The 33rd District enters the new season with storylines everywhere: a defending champion with a new coach, rising stars across the region, and programs rebuilding with renewed stability.
From Cooper’s title-tested core to Ryle’s maturing talent, Conner’s returning youth, and Boone County’s effort to bounce back, the district again promises depth, pressure, and unpredictability.
Here’s a look at the 33rd District girls’ basketball teams:
Cooper (26-6 in 2024-25)
Most new coaches inherit uncertainty. Christian Prohaska inherited a powerhouse — and she didn’t walk in looking to change it
“I walked into a great situation with a very competitive, very successful program,” she said. “I didn’t want to change everything or make sure I put my own stamp on the program. I just wanted to build off where they’ve been and hopefully take them to higher heights.”
The Lady Jaguars return a Division I-caliber centerpiece in junior Haylee Noel — with offers from Missouri, Seton Hall, Butler, Cincinnati, Arkansas and more — who led Cooper last season in nearly every major statistical category. Prohaska called her work ethic “unmatched… even the kids that I’ve recruited at the Division I level.”
But Cooper’s strength stretches well beyond its star.
Senior Addyson Brissey returns after finishing second on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game and earning Kentucky Junior All-Star honors. She also holds offers from Kentucky Wesleyan and Southern Connecticut State.
“I’m excited for everyone to see her shoot out of a cannon,” Prohaska said. “Everyone will be really surprised with her.”
Cooper also brings back key contributors Alivia Scott, Brinkli Rankin and Lyric Hooper.
Prohaska, who coaches alongside her husband, Adam, joked that they’re “trying to be Nell and Dean Fookes,” the Boone County duo she once played for.
And as she begins her first season, her vision mirrors the program she now leads: “Get better every day… and come March, be prepared and ready to go.”
Ryle (9-23 in 2024-25)
Talent hasn’t been an issue for Ryle, but this year they have something just as valuable: maturity.
Last year’s youth showed, and the Lady Raiders fell in the 9th Region quarterfinals to Highlands after seven straight years advancing past the first round.
With freshman Jayden McLain, a Division I prospect, and senior Jaelyn Jones, a Division I commit leading the way and a young but more seasoned group behind them, the Lady Raiders look ready to take the next step.
Jones (18.2 ppg) is committed to Western Illinois, and McClain (10.2 ppg) holds offers from Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, SMU, UCF, Clemson, Florida State, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Georgia.
Ryle now has three seniors after having just one last year, plus returning young pieces in freshmen Laynee Hampton and Emerson Dowell, who played over 30 games as eighth graders.
“They’re going to have an impact in a different way than they did a season ago,” head coach Katie Haitz said.
They also added junior Gianna Cooper, a transfer from Cooper.
Offensively, Haitz said Ryle will remain “a transition team,” but they’ve focused on decision-making, passing and reducing turnovers. Practices, she said, are “so much more intense” with players understanding “what needs to be done for us to be successful this year.”
And the chemistry? Easy to spot. The team shows up to practice with themed days like funky socks or saggy shorts. A looser, more seasoned group, looking to get back to the top.
Conner (9–19 in 2024-25)
After navigating last season with just two seniors on the roster, Conner returns almost its entire core.
Still young, but now experienced.
“In my rotation I’ve got two seniors, four sophomores, a freshman and a seventh grader,” Conner coach Michelle Gambrel said. “But other than the seventh grader, they all played varsity minutes last year.”
Senior Izelee Kerns, the team’s leading scorer, remains the focal point. The two-sport standout is committed to Division I Western Michigan for soccer and will miss a December game after being selected for an All-American game in South Carolina.
“She’s our leader on the floor,” Gambrel said. “As far as Izelee takes us is how far we’ll go.”
Sophomore Rhys Everett returns as the top rebounder, and Gambrel expects her numbers to rise with defenses leaning toward Kerns. One of the biggest surprises has been seventh grader Hadley Bertsch, who didn’t play in the summer due to foot surgery but after an intersquad scrimmage has played her way into the rotation.
“If you walked in the gym, you wouldn’t know she’s in seventh grade,” Gambrel said. “She’s confident, she’s physical. She’s been really good for us.”
Conner will again rely on its five-out motion, emphasizing spacing, cutting and screening.
“We’re not the quickest team, so five-out fits us,” Gambrel said. “The girls worked hard all summer, and it’s showing.”
With experience and depth finally catching up to their talent, Gambrel believes the Lady Cougars are “trending upward.
Boone County (1-26 in 2024-25)
After navigating an uncertain offseason and finishing with just one win last year, Boone County enters this season with a much steadier foundation.
“This offseason hasn’t been quite the same,” second-year head coach Marcus Harris said. “I took over in the summer, right before school, so we really didn’t have a traditional offseason. We had a summer program this offseason. The girls have been getting used to me on and off the court and know what I expect. That’s definitely helping us build back up the program.”
Harris — or “old man” and “grandpa,” as his players jokingly call him — knows what winning looks like. He was the freshman coach and a varsity assistant at Holy Cross during the 2015 state championship run, the first girls basketball team from Northern Kentucky to win it all.
Experience isn’t limited to the sidelines, either. The Lady Rebels return leading scorer Eiriyana Collins, who averaged 7.9 points last season, and welcome back Avery Jones after a year away from basketball.
“She can light it up from deep, but she’s also a very smart player,” Harris said of Jones.
Several players, including Jones, are multi-sport athletes, giving Boone County natural speed and athleticism. Harris plans to lean into that strength — pushing the pace in transition and relying on a man-to-man, “hard-nosed” defensive identity.
The roster features a little of everything: six seniors providing leadership, plus two eighth graders and a seventh grader gaining early varsity experience.