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Gilliard voted IndyStar Indiana Miss Basketball for 2026
Trojans' standout is CG's first Miss Basketball and school's second player to wear #1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665
March 13, 2026 IBCA Director of Special Projects
Gracyn Gilliard has earned the top individual award in Indiana high school girls' basketball.
A 5-11 guard from Class 4A state champion Center Grove High School, Gilliard has been named IndyStar Indiana Miss Basketball for 2026 in online voting of media and girls’ varsity coaches conducted by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association and All-Star game director Mike Broughton, it was announced Friday (March 13).
The Miss Basketball result means Gilliard will wear the No. 1 jersey for the Indiana All-Stars in their annual series with Kentucky. The Miss Basketball award goes to the top girls’ basketball senior in the state. The Miss Basketball and Mr. Basketball awards are part of the IndyStar Indiana All-Star program that dates to 1939. The Miss Basketball award, along with the girls All-Stars, was added to the All-Star program in 1976.
The complete 2026 Girls' All-Star team will be announced later. The 2026 Mr. Basketball and the 2026 Boys' All-Star team also will be announced later. The 2026 girls' Junior All-Stars were announced on March 9. The boys' Junior All-Stars will be announced later.
Gilliard earned the girls' top honor after being named on 51 ballots submitted to Broughton in voting that ran from Feb. 9 to March 2. Lola Lampley of Lawrence Central was runner-up with 34 votes. Vanessa Rosswurm of Class 4A state runner-up Norwell placed third with 24 votes, and Lilli Barnes of Valparaiso was fourth with 10 votes. Twenty-two other players received at least one vote for Miss Basketball. There were 181 votes cast overall.
Gilliard is the first Miss Basketball winner in Center Grove history. She becomes the second CG player to wear a No. 1 jersey, joining 2019 Mr. Basketball winner Trayce Jackson-Davis. In addition, Gilliard is her program's ninth girls' and CG's 11th overall Indiana All-Star. The girls' list includes Lisha Robertson (1979), Nikki Anderson (1987), Jenny Martin (1997), Liz Stansberry (1997), Emily Butler (1999), Cassidy Hardin (2018), Audrey Annee (2024) and Rachel Wirts (2024). The boys' list includes Jackson-Davis and Andrew Smeathers (2011).
A Davidson College recruit, Gilliard averaged 25.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.7 steals as a senior in leading Center Grove to a 29-0 season that included Johnson County Tournament, CG/Carol Tumey Invitational, Center Grove Sectional, Greenfield-Central Regional and Jasper Semi-State en route to becoming the state’s 18th girls’ basketball unbeaten champion.
That came after a junior season in which she tallied 18.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 3.2 steals in an 18-4 campaign. She earlier played two seasons at Munster, helping the Mustangs to a two-season record of 35-13. She averaged 20.9 pints, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 4.5 steals for a 17-8 squad as a freshman, then totaled 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 5.9 steals for an 18-5 unit as a sophomore. She had career totals of 1,898 points, 438 rebounds, 179 assists and 336 steals. She also set Center Grove school records with 692 points in a season (as a senior), 38 points in a game (against Hamilton Southeastern as a senior) and 12-of-12 free throws in a game (against Danville as a junior).
Gilliard recently was named 2026 Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year, 2026 MaxPreps Indiana Player of the Year, 2026 IBCA Senior Supreme 15, 2026 IBCA first-team Academic All-State and 2026 Johnson County Player of the Year. Earlier, she was recognized as a 2026 McDonald's All-American nominee, a two-time IBCA Underclass Supreme 15 selection, a two-time AP high honorable mention pick, 2024 ICGSA second-team All-State and 2023 ICGSA third-team All-State. She also was named a 2025 Indiana Junior All-Star, 2025 Johnson County Player of the Year and to the 2024 All-Star Futures Game.
At Davidson, Gillard plans to major in political science and minor in psychology with an objective of eventually becoming a lawyer.
Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball traditionally wear No. 1 jerseys for the respective Indiana Boys All-Stars and Indiana Girls All-Stars in the annual series with Kentucky. The All-Stars will face the Indiana Junior All-Stars in an exhibition doubleheader on June 3 at Mt. Vernon (Fortville). The All-Stars follow with their home-and-home doubleheaders with Kentucky -- June 5 at a Kentucky site to be announced and June 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Indiana portion of the All-Star Games is organized and produced by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. The Indianapolis Star, with its IndyStar brand, is a title sponsor. Hoosier Shooting Academy is a presenting partner of All-Star Week, and Energy Systems Group is a presenting partner of the June 6 All-Star doubleheader at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
A list of Indiana Miss Basketball honorees follows.
Indiana Miss Basketball honorees
1976: Judi Warren, Warsaw
1977: Teri Rosinski, Norwell
1978: Chanda Kline, Warsaw
1979: LaTaunya Pollard, East Chicago Roosevelt
1980: Maria Stack, Columbus East
1981: Cheryl Cook, Indianapolis Washington
1982: Trena Keys, Marion
1983: Jody Beerman, Heritage
1984: Sharon Versyp, Mishawaka
1985: Jodie Whitaker, Austin
1986: Kim Barrier, Jimtown
1987: Lori Meinerding, Fort Wayne Northrop
1988: Vicki Hall, Brebeuf Jesuit
1989: Renee Westmoreland, Scottsburg
1990: Patricia Babcock, Culver Academy
1991: Jennifer Jacoby, Rossville
1992: Marla Inman, Bedford North Lawrence
1993: Abby Conklin, Charlestown
1994: Tiffany Gooden, Fort Wayne Snider
1995: Stephanie White, Seeger
1996: Lisa Winter, Huntington North
1997: Lisa Shepherd, Richmond
1998: Kelly Komara, Lake Central
1999: April McDivitt, Connersville
2000: Sara Nord, Jeffersonville
2001: Shyra Ely, Ben Davis
2002: Shanna Zolman, Wawasee
2003: Katie Gearlds, Beech Grove
2004: Jaclyn Leininger, Warsaw
2005: Jodi Howell, Alexandria
2006: Amber Harris, North Central
2007: Ta’Shia Phillips, Brebeuf Jesuit
2008: Brittany Rayburn, Attica
2009: Skylar Diggins, South Bend Washington
2010: Courtney Moses, Oak Hill
2011: Bria Goss, Ben Davis
2012: Jessica Rupright, Norwell
2013: Stephanie Mavunga, Brownsburg
2014: Whitney Jennings, Logansport
2015: Ali Patberg, Columbus North
2016: Jackie Young, Princeton
2017: Karissa McLaughlin, Homestead
2018: Amy Dilk, Carmel
2019: Jorie Allen, Bedford North Lawrence
2020: Sydney Parrish, Hamilton Southeastern
2021: Jayla Smith, Lawrence North
2022: Ayanna Patterson, Homestead
2023: Laila Hull, Zionsville
2024: Chloe Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence
2025: Maya Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern
2026: Gracyn Gilliard, Center Grove
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2026 IndyStar Indiana All-Star key dates
Sunday, May 31 — Indiana Juniors vs. Kentucky Juniors at Charlestown High School (1 Pirate Place, Charlestown, IN 47111) — girls, 2:00 p.m. EDT; boys, to follow; admission, $15 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).
Monday, June 1 – Indiana All-Stars “Futures Games” doubleheader at site TBA – girls, 6:00 p.m. EDT, boys, to follow; admission, $15 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).
Wednesday, June 3 — Junior-Senior All-Star game at Mt. Vernon (Fortville) — girls, 6:00 p.m. EDT; boys, to follow; admission, $15 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).
Friday, June 5 — Indiana at Kentucky at site TBA — girls, time, TBA; boys, to follow, time TBA. Ticket information, TBA.
Saturday, June 6 — Indiana vs. Kentucky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204) — Senior girls, 5:00 p.m. EDT; Senior boys, to follow (about 7:30 p.m. EDT). Ticket information, TBA.
Gene Milner
IBCA Website Coordinator
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