In a long line of great Kickapoo girls basketball players, Mikayla Pilley became the latest.
Competing for championships is demanded when you put on a Lady Chiefs uniform. The tradition of winning has been passed down from the great leaders who walk the Kickapoo halls since Sue Schuble led the program to its first of six state championships in 1985.
Names like Molly Carter, Heather Ezrell, and Bella Fontleroy continue to resonate today. Years from now, Pilley's will, too.
It's why we're proud to name her as the News-Leader's 2025 Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Pilley ended her Kickapoo career by leading the Lady Chiefs to their second straight state semifinal appearance. In two of her four years, Pilley played for a pair of state runner-up programs before finishing with a third-place finish this season. It will go down as the latest great stretch in Kickapoo's great history, which should continue even after her departure.
An all-state performer, Pilley has been known as an excellent defender since she first stepped on the hardwood. Her offense continued to develop before she averaged 16.9 points this season. She also scored 27 points in the Lady Chiefs' quarterfinal win, sending them back to Columbia.
Bound for Fort Hays State, Pilley was the best player in an area that was loaded with girls' basketball talent. Other player-of-the-year-worthy candidates included Fair Grove's Brooke Daniels and Ashton Bell, Skyline's Ashlen Garrett, Logan-Rogersville's Hailey Buckman, and Strafford's Elise and Kinley Larsen.
But Pilley's continued excellence was difficult for anyone to beat after she put the finishing touches on a great high school career.
Previous News-Leader Players of the Year
- 2025 - Mikayla Pilley, Kickapoo
- 2024 - Lauren Luebbert, Marshfield
- 2023 - Kaemyn Bekemeier, Republic
- 2022 - Bella Fontleroy, Kickapoo
- 2021 - Makaiya Brooks, Central
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Mikayla Pilley: Kickapoo girls basketball star named Player of the Year
