Humphreys' Mikayla Thomas averaged 17 points, eight assists and four steals per game for a Blackhawks team that went 17-3 and won the school's first Far East Division I Tournament title. (Yena Shin/Special to Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Bringing home Humphreys’ first Far East Division I girls basketball title was Mikayla Thomas’ top achievement thus far in her high school basketball career.
But it was what happened just before Far East that may have set the tone for the Blackhawks’ D-I title drive.
They entered the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference postseason Cup tournament having gone 8-2 in the regular season, only losing twice to league champion Seoul Foreign.
That became three losses to the Crusaders, a 46-37 defeat, in the Cup final on Jan. 24, 10 days before Far East.
That loss burned inside Thomas, Humphreys’ junior point guard. She said that she and her teammates took it as a fire under their feet going into the D-I tournament.
“Our goal was to win KAIAC … we took it (finals loss) as a motivational boost for us going into Far East, to make us want to win Far East,” Thomas said. “We kept that focus all three days.”
And they took care of what they called unfinished business. Thomas scored 10 points as the Blackhawks downed American School In Japan 25-21 in the D-I tournament final on Feb. 4. They finished 17-3 on the season, going 4-0 during Far East.
Thomas was named the tournament Most Valuable Player and earned her second straight All-Tournament selection.
And Thomas has been named Stars and Stripes Pacific’s girls basketball Athlete of the Year. She edged out junior guard Misaki Matsuoka of two-time Division II champion Christian Academy Japan.
It was a vast improvement from a Humphreys team that went 11-12 in 2024-25, finishing fourth in the D-I tournament.
“This year was a way better turnout,” Thomas said. “We worked on skills, fundamentals and coming together as a team.”
It helped that Thomas had a handful of skilled teammates, including D-I All-Tournament selections Deja Wilson, Haley Mitchell and Saniya Sherman, among others who comprised a cohesive unit, Thomas said.
“There’s five people on the court,” Thomas said. “Making sure everybody was doing their job, doing their part was the reason for our success during the season.”
If those teammates provide the fuel, Thomas was the point guard who ignited the engine. She averaged 17 points, eight assists and four steals per game.
“Being able to see the whole floor and get everybody involved,” Thomas said. “That’s what I worked on all summer.”
“We challenged her to do that,” Blackhawks coach Eddie Rozzi said. “That was something she grew into.”
Thomas doesn’t put down the game outside of high school. She has also played with and against interservice teams in company- and post-level play on base.
“They’re physical, it’s a faster pace and I learn more from some of them; some have played college ball,” Thomas said.
As for what’s to come, Thomas and Sherman are due to graduate next June and Thomas says they have goals: to win the KAIAC Cup tournament next year and repeat as Far East D-I champions.
“We’re in the gym every day,” Thomas said of she and Sherman. “Next year our goal is to go unbeaten in region.”
Age: 16.
Place of birth: Greenville, N.C.
Sports she’s played: Only basketball in high school; prior, she did track and field, flag football, dance, volleyball, softball.
Sports she enjoys watching: College basketball.
Favorite athletes: A’ja Wilson, Anthony Edwards.
Favorite school subject: Language Arts.
Least favorite subject: Math.
Favorite forms of entertainment: 90s R&B, painting and drawing.
