Kentucky’s class of 2025 is a national treasure. Everyone wants in, and the race is on.

The state of Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class figures to add a new dimension to girls’ high school basketball in the commonwealth.

Three of the nation’s most sought-after prospects — Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson, Mercy’s Leah Macy and George Rogers Clark’s Ciara Byars — have only just wrapped up their sophomore years of high school, but they represent one of the state’s strongest classes in years and can be summed up in one word: versatile.

EspnW recently revealed an update to its class of 2025’s HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings, and this latest edition was quite kind to the commonwealth. Johnson was rated No. 3 in the nation, while Macy rose to No. 11 and Byars debuted on the list at No. 35.

As of June 1, college coaches can now reach out directly to prospects in the class of 2025. Meaning that Johnson, Macy and Byars are now fielding texts and calls from coaches across the country who see their potential.

Not surprisingly, each of these players has several in-state scholarship offers. Both UK and Louisville were relatively early on Johnson, Macy and Byars, but will have to compete with some of the biggest names in the sport.

Over the past decade, UK has not been able to consistently secure commitments from elite-level in-state recruits. In fact, Makayla Epps (No. 37 in 2013) represented the last time the Wildcats signed a top-40, in-state recruit out of high school.

Following is a breakdown of the star 2025 recruits’ on- and off-court attributes as described by their high school coaches and themselves, as well as their approach to the recruiting process and what they’re looking for at the next level.

ZaKiyah Johnson, 6-0 guard/forward

Hometown: Shelbyville.

High school: Sacred Heart Academy.

AAU team: WV Thunder 17U.

In-state scholarship offers: Kentucky, Louisville, Northern Kentucky.

Other offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, UConn, Dayton, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kansas State, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Southern Cal, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Virginia, West Virginia, Xavier.

Latest espnW ranking: No. 3.

It’s difficult to overstate the talent, skill and basketball IQ of ZaKiyah Johnson.

She is the back-to-back Gatorade Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year and a 2022 Girls Under Armour Association champion with AAU team WV Thunder, as well the back-to-back Sweet Sixteen MVP on Sacred Heart’s KHSAA state championship teams of the past two seasons.

“She’s young, you know, she’s just 16,” Sacred Heart coach and Athletic Director Donna Moir said. “... But she’s the most sought-out recruit that I’ve ever had. I mean, I think she has the potential to become the best-ever out of Kentucky. In men’s or women’s basketball. And already in her high school career to win two miss Gatorade, the MVP of the state tournament twice. You know, like, who’s done that?”

The answer is nobody. Johnson has wowed her own coaches, her teammates, her opponents, spectators, and, of course, college coaches since she was in middle school. Johnson isn’t new to the hype, but she’s found a way to use it as fuel.

“I kind of use that as motivation,” Johnson said. “I want to be the best player out of Kentucky. I mean, it feels good, too, because there are so many good players that have come out of Kentucky. Like Lisa Harrison came out of Kentucky. She was the Gatorade player of the year, she was all that. And then, Crystal Kelly, she was so good. It feels good to be a part of all of them.”

In making the decision to spend her high school career at Sacred Heart, as well as playing on AAU teams Kentucky Premier and, later, WV Thunder, Johnson said she embraced the challenges that come with playing with and against players who may have an edge.

“She doesn’t have to be the big leading scorer and score 40 points, 30 points,” Moir said. “She can, and has done that. She has our career game scoring record, so she can do that, but she’s fine setting up other players, too. She’s very into the process, and winning is part of that process. But it’s not all about her. Even though you can watch games and not watch anybody else, you know, and focus on her, but she wants it to be about the team.”

Johnson credits the strength of her game to her versatility.

“My versatility, always,” Johnson said. “I can be a guard and I’m big, so the guard that is trying to guard me is not going to be able to stop me in the post. And I think, when I get in the post, I’m smaller, but I’m quicker and I’m strong. I’m strong, but not always stronger. But I’m quicker than the posts that are trying to guard me. So I think that gives me an advantage on all positions.”

Johnson’s first scholarship offer arrived during an AAU game when she was in seventh grade.

