Five Pikes Peak region girls basketball players to watch this season
As the 2025-26 prep basketball season begins, many teams aim to right wrongs from the previous year.
Last year marked the first time since 2022 that no area schools hoisted the state championship trophy to close the season. Air Academy finished as 5A’s runner-up and Colorado Springs Christian’s three-peat bid ended in the 3A semifinals.
Several players will battle to help their teams reach the conclusion of the winter sports season. Here are five area girls basketball players to watch in the upcoming season:
Kinley Asp, sr., Air Academy
In three years on the court, the Boston College signee has never missed the state title game.
Asp won consecutive 3A championships with Colorado Springs Christian School as a freshman and sophomore. Last year, her first with 5A Air Academy, Asp helped the Kadets finish as state runners-up.
Asp enters her senior campaign with a 78-3 mark and has yet to drop a home game (35-0) in three years between Colorado Springs Christian School and at Air Academy. The two-time state champion is also 75 assists shy and 41 rebounds away from 500 in each category.
Rose Ross, jr., Colorado Springs Christian School
Ross returns to the Lions as they enter the season as 3A’s top-ranked team, in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s preseason poll.
The Lions guard led her team in points (506) and assists (119) last season. After Ross started 2024 with 13 and 9 points in the Lions’ first two games, she reached double figures in 22 of 24 contests for Colorado Springs Christian and dropped a career-high 30 points against Skyview Academy on Dec. 19.
The junior’s lockdown defense yielded 135 steals in 26 games, which was second behind teammate Jordyn Rollins’ 163. And Ross nearly had a triple-double against James Irwin with 22 points, 11 steals and nine rebounds on Jan. 10.
Isabella Monk, sr., Widefield
Monk led the Gladiators in every statistical category last season except assists. The senior led Widefield with 336 total points as a junior and cracked 1,000 during the 2024-25 season.
In her final three games last year, Monk scored at least 24 points including a career-high 41 in a 67-35 win against Harrison. Monk’s 16 points per game was a career best and the senior hopes to lead the Gladiators to their third consecutive playoff berth.
Monk scored 24 points in her playoff debut in 2023 as well as last season against Pueblo County. The senior looks to boost the Gladiators to their first playoff win since 2019.
Deja Burns, sr., Sierra
Good luck getting past Burns to get a bucket. The Stallions senior rarely left games with fewer than two blocks last year.
Burns finished 15th in the nation with 155 blocks and swatted two or more shots in 23 of 24 contests for the 2024-25 campaign. The Stallions center etched her name in CHSAA’s record books and had the eighth most blocks in a season with 155.
On Dec. 5, 2024, Burns earned 16 blocks against Dakota Ridge, which was tied for third most all-time. In 24 games, Burns had two triple-doubles and earned nine double-doubles.
Jaela Pedro, sr., St. Mary’s
Pedro is 83 points shy of 1,000 for her career and comes off her best season scoring the basketball. The Pirates guard averaged 14.8 as a junior and poured in 340 points in 23 games last year.
In her first nine contests of the 2024-25 campaign, Pedro scored 11 or more and notched a career-high 31 points in a 55-44 victory against Longmont on Dec. 7. Pedro also stepped up her defense and rebounding last year and averaged career bests in rebounds (7.6) and steals (2.2).