McLaughlin named Miss Basketball
Purdue signee Karissa McLaughlin was named Indiana Miss Basketball Thursday, becoming the ninth to play for the Boilermakers and the first since Courtney Moses in 2010.
McLaughlin, a senior at Fort Wayne Homestead, was honored Thursday night at the Indiana Sports Awards Banquet in Indianapolis. The incoming freshman guard was named on 155 of the 388 ballots submitted by the state’s coaches and media. Gary West’s Dana Evans, who is headed to Louisville, was second with 91 votes, while Greenfield-Central's Madison Wise, an Iowa State signee, was third with 62 votes.
“She’s a worker and a gym rat,” Coach Sharon Versyp said of McLaughlin in early April, after she had signed with Purdue. “... Her experience will elevate us. She’s a freshman but we’ve had freshman come in and do really great things.”
McLaughlin, who had originally signed at Florida, averaged 25.9 points, 5.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game as a senior, and she guided the Spartans to the Class 4A state championship.
During Thursday's acceptance speech, McLaughlin gave thanks to God and others.
"I'd like to thank my parents, my family, for your unwavering amount of support through this journey. It's been amazing," she said. "And I'd like to thank my coaches, my teammates, my trainer, they've really pushed me to be the best I can be as a person and a player."
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