“They had subbed me out,” Johnson said. “And (the director of Kentucky Premier) was like ‘somebody’s on the phone, they want to talk to you.’ And I was like, ‘All right, cool.’ And it was Jeff (Walz, head coach of Louisville women’s basketball). He was like, ‘I want to give you an offer.’ I didn’t really understand, at the time, how big it was.”

Louisville was the first of what has become more than 40 Division I scholarship offers.

Since June 1, Johnson has heard from coaches around the country, several who lead some of the sport’s most successful programs.

“It’s kind of just getting to know a lot of people more,” Johnson explained. “I’d talked to a lot of them before, but now that they can call me, you can kind of separate which ones you know are really into you and your game. I was getting my hair done today. It was like six hours. And I had a few, you know, text me and call me and they were like, ‘Let me know what it looks like when you get done.’ You know, all this. Like, ‘Oh, I don’t care if you’re getting your hair done, I still want to talk to you.’”

At the next level, Johnson is looking for a coach with whom she can connect.

“I want to see who’s being real or who’s not,” she said. “I can kind of tell, but I mean I just want someone who’s going to be fun, who I can be comfortable with off rip. Anything uncomfortable is probably not going to draw me in, but just good relationships with the coaches. And introducing me to the players on the phone and all that’s cool. People ask me all the time, like, ‘Do you want a guy coach, do you want a woman coach?’ It doesn’t really matter. I just want a good coach who I can be close with.”

So far, Johnson has taken two unofficial visits: Louisville and Kentucky. She’s noticed both programs recruiting her extra hard.

“Definitely Louisville,” Johnson said. “And (Jeff Walz’s) daughter actually goes to my school now, so he’s around a lot more. But he definitely is one that I can tell goes hard. Kentucky, too. They always let me know like, ‘We want you to stay home, this is where we want you to be at.’ So definitely, I can see how they want me to be here and come stronger.”

Outside of the commonwealth, coaches are calling just as often.

“Notre Dame, I like them a lot,” Johnson said. “They definitely come really hard. I’ve actually gotten really close with them, too. LSU. Miami actually does a good job, too. They’re coming strong and hard. There’s definitely a few coaches that come out hard and, you know, all of them talk to me a lot. But I can definitely separate which ones come harder.”

Leah Macy, 6-3 wing/power forward

Hometown: Elizabethtown.

High school: Mercy Academy.

AAU team: Kentucky Premier EYBL 17U.

In-state scholarship offers: Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Louisville, Murray State, Western Kentucky.

Other offers: Arizona, Belmont, Cincinnati, Clemson, Dayton, DePaul, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Illinois, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, Xavier.

Latest espnW ranking: No. 11.

When the Herald-Leader asked Mercy Academy head basketball coach Nick Cann about Leah Macy, he said it’s her work ethic that sets her apart.

“She’s super talented,” Cann said. “But, on top of that, her work ethic is probably unmatched. I’ve coached several elite players, I don’t know that I’ve had any of them that kept the same work schedule that she does. Leah trains basketball skills, she’s in the weight room. She trains like a high-level college athlete already as a sophomore in high school, and that’s super impressive.”

In this year’s Sweet Sixteen, Mercy dealt with several injuries around the floor that forced Macy to step up more than usual. It’s not uncommon for elite-level players to serve different roles between the AAU circuit and what their high school team needs. Because of that, Macy has had the opportunity to refine her skills regardless of position.

“I’m able to play one through five in high school,” Macy said. “And now, on AAU, I’m really not going to be a point guard. Like college, I’m not going to handle the ball all the time, but I’m able to get a rebound or get an outlet and bring the ball up the floor. In high school, I had to do that. But I also had to learn how to get the ball up the floor and then get it back in a scoring position. Because you can’t always just bring the ball up and score without passing.”

According to Cann, Macy has grown in all areas of her game, but she’s worked hard to improve her defensive skill set.

“This year, she actually came to me multiple times, ‘Hey, I want to guard this kid, or that kid,’” Cann said. “So, a lot of times for us she has to guard bigger players. Just because that’s what we need her to do. But she’s capable of defending out on the floor, too, if she needs to do that. And she did a few times for us this year. That part of her game is still growing, but she definitely contributes on that side. Especially on the boards. One of the best rebounders I’ve ever coached. She does a great job with that.”

