with a foot injury suffered in November.
T is for twins: We had not one, but two sets of twins walk away with blue ribbons this year: Ashley and Mary Bleke at Bellmont (3A), and Addie and Avery Smith at Eastern (2A). I thought that was really cool.
U is for upsets: With the exception of 3A No. 1 Roncalli, February was rough for the state’s No. 1 ranked teams. Marquette Catholic — a heavy favorite to represent the Class A North – was bounced from regionals by eventual state runner-up Fremont, Pike was taken out by county rival Lawrence Central later that same day, and Whitko was blown out by eventual 2A state runner-up Oak Hill in the state quarterfinals.
And there were stunners elsewhere in the tournament, too, like the youthful Parke Heritage Wolves’ surprise run to the 2A state semifinals (beat Monrovia and Heritage Christian), Eastern’s basically entire run, and Greenwood Christian and Tindley’s regional titles.
V is for Valparaiso’s Lilli Barnes: The 6-foot Ball State-bound senior stood out when I first saw her against Lake Central her freshman year. She was tall, obviously, and was a uniquely explosive presence on the floor. And Barnes only got better over the next three seasons, clearing 2,000 career points, 750 rebounds, 500 assists, 500 steals and 100 blocks. She is, deservedly, one of the first names that comes up when discussing the Class of 2026 and is absolutely beloved by players and coaches around the state (her name came up quite a few times during preseason media day back in October.
W is for waning participation: I have a story on this topic planned for Friday, but the Associated Press reported in January that the number of girls basketball players in the United States has dropped 21% since 2000, with a 39% drop in Indiana. That was a topic of conversation with coaches and players during state finals week, and they provided some interesting insight on potential causes and solutions to the dip in participation.
X is for a letter beginning with X that expresses gratitude: I scoured the internet for an option, but came up empty. Thank you to everyone who has read, subscribed, watched and interacted this season. You are appreciated!
Y is for YouTube (The Scorers Table): We didn’t have a chance to really acknowledge it on-air, but The Scorers Table cleared 100 episodes during this year’s state tournament. That’s pretty cool. It’s been an absolute blast hosting alongside Danny Riego, and I speak for both of us when I say the viewership and support has exceeded both of our expectations.
Z is for Zartman, Bricker and Neely: It was just a lot of fun watching those three play together at Warsaw. Brooke Zartman is a prolific 3-point shooter (she challenged Olivia Nickerson’s all-time state record) and really came into her own defensively (she was so good at the Hall of Fame Classic); Joslyn Bricker, also an excellent defender, is a highly-efficient, do-it-all point guard; and Alexis Neely was the perfect complimentary piece, the one who tied everything together and really elevated the 2025-26 Tigers. She was very good as a junior, but really came into her own as a senior, upping her averages across the board.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Wrapping up 2025-26 Indiana high school girls basketball season from A to Z
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
