The 2026 girls’ basketball season officially kicks off tonight. Area teams range from having some of the top rosters in the region to being in the middle of rebuilds. Here’s a look at what to expect from each team.
Apollo: Last year, Apollo dealt with a plethora of injuries, but enters this year healthy. A relatively young roster, the E-Gals return plenty of veteran leadership in seniors Aubrey Johnson, LaShay Vera, and Mattingly Taylor.
They are joined by sophomore Emersyn Bullington, who led the team in minutes a year ago, and up-and-coming freshman Eriyah Curry, Maleah Potter, and Brylei Brake.
“We want to keep improving, and I want to see us to keep going up and getting better,” Apollo Head Coach Mike Riggs said. “I expect us to compete.”
Daviess County: Fresh off their first 3rd Region Championship title in school history, the Lady Panthers have their eyes set on repeating and returning to Rupp Arena. While they lost two of their top three leading scorers from a year ago, they return seniors Kennedy Lane, Molly Hancock, and Briley Henry.
Fellow seniors Mackenzie Elliott and Madeline Jarboe, and junior Maddie Barron are all in line to play important minutes. Having shot 46.7% from deep a year ago, sophomore sharpshooter Riley Hayden is also poised to take the next step, and eighth grader Stella Mason has also been called up full-time.
For Payne and company, they have their eyes set on returning to Rupp Arena.
“Obviously, we want to win the district,” Daviess County Head Coach Payne said. “We want to win the region and get back to Rupp Arena and see if we can take that next step of winning that first game of the State Tournament. Outside of basketball, we want these ladies to grow and learn.”
Hancock County: Hancock County enters the season with a new head coach in Lisa Banta, who spent the previous two years as an assistant coach on the staff.
The Lady Hornets return their entire starting five from a year ago in Carolina Jones, Ansley House, Madyson Higdon, Jordyn Waltrip, and Izzy Ross. They are joined by sophomore Raylee Johnson and Jaylee Johnson, and an intriguing crop of freshmen.
Despite being in a competitive 11th District that includes Meade County and Breckinridge County, Banta likes her team’s chances to advance to the 3rd Region Tournament.
“We want to win, but basketball is a fun game, and we want to have fun,” Banta said. “We enjoy each other’s company, we want to work hard and be successful. But at the end of the day, we want this to be an amazing experience for these girls and for it to be something that molds them into the women that God intends them to be, and we think it does.”
McLean County: Despite entering the season with lower numbers than previous years, the Lady Cougars are poised to take the next step. Anna Miller, who led the team in scoring in 2024, has recovered from last year’s injury. She rejoins Kenadi Level, Ella Larkin, and last year’s leading scorer, Karlee Floyd.
In the front court, Ragan Brown and Laney Boyken will be leaned on for their defense and height, while eighth grader Bentley is expected to join the team once the middle school season ends.
Head Coach Eli Ellis wants his young core to finish over .500 and show improvements compared to a year ago.
“Expectations-wise, we turned over the ball a lot, so we want to see our turnovers go down,” Ellis said. “We want our shooting percentage and points per game to increase. We are hosting the District Tournament this year, and we would love to win the District Championship. We think we have the personnel to do it, we just have to keep working and stay healthy.”
Owensboro: Owensboro is in the midst of a transition as Wynn Harris has taken over as head coach. The Lady Devils are also recovering from losing six seniors to graduation. Despite the turnover, the Lady Devils return senior guards Unique Carter-Swanagan and Abby Sapp, both of whom helped Owensboro win the 3rd Region Tournament in 2024.
“So, if you go around the state and ask a lot of people, you have a lot of teams that have two guards who have been to the State Tournament,” Harris said. They are going to lead us.”
The duo are joined by sophomores Avery Martin, Olivia Hogg, Adrian Carothers, and Taylor Sowders.
A believer in opportunities, Harris wants to see his team find a way to reach the 3rd Region Tournament and give their selves a chance at going on a run.
“Give yourself an opportunity, and for us, it’s to get to the region,” Harris said. “Get to the region and give yourself an opportunity to advance. As an athlete and a coach, that is all you want. We are looking toward the region, getting there, and getting a shot.”
Owensboro Catholic: Having lost Karmin Riley and Aubrey Randolph to graduation, it is a new era for the Lady Aces. The team will immediately be tested out of the gate as their first five games include matches against teams from Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and South Dakota, as well as the reigning Kentucky state champs, Sacred Heart.
With zero seniors on the roster, the junior class of Taylor Mannahan, Layla Martin, Claudia Munsey, Katie Hagan, and Skye Riley will be leaned on for their veteran leadership. They will be joined in the rotation by Sophia Newby and Isabeth Osborne.
Despite the youth movement, Head Coach Michael Robertson and his team still have their eyes on competing for a 3rd Region Championship.
“We want to win the 3rd Region All A Championship and be competitive at the All A State Tournament,” Robertson said. “We also want to win the 9th District Championship, and then try and make a run to win the 3rd Region Championship and hopefully make some noise at Rupp.”
Trinity (Whitesville): One of the younger teams in the region, Trinity (Whitesville) enter the season with only one senior in Aubrey Meserve and one junior in Jayda Meserve.
The Lady Raiders return two of their three leading scorers from a year ago in Rylynne Meserve and Presley Meserve, as well as Ella Morris, Sophie Hatfield, Nevaeh Mills, Olivia Starks, Lily Gates, Evelyn Roby, and Sophia Miller.
“Obviously, we want to win, as no one practices to lose, but we are always trying to build good people; that is our main goal,” Trinity (Whitesville Head Coach Emily Hernandez said. “As they become the people they are supposed to be, we are developing our skills basketball-wise. If they learn to do all the things right, then the wins will come.”
