Joplin High School’s girls varsity basketball team enters the 2025–26 season determined to turn tangible growth into wins, leaning on a veteran senior core and a deeper supporting cast in one of Missouri’s toughest Class 6 districts. The Lady Eagles showed signs of progress last year, and this winter’s group is built to push that forward with a clearer identity, more experience, and higher expectations.
Everything starts with senior star Alissa Owens, the engine of Joplin’s attack and the player opponents must game-plan around. She is a true three-level scorer who can hit from the perimeter, get to the rim, and finish through contact, while also rebounding well for her position and taking on difficult defensive assignments. Her versatility allows the coaching staff to move her across the lineup, using her on the wing, at the top of the floor, or as a mismatch in the high post. Owens’ leadership, competitiveness, and consistency set the tone for a program trying to climb the Class 6 ladder.
Sharing that leadership load are fellow seniors Solei Parker and Ava Wolf, who give Joplin stability at key spots. Parker, a relentless on-ball defender at guard, brings intensity every possession and has expanded her offensive game to become more of a scoring threat rather than just a facilitator. Wolf, a tough forward, provides interior grit: boxing out, diving on the floor, and finishing around the basket on dump-offs and offensive rebounds. Together, the trio forms a senior core that understands the demands of conference play and embraces the responsibility of guiding younger teammates.
Behind them, the Lady Eagles benefit from a growing group of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen who add depth and versatility. A guard like junior Kyrie Britton helps push tempo and create opportunities in transition, while forwards in the underclass ranks supply rebounding, length, and defensive flexibility. Freshman contributors bring energy and upside, giving Joplin a multi-year foundation rather than a one-season window.
Under head coach Luke Cox, Joplin’s identity is grounded in defense, toughness, and incremental improvement. Practices and game plans emphasize making every catch, cut, and shot difficult for opponents, then turning stops into easier offensive chances. On the offensive end, the focus is on reducing turnovers, sharing the ball, and trusting the system to generate high-quality shots rather than relying solely on individual heroics. If the Lady Eagles continue to buy into that formula, this team has the pieces to take a meaningful step forward and push itself into the conversation as a more consistent contender in Class 6 District 6.