Macy takes great pride in her ability to rebound, noting that it’s not something that can be taught. She’s also proud of her efficiency.

“In high school and on the EYBL circuit, I shoot at least 60% from the field,” Macy said. “And on the free throw line, it’s usually high 80s-90. And then my three-point shot. In high school, I don’t get to shoot it as much. But in AAU, it’s like 40 or 50%, which is, you know, good for a player like me. Because being versatile is a huge part of my game. I’m able to play inside and out.”

Showcasing her versatility is one of the things she’s looking for in a college program.

“On the floor, going to a program that has a system that allows players to play positionless,” Macy said. “Because I’m so versatile that I need to be able to play ‘2’ through ‘5.’ And just being able to move and feel like I’m not stuck in one position. And then, one of the biggest factors that is equal to basketball, is education. For my family and I, I’m gonna go somewhere where I’m gonna get a degree that’s really high. And, you know, after basketball finishes, my life just continues. So that’s 50/50 for me. Basketball and education is a really huge part. And then just, obviously, the culture is really good. And it just feels like family.”

Macy’s first offer came from Murray State on April 26, 2021. She had attended a basketball camp there, where Macy said Coach Rechelle Turner was impressed by how hard she worked.

“She was like, ‘I know this is gonna come really fast. And I just want to be the first one, so that people can just keep it rolling,’” Macy recalled. “I really appreciated her for that. Because I think it was really a turning point. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh, wow,’. …Going into that summer, the first year on the circuit, I was like, ‘I have this under my belt.’”

Naturally, because Macy is a 6-foot-3, five-star recruit, June 1 brought a tremendous amount of callers. Even more than she expected.

“I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. It has been a lot,” Macy said. “But I have enjoyed every second of it for, you know, almost a week now. I wasn’t not expecting it to get this crazy because I know I’m being recruited really hard. But I was like, ‘Wow, from the 31st of May to June 1, like how much change. Oh my gosh, wow.’ And it’s been really fun.”

Macy said that the new style of communication feels different.

“It doesn’t feel as businesslike as it did,” Macy said. “You can get to know them a lot better and they can get to know me. And … it’s crazy how close I’m getting now. How very, very serious it is because we’re older.”

According to Macy, it’s difficult to compare how schools have been recruiting her. But, when asked about her relationship with in-state schools, she mentioned both Louisville and UK.

“I would say I’ve built a good relationship with Coach (Jeff) Walz and (Louisville assistant) Coach (Stephanie) Norman and Coach (Kyra) Elzy,” Macy said. “I have good relationships with all of them. I don’t go visit as much as people think, just because it’s actually really hard. I go to school in Louisville, it’s really hard to even have time to go up there and just visit or whatever. I would just say it’s really all equal, but I have great relationships with both programs and coaches.”

Macy has taken unofficial visits to UK, Louisville, South Florida and Notre Dame, as well as a few to Tennessee and one to Illinois prior to the program’s March 2022 coaching change. She and her family have plans to do another “shift” of visits after July before her junior season begins.

Ciara Byars, 6-1 forward

Hometown: Paris.

High school: George Rogers Clark.

AAU team: Kentucky Premier EYBL 17U.

In-state offers: Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Louisville, Northern Kentucky.

Other offers: Cincinnati, Dayton, Marshall, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi State, SMU, Vanderbilt.

Latest espnW ranking: No. 35.

On a phone call with GRC girls’ basketball head coach Robbie Graham at the end of May — prior to Byars’ debut in the rankings — Graham made one thing very clear.

“I don’t know what organization or what group ranked the top 100 kids in the country,” Graham said. “But Ciara Byars is absolutely, without a doubt, one of the top 100 kids in the country.”

Not two weeks later, Byars entered the rankings at No. 35 in the class of 2025.

“It honestly is amazing,” Byars said. “I didn’t even know that the rankings were out. They were sent to me and I was just like, ‘Wow.’ It just felt good to know that the hard work is paying off. People are starting to recognize and see.”

Recognize, indeed.

