(2-27-25) Before Jaylah Lampley stepped onto the court at Lawrence Central, the program was an afterthought. A team without a sectional title. A team that had never won the MIC. A team that had never hoisted a Marion County Championship trophy or even cracked the IBCA top 20 rankings. The history books recorded just one Indiana All-Star in program history, dating all the way back to 2003. The win column barely scratched 82 victories since 2004. Simply put, Lawrence Central was a program struggling to find relevance—until Jaylah arrived.

In November 2022, as a freshman, Jaylah entered the program as one of the nation’s top prospects, earning a spot on ESPN’s prestigious Top 25 Watchlist—one of just two freshmen in the state. But success wasn’t instant. The Lady Bears dropped their home opener to Winchester, a 2A school, and fell on the road to Zionsville. The program’s struggles were evident. However, Jaylah quickly made her presence felt, leading the team in nearly every statistical category and propelling them to their first winning season in years with a 12-11 record. Her dominance was undeniable—she earned MIC Conference honors, All-Marion County recognition, and All-State selections, often as the only freshman on those lists. She finished the year ranked as the #1 freshman in Indiana and was named Freshman of the Year.

By her sophomore season, Lawrence Central had broken into the IBCA Top 20 for the first time in program history. Jaylah continued to rewrite the record books, leading the Lady Bears to multiple milestone victories, including their first-ever appearance in the Marion County Championship game, where they finished as runners-up. With no seniors on the court, she carried the team to the winningest season in school history, finishing 17-8. In a hard-fought sectional loss to Warren Central, Jaylah left everything on the court with a 31-point performance—proving that she wasn’t just talented, but a competitor who refused to back down.

As the 2023-24 season began, Jaylah’s relentless commitment to excellence became the heartbeat of the program. She demanded accountability—holding 6:00 a.m. workouts, leading by example, and instilling a championship mentality in her teammates. The results? Lawrence Central soared to its highest ranking ever—IBCA Top 10 and the only Indiana team to be ranked nationally. Jaylah led the Bears to their first-ever Marion County Championship, cementing her name in the school’s history books. And then, she did the unthinkable—she led them to 39 straight victories, culminating in a State Championship. Following her dazzling performance on the biggest stage, Jaylah was honored as both the Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year for Indiana—a testament to her dominance with a 30-1 record with zero in-state losses.

Now a senior, Jaylah has played the toughest schedule of her career. She has led Lawrence Central to victories over reigning state champions from Ohio and Kentucky—teams featuring McDonald’s All-Americans and the states Miss Basketball. Opponents have thrown everything at her—box-and-1s, triangle-and-2s, defensive schemes designed solely to stop her—but she continues to shine, leading her team to an impressive 22-2 record.

But Jaylah Lampley is more than just a basketball player—she is the culture-setter, the standard-bearer, the foundation of Lawrence Central’s rise. From day one, she embraced the responsibility of elevating a once-forgotten program, all while maintaining a 3.94 GPA, mentoring younger students as a peer teacher, and giving back to the next generation through volunteer coaching. Today, when people hear Lawrence Central Girls’ Basketball, one name comes to mind: Jaylah Lampley.

Her impact is undeniable. Her legacy is cemented. Her name belongs in the history books. For her transformative leadership, unmatched excellence on both ends of the floor, and the unparalleled impact she has had on Indiana high school basketball, Jaylah Lampley is an undeniable choice for 2025 Indiana Miss Basketball.