Heights star sophomore out for season with torn ACL

Heights star sophomore Guard Zyanna Walker will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

The injury happened in a game against Southeast last Tuesday.

“We took a serious blow losing Zyanna,” said Heights Head Coach Ken Palmer. “She was such a hard worker and did so many good things with this team, we’re missing a lot of steals, rebounds, points and a lot of hustle, so the girls have a lot of makeup to do.”

Walker was one of the leading offensive forces for the undefeated Falcons, averaging more than 20 points a night.

The sophomore has offers from more than 20 DI programs, including all of the BIG 12 schools, aside from Baylor. ESPN ranks her as the fifth best guard in the country for her age group, and 14th overall prospect in the 2022 class.

“Seeing her hurt, knowing she can’t play basketball for a couple months just tore us down cause we still all have the ability to play,” said senior teammate Ashton Conley. “I think it just drove us, we’re going to play for her and win this for her.”

The Falcons look like a safe pick to win the class 6a state title, at 18-0 on the season, they’ve beaten opponents by an average of 38.7 points a night. Their closest game of the season was a 16 point win over Maize.

With the loss of Walker, the road to the championship will undoubtedly be more difficult, but the Falcons are dedicating the rest of their season to her.

“It’s emotionally devastating but if anything it just gives us fuel to the fire and makes us want to play harder for her,” said sophomore teammate Cayanna Stanley. “It just makes us want to go out there and continue the legacy and win state for her.”