Four Indiana Girls Basketball Stars Named 2026 Miss Basketball Finalists

The race for Indiana's most prestigious individual honor in girls basketball is down to four. Lilli Barnes of Valparaiso, Gracyn Gilliard of Center Grove, Lola Lampley of Lawrence Central, and Vanessa Rosswurm of Norwell are the finalists for the 2026 IndyStar Miss Basketball award, announced Wednesday by the Indianapolis Star.

The award, presented by the Indiana Fever, is decided by a vote of coaches across the state, making it one of the more credible individual honors in Indiana high school sports. It isn't a media popularity contest or a fan poll; the people who gameplan against these players every week are the ones casting ballots.

The four finalists represent a geographically diverse cross-section of Indiana basketball. Barnes brings a northwest Indiana pedigree from Valparaiso, while Gilliard has been a centerpiece of the Center Grove program in the Indianapolis suburbs. Lampley represents Lawrence Central, a program with a strong tradition in the Marion County basketball landscape, and Rosswurm has carried Norwell in the northeast part of the state.

Miss Basketball has served as a launching pad for some of the best players Indiana has produced. The finalists list alone signals that each of these four has had a season worth serious recognition at the state level.

The winner will be announced at a later date. With coaches as the electorate, the edge typically goes to the player who impacted winning most consistently, not just the one who put up the biggest individual numbers. All four finalists have a legitimate case.