Indiana
Who will win 2025 Indiana Miss Basketball? Have your say.
The season’s done, campaigning is complete and the votes have been cast. That’s right, folks. It’s almost time to crown the 2025 IndyStar Indiana Miss Basketball. I have no idea who it will be and, as a reminder, had literally no involvement in the process beyond the single (1) vote I cast Tuesday. (I know there will still be knuckleheads who yell at me/IndyStar about it, but at least you — someone who is decidedly not a knucklehead — will know better.)
As we await the final results, let’s evaluate the field. (Have your say in poll at bottom of article.)
The frontrunners
Addi Baxter, Columbia City
Baxter capped her decorated career by leading Columbia City to its first sectional and regional titles since 1999-2000. The Butler-bound guard averaged 24 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 5.3 steals for the semistate runner-up Eagles, who finished the season 24-5. Baxter holds the school records for career points (1,859), assists (523), steals (478) and field goals made, plus season records for field goals, points, assists and steals.
Jaylah Lampley, Lawrence Central
The record-setting Mississippi State commit led the Bears to new heights during her four seasons, collecting 81 wins and the first state championship in school history (2023-24). Individually, she set the school scoring record with 1,802 points, and rounded out her line with 580 rebounds, 209 steals, 201 assists and 52 blocks. Lampley enjoyed a career year as a senior, averaging 21.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.6 steals over 24 games.
Maya Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern
The sharpshooting Makalusky led the Royals to their first sectional and regional championships since 2018-19, then nearly led them to a semistate crown, totaling 37 points, eight rebounds, four assists and five steals against Valparaiso and Warsaw. The IU commit finished the season averaging 22.1 points and 6.9 rebounds, and is the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,933 points.
Kira Reynolds, South Bend Washington
Reynolds is immortalized among the state’s greatest shot blockers of all time. The 6-3 forward totaled 170 as a senior (6.5 per game), leaving her with 593 for her career. She also averaged 14.8 points on 52% shooting, 13.4 rebounds (4.9 offensive), 6.0 assists and 3.5 steals for the sectional champion Panthers. The Purdue-bound standout finished her career with 1,444 points (57% shooter), 1,184 rebounds, 380 assists and 221 steals.
Meredith Tippner, Noblesville
Tippner’s athletic exploits include a state basketball title her freshman year, three consecutive state soccer championships and a 155-25-6 cumulative record between the two sports. She set the single-season scoring record as a senior, pouring in 623 points (26 ppg) against the state’s ninth-toughest schedule. The Miami commit also averaged 9.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.0 steals this season, and finished her career ranked second all-time in points (1,779), rebounds (913) and assists (337), and with a school-record 326 steals.
The contenders/dark horses
It would not surprise me to see either player among the finalists.
Hadley Crosier, Lanesville
Crosier, a Maryville (Mo.) commit, underwent ACL reconstruction surgery on March 1, 2024. She worked tirelessly over the summer and returned in time for the start of her senior season on Nov. 14. A two-time Class A state champion, Crosier led the Eagles to their seventh consecutive sectional championship as a senior, averaging 17 points, 3.5 assists and 4.3 steals. She finished her career with 1,378 points (second all-time) and school records for steals (423), assists (402) and 3-pointers (119), plus a record of 104-9.
Avery Gordon, Brownsburg
The Purdue-bound Gordon finished her career second on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,626 points, to go with 816 rebounds and 227 blocks. She was a wickedly efficient scorer throughout her career (56%), and finished out her four-year career with a stellar senior campaign, setting career-highs in points (20.3 per game), rebounds (10.3 per game), blocks (80 total) and double-doubles (14).
Have your say: Who should win 2025 IndyStar Miss Basketball?
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Indiana saw a significant decline in veteran homelessness last year, despite the total number of homelessness rising across the state.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annual estimation of the homeless population, known as the Point in Time (PIT) count, Indiana saw an 18.7% decline in veteran homelessness in 2025 compared to the year before.
That marked the second-largest decline of any state by percentage.
Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF) of Indiana specializes in assistance for veterans facing homelessness. CEO Emmy Hildebrand told News 8 the formula that’s finding success is the same that works with any at-risk group: housing and wrap-around services.
Hildebrand said that the formula needs support from the state.
“There is no state funding supporting homeless services in our state,” Hildebrand said. “And very little local funding outside Indianapolis.”
Safety net programs have faced budget cuts, with lawmakers eliminating funding for the Housing First program in 2025. It supported organizations helping people secure stable housing.
And housing advocates have criticized Indiana’s public camping ban as essentially making it illegal to be homeless.
HVAF client Terri Massey, a 34-year-old Navy veteran, said the stigma of being homeless was the most difficult challenge to overcome.
“I’m still trying to provide for my kids,” Massey said “I’m (not) out here being lazy or not trying to do better.”
Massey was working, supporting her children, but found herself sleeping in cars and hotel rooms because she didn’t have stable housing. “Going to that work, working 10 hours, leaving, going to sleep in my car.”
HVAF helped place Massey in a permanent apartment. HVAF also placed Massey in a different kind of “bootcamp” years after her time in the military, learning job skills. She’s looking for a job, but thankful to do it from a place she can call home.
“I am beyond grateful and thankful. I literally pray and thank God every day,” Massey said. “Because for the longest I felt like I was alone. And I had to figure everything out by myself. I didn’t.”
It’s estimated that seven percent of Indiana’s homeless are veterans. Hildebrand said there are federal funds for organizations working with veterans, which support HVAF’s programs.
Still, finding permanent housing is a struggle.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for every 100 extremely low-income households in Indiana, just 34 rental homes are affordable and available.
“There are so many people on the bubble that are just one emergency away from living in their car, staying with friends and family, or living on the streets because we don’t have the appropriate system here in Indiana,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand said lawmakers assured her they would work to support homeless services, but she hasn’t seen any drafted legislation that might be introduced in the next legislative session.
Across the country, about one in 25 people experiencing homelessness previously served active duty in the armed forces, according to numbers from HUD. Veteran homelessness declined 56% between 2009 and 2025.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has issued an Air Quality Action Day for July 8th in Northwest Indiana.
Ozone levels are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range, also known as the “orange” level. While not everyone will notice or be effected by the conditions, and while they may not be as severe as recent wildfire smoke events, individuals with asthma, COPD, and other health issues should proceed with caution when exercising outside.
Ozone levels are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range, also known as the “orange” level. (WSBT Photo)
The affected area is all of Northwest Indiana, including the cities of: Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Kentland, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Rensselaer, Valparaiso and all other cities in the region, especially those near Lake Michigan.
Warm temperatures, mostly sunny skies, and light and varied winds coming off of Lake Michigan are expected to contribute to elevated ozone levels.
To stay up to date on issuances and quality levels in Indiana, visit SmogWatch.IN.gov.
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