Alexis CubitLouisville Courier Journal
The NBA players whom millennials watched growing up are now passing the torch to their children. And it’s not just their sons.
While late Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant became the face of the ‘#GirlDad’ trend because of his daughter, the late Gigi Bryant, others fall into the same category. Gilbert Arenas and Zach Randolph were NBA stars in their own right, but to those attending Sierra Canyon (California) girls basketball games, they were the fathers of the team's two best players: Izela Arenas and Mackenly Randolph.
As high school players, Mackenly and Izela helped Sierra Canyon win district, state and national championships. Izela provided the Trailblazers with 16.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 stealsper game as a senior. Mackenly, who played for Bryant’s Mamba Academy, tallied 19.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals. She totaled 10 points and eight rebounds in her final prep game as Sierra Canyon fell to eventual state champion Etiwanda in the regional finals, finishing 31-3.
Izela and Mackenly will remain teammates at Louisville and carry their fathers’ legacies.Though similar in background, they differ in the dynamics they bring to Jeff Walz's Cardinals.
A flat-out scorer
Izela was the first of two players to commit to Louisville, a decision announced on her father’s YouTube show, "Gil’s Arena." Izela is more reserved in nature and intense on the court. Sierra Canyon girls basketball coach Alicia Komaki has known the four-star shooting guard since she was a seventh grader.
“She's one of the most unique kids I've ever met in my life,” Komaki said. “Just knowing what she's come from and how different she is and how much she's grown up and matured, that's one of the reasons I coach at this level is you get to see that development, which is huge at this stage of a young lady's life.”
Like Gilbert, who averaged 20.7 points and shot 35.1% from 3-point range in 12 NBA seasons,Izela is an efficient scorer. Izela, 88th in espnW HoopGurlz Class of 2024 Top 100, set Sierra Canyon’s girls basketball record for most 3-pointers made. She won Queen of the Court at the 2023 Overtime Elite Takeover. She hit four straight 3-pointers at the top of the key to take the title.
With U of L losing top scorers Kiki Jefferson and Sydney Taylor, Izela's scoring prowess will be welcomed.
“She's just a flat-out scorer,” Komaki said. "She'll score at three levels and does it in a variety of different ways. It's been fun just watching her grow and expand her game. Each year, it's like she added something new to her bag.”
Double-double machine
While Izela is more intense on the court, you won’t catch Mackenly without a smile on her face. The five-star forward has fun on the court, but her game is anything but a joke. Ranked 23rd in espnW HoopGurlz Top 100,Mackenly leaves Sierra Canyon as the program’s leading scorer and rebounder. She’s also the Trailblazers’ second McDonald's All-American, an accomplishment she shares with her father. Although Michigan State, Zach’s alma mater, was in Mackenly’s top three schools, she’ll create her own legacy at Louisville.
"Mac displays a relentless pursuit of excellence," Walz said in a statement. "She is a tremendous leader on and off the court and brings with her a championship mindset. Her energy is contagious, and her versatility will be showcased in our system. If you need a rebound, she will pursue it. Need a bucket, she'll manufacture points. She will win the hearts of the Cardinal faithful with her hustle, toughness and determination. She is a bonafide winner."
Mackenly is a well-rounded player, but her basketball performance isn’t her best trait. Komaki lauded her leadership, something that’s innate and developed.
“That was something that was truly special about the type of person and athlete that she was,” Komaki said of Mackenly. “We had a lot of conversations throughout her four years here about being the best leader that she could be, what that looks like, and how she could do better in certain situations or how she could back off in certain situations. So, there was a lot of mentoring.”
When Mackenlygot to Sierra Canyon in 2020, the team had one senior. Mackenly, who had just moved from Memphis, Tennessee, was one of the underclassmen who earned a starting role. She thrived as a leader and became a double-double threat, something that will be key for her college career.
At times last season, Louisville struggled to rebound. In six of its 10 losses, the team was outrebounded. Mackenly gives the Cardinals another physical, dominant player in the paint alongside Olivia Cochran, who opted to return for a fifth year, and Nyla Harris.
For the past four years, Sierra Canyon’s girls basketball program experienced the talented second generation of former NBA players. And now, it’s Louisville’s turn.
“They're going to know the expectations that coach Walz has for them, and the standard that Louisville basketball has, and that's why they chose it,” Komaki said. “They come from a winning program, and they want to keep winning. They know what it takes to do that. They know what it takes to be successful. They're ready.”
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
