The 2024 college basketball season is here. With it have entered some fresh faces that will begin their collegiate journey. One of these faces includes the 5-star guard Zakiyah Johnson, who recently declared her commitment to the LSU Tigers. Furthermore, she intends to emulate Angel Reese’s influence on LSU’s soil. Zakiyah has led the Valkyries to a fourth straight Girls’ Sweet 16 State Basketball Championship.

Despite being a 17-year-old girl, Zakiyah Johnson possessed all the qualities of an elite basketballer. With her ability and skills, Johnson cemented herself as one of the most decorated athletes in Kentucky high school athletics. Now that she is embarking on another year of her varsity basketball career, let’s explore what impact she left during her time in high school.

Meet Zakiyah Johnson, Kentucky’s top girls’ hoops prospect

In her first season at Sacred Heart Academy in the 2021-22 season, Johnson paced the Valkyries into first gear, averaging 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and a block per game, and led the program to its second straight KHSAA state championship. Her leadership helped the Valkyries put out a 36-3 record in her inaugural season’s campaign.

Then, as a sophomore, Johnson lifted the state championship trophy and further established the program as a powerful force in Kentucky basketball and on the national stage. That season, she averaged 22.5 points and 8.8 rebounds, leading Sacred Heart to a 31-7 record.

Last year, Johnson capped the season with her third and the program’s 4th historic state title where she averaged 18.9 points and 7.2 rebounds and put out a 31-7 record for the second time with the Valkyries. However, this season has brought her new avenues to make her mark as a leader to embrace the footsteps of the former Valkyries Angelina Pelayo and Reagan Bender.

“I think one of the best things about Z is she’s always stayed true to herself. And she knows that little eyes are watching her, and what a role model she needs to be. And she’s always aware of that,” said Sacred Heart’s basketball coach and athletic director Donna Moir, indicating Johnson’s maturity, presence of mind, and individualism.

Johnson has played 112 games through which she has amassed 2208 points, 871 rebounds, 411 assists, 223 steals, and 109 blocks. Moreover, she has produced 844 field goals out of 1671 attempts, making it a rate of 51%.

More about Johnson’s basketball career, NIL, and her stint on the international stage

Boasting over 13k followers, Zakiyah Johnson ranks at #18 in One3’s High School Women’s Basketball NIL list. Although, her NIL value is still unknown. Having accomplished several accolades through 3 seasons, Johnson has, however, stayed humble.

Her path has indeed been carved by a valuable piece of advice that was passed on by her family and teachers, which reads, “I want you to always remember, you’re a great basketball player, but even a better person.”

Describing how she processed and implemented the advice in her daily life she said, “As time goes on, you kind of get used to it. You got to keep continuing, getting better. You can’t let it boost your head up. Anything better than what you did yesterday or the day before is what I’m going for.”

The first time she made her presence felt on the national basketball scene was when she played basketball at Shelby County High School as an eighth grader. Thereafter she emerged as the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year for three straight seasons at Sacred Heart.

“I’m versatile. Whether it’s playing or being a leader, I can lead in different ways – whether it’s vocal or on the court itself. On the court, I can be anywhere I need to be, but being more vocal is something I’ve really worked on… I kind of just let my game talk for me.” said Johnson. Moving her game to the international stage, Johnson was selected as a member of the 2024 FIBA Women’s U18 AmeriCup. There she led the team to gold with an average of 8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists with an efficiency rate of 12%.

Now, it is just a matter of a few months when Johnson will be dribbling in LSU’s hardwood.