Sacred Heart Academy star ZaKiyah Johnson again named Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year
For the second straight year, Sacred Heart Academy’s ZaKiyah Johnson has been named the Gatorade Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court.
The 6-foot sophomore is averaging 22.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals for a Sacred Heart team that is 32-3 and ranked No. 1 in the state entering this week’s KHSAA Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. Last month she was named The Courier Journal's Seventh Region Player of the Year.
Ranked as the nation’s No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2025 by ESPN, Johnson has nearly 40 scholarship offers from NCAA Division I schools.
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She also has the respect of opposing coaches.
“ZaKiyah is one of the best defenders I have ever seen,” Assumption coach Stacy Pendleton said. “She can guard 1-5 at any level and create havoc defensively. This is my 21st season, and she would be No. 1 pick of all the players I have seen in Kentucky.”
Girls Sweet 16: Take a look at the field — ranked from No. 16 to No. 1
Off the court, Johnson has a 3.41 grade-point average and has volunteered with the Kiwanis Club and Salvation Army and served as a basketball coach and referee.
Last season, Johnson was named the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year and Sweet 16 MVP.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year: Sacred Heart's ZaKiyah Johnson
