PARKVILLE, Mo. (KCTV) – Park Hill South isn’t just home to the best girls basketball player in the state of Missouri, it’s home to one of the best in the country.
Senior Addison Bjorn is the 10th ranked recruit by ESPN in the Class of 2026, and has been a national name on the rise for several years now.
“The thing that’s been interesting over the last couple of years is to see that drive kind of evolve. She’s very driven on her own,” her father, Darren said.
This past summer Addison wrapped up her third straight year of competing for Team USA, and has won multiple gold medals from FIBA World Cups over the years with the team.
“I’ll remember every little moment from it,” Addison said about her experiences with Team USA. “Just sitting on the bleachers and listening to my name being called, I would say. Just that shock, and then telling my mom after that. But I would say the moment never gets old.”
“From a very young age she obviously had goals. She wrote them down. One of those goals being to win a gold medal,” her father added.
Her resume, paired with about 50 college offers, and it’s no wonder why she’s the reigning Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year.
“Obviously being a junior (in 2024-25) I really had no expectations,” she said about receiving the honor. “But that was one of my goals, that’s been one of my goals. So just finally achieving that was really great.”
Now that she’s a senior, she’s narrowed her college options down to a Top-7. She’s spending the fall taking official visits at UConn, Iowa, Notre Dame, UNC, Duke, Texas, and Kansas right down the road in Lawrence.
She told KCTV5 her top priority in picking a school is relationships.
“I’m gonna be spending the next four years with you, so I better know all you guys,” she said with a laugh. “But not just having that great relationship with the head coach, but also going down to the assistants because they’re gonna be coaching me as well.”
Her family is confident she’ll pick the perfect fit to help her achieve her big time goals.
“She has goals of competing for a National Championship,” her father added.
Even though she has a lot going on outside of high school, she’s still very excited about her final season as a Panther.
“We got a younger team so I’m excited to be a great leader for them, and just kinda make them feel comfortable. And most importantly just have fun this season,” she said.
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