MSU Women's Basketball Inks Three Kentuckians

Morehead, Ky. -- The Morehead State women's basketball team has announced the signing of three Kentucky high school seniors to join the program for the 2027-28 season. Jaelee Knowles is a senior at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, Kylie Kenner hails from Paintsville and Brookelyn Duckwyler is from Ashland Blazer High School.
 
"We are proud to sign three of the top players in the state of Kentucky in the 2027 class," said Morehead State head coach Jackie Alexander. "Keeping elite in-state talent home is important to us, and Jaelee, Kylie, and Brookelyn are outstanding additions to our program. Each brings a unique skill set, a competitive mindset, and tremendous potential.

 
Jaelee Knowles
 
Jaelee Knowles, a 6-0 forward at Frederick Douglas High School in Lexington, was the 11^th Region Player of the Year last season, and led the Broncos to the quarterfinals of the Sweet 16. She averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and was a Louisville Courier Journal Second Team All-State selection and was chosen as the Lexington Girls' City Player of the Year.
 
"We are excited to welcome Jaelee to the Morehead State family," said Alexander. "Her versatility is a tremendous asset, and her ability to play both on the perimeter and in the frontcourt gives her the opportunity to impact the game in a variety of ways."
 
As a sophomore, Knowles led Frederick Douglass to a Final Four finish in the Kentucky state tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team. She was named the 11^th Region Tournament MVP after posting 19 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in Douglass' championship game win over Madison Central. She ranked 11^th in the state hitting 57.8% from the floor.
 
"We love the flexibility she brings to our lineup and look forward to helping her continue to develop her game and reach her potential as an Eagle," added Alexander.
 
Kylie Kinner
 
Kylie Kinner, a 5-11 forward, is a two-sport star at Paintsville High School setting records in both basketball and volleyball. Last season as a junior, Kinner averaged 26.9 points per game, ranking sixth in Kentucky and was a consensus First Team All-State selection.  She finished the season as Paintsville High School's girls' all-time leading scorer with 3,042 points and is just 42 points shy of setting the school record for boys or girls. She hit 82.2% from the free throw line.
 
"Kylie is an exciting addition to our program because of her ability to score at all three levels," said Alexander. "She is a dynamic wing who can create opportunities for herself and put pressure on a defense in a variety of ways. Her offensive versatility will be a great asset to our team, and we are excited about the impact she can make at Morehead State. We cannot wait to get to work with her!"
 
In her sophomore season (2024-25), she was a Louisville Courier-Journal Third Team All-State selection after averaging 24.6 points per game ranking fifth in Kentucky. As a seventh grader, she set the Paintsville HS school record of 12 three-pointers in game.
 
On the volleyball court, Kinner is the state record holder with 3,195 career kills. She was named Miss Kentucky Volleyball for her outstanding play this season. She is a two-time First Team All-State selection and is a three-time 15^th Region Player of the Year. She also plans on playing on Morehead State's Beach Volleyball team next Spring.
  
 Brookelyn Duckwyler
 
Brookelyn Duckwyler, a 5-6 guard from Paul Blazer High School in Ashland, enters her senior season with the Kittens with 1,020 points, 477 rebounds and 326 steals in her career. She was named All-Area and was an Academic All-State Honorable Mention last season and was a member of the Kentucky Junior All Star Team.
 
"We are thrilled to add Brookelyn to our Morehead State family," said Alexander. "She is an athletic, versatile combo guard who brings an elite defensive mindset and the ability to make the game difficult for opposing players. We value toughness and competitiveness, and Brookelyn embodies the type of defensive presence we want in our program. We are excited about what she will bring to our team and look forward to seeing her continue to grow as an Eagle."
 
Duckwyler averaged 13.3 points and 154 rebounds per game at Blazer last season. She averaged 11 points per game in Blazer's run through the 16^th Region tournament, joining the Kittens' 1,000 point club in Blazer's win in the 16^th Region Tournament championship game. She scored 20 points in Blazer's state tournament opening round game against Simon Kenton.
 
Alexander said she is committed to bringing Kentucky players to the Morehead State women's program.

"We believe in building this program with the best players in our state, and we are excited about what these three can accomplish at Morehead State, she said. "It is about more than basketball, it is about investing in young women who will represent our university, our community, and our state at a high level."