ZaKiyah Johnson

ZaKiyah Johnson doesn't get carried away by accolades. She keeps wise words from her family and high school teachers in the forefront and lives by them every day. "I want you to always remember, you're a great basketball player, but even a better person," Johnson told WLKY about the advice she lives by. "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." Johnson first emerged on the national basketball scene when she played as an eighth grader at Shelby County High School. Johnson would go on to be named the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year during her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons of high school. She also was a member of the 2024 FIBA Women’s U18 AmeriCup. “I'm versatile,” Johnson told On3. “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.”