Springfield’s all-time leading scorer ready to get started at Memphis
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BVM) — Makaiya Brooks may very well be the best high school girls basketball player to ever come through the Springfield, Mo. area. Her elite scoring prowess proved so, as Brooks racked up 2,359 points during her high school career.
Playing at Springfield Central High School, Brooks made an instant impact as just a freshman. The Bulldogs went 11-14, which was their first season with more than eight wins since 2011. The basketball standout averaged 22 points per game and tallied over 500 total points in just her first high school season.
As a sophomore, Brooks’ play would dip slightly — at least by her standards — in large part due to a foot fracture she had suffered earlier in the year. However, she still averaged 18 points per game and became a 1,000-point scorer that season.
But by junior year, she was fully healed and returned back to star form, becoming an all-state player while helping Central to a winning record. That set the stage for her senior season this past winter, which Brooks had high hopes for.
Right away, however, the Bulldogs would be faced with a difficult situation as the team had to quarantine before its first game. But staying resilient, Central would start the season hot and end in similar fashion, winning the program’s first district title since 1987.
“All season I was just focused on winning a district championship,” Brooks said. “It was super special to win it. I had been working for it for four years. I think it was important for us to win that to give the team the confidence they need. For the community and school it was really special, and just putting Central back on the map is great.”
Not only did Brooks lead her team to new heights, but she also entered some uncharted waters individually. Averaging 24 points per game as a senior while shooting 34% from three-point range, Brooks reached her aforementioned 2,359 career point total — the highest total ever in Springfield Public School history.
As a cherry on top, Brooks also finished No. 1 all-time in program history for 3-pointers made with 357.
“When it happened, I didn’t realize it,” Brooks said about breaking the scoring record. “I hit the shot and everyone started screaming. It was a great feeling, I never thought it would actually happen but the feeling of it happening was amazing.
“I did not think coming in as a freshman I could score that many points. I never kept track, I just went out and played basketball. I had great teammates that always pushed me to be better and I hope I gave everyone the confidence they need to do whatever they want to do in life, no matter where they come from.”
Brooks has simply had that confidence from the first time she picked up a basketball at age 4. Watching her three older step brothers play, Brooks immediately knew she wanted to do the same.
By third grade, she began playing AAU basketball with her dad’s team. She continued her AAU career through the years for the Arkansas Mavericks, CIA Elite and Team St. Louis. By age 14, Brooks was playing up at the 17U level, giving her invaluable experience.
“I think it’s helped me a lot and has really taken my game to a different level,” Brooks said. “I played up at 17U since I was 14, so I think that competitiveness and how strong and fast they were when I was that age made me work a little harder. You play great players that are going to UConn, Tennessee and places like that, so just playing with them ups your game a lot.”
By the end of her high school career, Brooks proved she belonged in this elite class of players by being named a McDonald’s All-American nominee.
“Being a McDonald’s All-American had always been a dream of mine,” Brooks said. “When I got the nomination, I was really, really excited.”
Now, Brooks will take her high-level talent to a notable Division I program. Throughout her recruiting process, she garnered interest from many schools, and considered staying local with Drury University. Brooks was also offered to play at Grand Canyon University as former Drury coach Molly Miller moved to take the head job with the Lopes.
However, it was the University of Memphis that ultimately caught Brooks’ eye. Early on in her high school career, the Tigers began taking notice of the shooting star, and with family living in the Memphis area, she considered it to be a good fit.
“Memphis saw me play in Atlanta going into my junior year,” Brooks said. “They had followed me from then to now. I got an offer from them and two weeks later I took it. They had always been in my interests. I have family that lives there so even as a freshman, I thought that might be somewhere I wanted to go.”
Last May, Brooks officially was offered by Memphis, and as she mentioned, it didn’t take long for her to commit.
110% committed !! 🔵⚫️@MidwestUnitedGB @EnergyNvrFades @MelissaMcFerrin @CHSLadyBulldogs pic.twitter.com/VQgXq2iYke
— Makaiya Brooks (@26Youngiverson) May 23, 2020
“I’m glad I picked Memphis, they felt like family from the moment they spoke to me,” she added. “They have believed in me and have followed me the whole time. They came to watch me play in one of my games on my birthday, so that had me excited. When they texted me, it wasn’t always just basketball related. That made me feel welcomed and like part of the family.”
While nervous for the new beginning and a higher level of basketball, Brooks is excited to join the Tigers and hopes to do nothing but win while in the state of Tennessee.
“I’m super excited to go there,” Brooks said. “I’m a little bit nervous because it’s a high level but I think if I just keep working hard, I can do it. I want to win some NCAA championships and really grow as a person, an athlete and a student.”
While Brooks’ first order of business is winning at Memphis and obtaining a degree, beyond, she has lofty expectations of playing at the highest level, and won’t stop until she gets there.
“Hopefully after Memphis I will play in the WNBA,” Brooks said. “It would be a dream come true. I know I have to keep working hard and harder than I have been. My ultimate goal is to play in the WNBA, win a championship there, become an MVP, All-Star, all of it. I just want to try and become the best player ever.”
