Courier & Press All-SW Indiana Player of the Year leaves a strong impact at Gibson Southern
FORT BRANCH, Ind. — Kyle Brasher has noticed a trend in his seven years at Gibson Southern High School.
The best players are usually the hardest workers too. And when that talent meets effort, the potential for great increases. No one can argue the results coming from Fort Branch in recent years. One player emerged over the last four who fit the definition.
One who continued to push the Titans to new levels.
Gabby Spink leaves Gibson Southern among its best individual players in program history. Her statistical output backs this sentiment. So does her impact on what she valued most: winning. The senior is the Courier & Press All-SW Indiana girls basketball Player of the Year for the second time.
“A winner. A competitor,” said Brasher. “Always looking for ways to improve her game. At the end of the day, she had one goal in mind and that was to go win basketball games. She was going to do whatever it took to win.”
The biggest takeaway from her final season? Few were asked to impact the game as much as Spink.
The Murray State recruit averaged 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists for the regional champions. Spink was selected to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Supreme 15 list as one of the top seniors in Indiana. She finished second at Gibson Southern in career scoring (1,724) and first in assists (497).
Her efficiency numbers took a dip this winter, but the Titans required a larger offensive burden. Gone were multiple starters on the perimeter. Spink needed to be a playmaker, a scorer, a leader, and many other roles. She was also the opponent’s focal point on defense.
Spink and Brasher discussed before the season about what would be required. The senior never shied from it.
“Doing the little things was the biggest thing for me,” said Spink. “This year it was locking down on defense. If I wasn’t going to get points, I was going to at least stop some girls. It’s also getting my teammates extra involved. Once I do that, it can help create opportunities for myself.”
The numbers she was most proud of came on the scoreboard.
Gibson Southern went 87-24 over the past four seasons – Spink played in 100 games, her only significant time missed coming her sophomore season with a stress fracture in her shin. The Titans won four sectionals, three regionals, and one state championship.
Gibson Southern continued to win this winter after moving up a class due to the success factor. The Titans advanced to the Class 4A semistate before losing to eventual state champion Lawrence North. If you remove Spink from the roster, the odds are high that the latest run won’t happen.
“We needed her to play make a whole lot more,” said Brasher. “We needed her to play defense a lot more. The amount of responsibility she had for our team really increased. The team would have looked very different (without her) because of her skills and caliber of play.”
Those moments which stand out were her final games. The Titans rallied from a double-digit deficit in the sectional championship to beat Reitz in overtime – Spink had 11 of her team-high 20 points after the third quarter. Her finest hour arguably came in the regional against Floyd Central: 29 points on 9 of 12 shooting with 10 rebounds and five assists.
Spink had 21-6-4 in the semistate as Gibson Southern struggled against Lawrence North’s athleticism. Her mindset never changed – she was going to play hard and compete until the final whistle.
“There were times where I got frustrated,” said Spink. “But knowing at the end of the day I had (Brasher) backing me was the biggest thing. I was proud of how the season was. I couldn’t care less how many points I have if we won the game.”
Brasher likes to view where his program stands through the eyes of his 10-year-old daughter, Kinley. The expectation, in her mind, is to win sectionals and make deep postseason runs when she arrives. That’s the true impact players like Spink bring.
She’s been described as a “classic basketball junkie,” watching all levels and even attending postseason games after the Titans were eliminated. As the story goes, she asked the Gibson Southern custodial staff a few days prior to her freshman year if both sides of bleachers could be used for girls basketball games too.
“What Gabby and her teammates have done these last seven years,” said Brasher. “The expectation is now when Gibson Southern shows up, we’re going to be a tough team who plays hard and be a tough out. Gabby has really set the tone for that.”
Spink originally grew up in the Indianapolis area. She still told anyone who would listen that her goal was to play for Gibson Southern. In addition to others, her talent level and drive consistently lifted the program to a different level.
Few can argue her talent. But she left the program in a stronger and better place. That was the goal.
“It means something,” said Spink. “All of those girls before me helped build this program. For me to be able to win four sectionals and have the postseason my team did, it’s unbelievable. Winning that much is hard enough. Winning against good Memorial teams is hard enough. Then to do it against good 4A teams.
"To (win) as much as my team and I did since I’ve been here is impactful.”
South Knox coach Hollie Anson-Eaves is the Courier & Press All-Southwestern Indiana Coach of the Year. The Spartans went 28-2 this year and won the Class 2A state championship – the first in school history – with a 55-33 win over Rensselaer Central.
2025 Courier & Press All-Southwestern Indiana girls basketball team
Name, School, Ht., Year, PPG
First Team
Ella Bobe, South Knox, 5-9, Sr., 19.4
Bren Hill, South Knox, 6-0, Sr,. 15.7
Kendal Hill, South Knox, 5-8, So., 13.7
Avah Montgomery, Southridge, 5-9, Sr., 18.2
Emily Parker, Boonville, 5-9, Jr., 20.3
Katie Reed, Washington, 6-2, Jr., 14.5
Paige Schnaus, Gibson Southern, 6-2, So., 15.3
Gabby Spink, Gibson Southern, 5-8, Sr., 19.8
Second Team
Aubrey Frank, Washington, 5-8, Sr., 8.8
Alyssa Heath, North Posey, 6-1, Sr., 15.0
Mary Herman, Vincennes Rivet, 6-1, Sr., 18.0
Emmersen Kalb, Northeast Dubois, Sr., 16.3
Lexi Primus, North Knox, 5-8, Jr., 13.2
Carlee Rogers, Jasper, 5-9, Sr., 11.3
Katie Sevier, Wood Memorial, 6-0, Sr., 14.3
Ailie Taylor, Princeton, 5-5, Jr., 17.1
Player of the Year: Gabby Spink, Gibson Southern
Coach of the Year: Hollie Anson-Eaves, South Knox
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Gibson Southern's Gabby Spink named All-SW Indiana Player of the Year
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