She surpassed 1,000 career points on Dec. 20, 2022, but ever since the Boo Williams Invitational in April with Kentucky Premier, Byars has never been more popular with college coaches. She’s picked up eight offers since the invitational, more than doubling her previous total.

Byars’ first offer arrived on Sept. 16, 2021, from the University of Cincinnati under its previous coaching staff. However, Byars told the Herald-Leader that she was re-offered by new head coach Katrina Merriweather this week. Byars’ older sister Brianna, also a star for GRC, is a member of Merriweather’s incoming freshman class.

According to Graham, the younger Byars is a “throwback player.”

“She truly, truly loves the game of basketball,” Graham said. “And it’s evident in her play. It’s evident in our workouts and in our practice sessions. She truly loves the game. Her work ethic is unmatched. She works hard, whether it be just shooting free throws, or if it’s a full practice session or if it’s a shooting session. Whatever it may be, she gives it max effort and she loves the game and it shows. She’s very talkative. When we practice, she’s the first one out on the floor for practice; she’s the one who’s pushing the ball rack out. When we’re done in practice, she’s the last one to leave the gym. Sometimes we have to kick her out.”

Graham said that Byars’ leadership sets the tone for her teammates.

“I just strive to be the best version of myself every day,” Byars said. “That’s one thing I go for. And then, just being encouraging, but also being able to say like, ‘OK, let’s go guys, like let’s pick it up.’ Just being that positive person to just keep the team going at all times. And I would also say, because this is a quality that sometimes lacks when it comes with leadership, just don’t be a hypocrite. You can’t get on somebody for something if you’re doing the same thing that they’re doing. … Accountability is so big for me.”

As far as her game goes, Byars’ versatility sets her up to thrive in mismatch situations.

“(I play) wherever I’m needed,” Byars said. “I’m big on mismatches. If I have a taller girl on me, then I may want to take her out on the perimeter to either go around or to shoot over her. And then if I have a smaller girl on me, then that’s when I take her to the post. I kind of just go off that, and that’s where the inside-out comes in.”

What sets her apart from others on defense?

“That I can guard all positions,” Byars said. “I take pride in my defense. That’s definitely something that’s a focus at GRC, is taking pride in our defense. Just the ability to move my feet, be long, get deflections, rebound, block shots. Defense is one of my favorite things, for sure.”

Now that college coaches can directly reach out to rising juniors, Byars has seen a large uptick in communication.

“After June 1 and on June 1,” Byars said. “(The phone) was definitely ringing and dinging. There was many text messages and a decent amount of calls. Even the mail that I’ve gotten has picked up. It’s just fun, the whole recruiting process. I’m just loving it, taking my time and just enjoying the process.”

For Byars, who Graham said is a leader on the court and around school, the right school will provide the following:

“For me, it’s definitely a family feel,” Byars said. “If I’m on campus, I feel like I’ll know. I’m very big on vibes, so I’ll know. And then, just fit and style of play and also, how bad do you show that you want me? Like, it’s OK if you like me, but if you actually want me to come to your school, like how do you think I can impact your school? That’s what I look for. And then it also has to match academically.”

Byars has yet to take any unofficial visits, but she said that she and her family have upcoming plans to take some soon. She holds in-state offers from EKU, UK, Louisville and NKU, and said she’s noticed somewhat of a difference in how hard the in-state programs are recruiting her versus those out-of-state.

“Somewhat, I feel the in-state schools, the recruiting is definitely picked up. Especially, I mean, it should be. Because, you know, Kentucky girls’ basketball, even on the college side, like that’s a really big deal. I don’t know how to really explain it. They’re pushing ‘hometown hero,’ staying home. It’s honestly fun because you grow up watching these teams and then it’s, I mean, getting the opportunity and offer to play there. It’s pretty cool.”

With 14 offers and counting, Byars still feels just as excited every time a new coach offers a scholarship.

“I think honestly it’ll never go away,” Byars said. “I’m still in awe, always. Sometimes I can feel it coming, or other times I can’t. They definitely keep me on my toes and it’s just fun. And I just listen to everybody and consider everybody. It’s fun.”

How has Kentucky women’s basketball fared recruiting the state’s top in-state prospects?