INDIANAPOLIS — The Lawrence Central High School girls basketball team fell just short of a Class 4A state championship appearance this season. But senior Lola Lampley is still making history and preparing for the next step in her career.
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Basketball runs deep in Indiana, and Lampley is adding her name to that legacy.
“Ive been dreaming of this since I was young," said Lampley after her McDonald's All-American jersey ceremony on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-2 senior became the only Indiana player, male or female, selected to play in the 2026 McDonald's All-American Game.
“To have the jersey in my hands, it feels special," she told WRTV.
She is also the first girls' basketball player in Lawrence Central history to earn the honor, and second in school history after Kyle Guy.
“This is the most prestigious high school award that anybody can get," said the school's athletic director, Mosi Barnes.
Lampley is one of just 24 girls selected nationwide from more than 700 nominees.
“There's nobody from the area obviously that made it, so that kind of…you can do anything that you put your mind to, no matter where you're from, no matter where you start. It's never too late, you know what I mean? So it definitely feels good," Lampley told WRTV.
Her impact is already resonating with younger players.
“It really inspires me to be great and, you know, take after her footsteps because she left a really big impact on my life just coming in being a role model, a therapist, a sister, a big sister,” said Lawrence Central freshman Amyla Williams.
The milestone is especially meaningful for Lampley’s coach, who is also her mother.
“I'm proud of her for all her accomplishments, more so than anything. Just how she represents the community, how she represents our school, her teammates, her classmates, and really the state of Indiana at this point,” said Jannon Lampley, Lawrence Central girls basketball coach.
In 2024, Jannon Lampley made history alongside her daughters, Lola and Jahyla, by becoming the first Black woman to lead her team to a state championship in Indiana. Two years later, she is watching her daughter break barriers of her own.
“It says that she dreams big, and I think that. No matter what it is, young kids can dream that and do their best to replicate," said Coach Lampley, who also noted the award takes both mental and physical dedication.
Lampley has committed to play for LSU Tigers women's basketball. She said the moment is about more than basketball.
“I'm so blessed for the opportunity to even be seen, you know, in this way. To be recognized, to be so supported by Lawrence Township in general. I'm so super blessed.”
Lampley will play in the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 31 in Phoenix. Tipoff for the girls game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The event supports Ronald McDonald House Charities.
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