Three Kentucky high school seniors signed letters of intent Wednesday to play for Western Kentucky’s women’s basketball team.

Whitney Creech (Jenkins High School, Jenkins), Malaka Frank (Franklin County, Frankfort) and Sarah Price (Bath County, Owingsville) all inked with the Lady Toppers as the first members of coach Michelle Clark-Heard’s fifth signing class.

“I’m excited and appreciative for these three outstanding young ladies,” Heard said in a WKU release. “We have been recruiting each of them for a few years now. 

“They exemplify what Lady Topper basketball is all about. They are gifted players, hardworking teammates, outstanding students and high-character individuals. I’m so proud they are leading the future of Lady Topper basketball.”

The 5-foot-9 Creech first played on Jenkins’ varsity team as a sixth-grader during the 2009-10 season. The senior has been Kentucky’s leading scorer in each of her last three seasons, including a 42 points per game mark as a junior in 2014-15.

Her 42-point average made her the top high school scorer in the nation, per WKU. 

Creech has averaged more than 20 ppg in every season since 2011-12 and has scored 3,912 points in her varsity career through the end of her junior season. She holds Jenkins’ school record for career points and scored a single-game school-record 64 points against Clintwood (Va.) on Jan. 2.

Creech is a five-time All-District 53 selection, a three-time All-Region 14 pick and a three-time All-State choice (honorable mention in 2012-13, second team in 2013-14 and first team in 2014-15). She was also named the Area Player of the Year following her junior season.

Creech has averaged a double-double in each of her last two seasons, pulling down 10.5 boards per game as a sophomore and 11.6 as a junior. She has also averaged better than two assists and two steals per contest over that period.

She played her AAU basketball with Team Slink AAU and also received interest from Middle Tennessee, Marshall, Furman and East Tennessee State. Creech has also excelled on the softball field for Jenkins as a two-time All-District and All-Region selection.

“Whitney will bring a lot to our program,” Heard said. “She’s obviously an incredible scorer, but is also a strong rebounder and a gifted passer. 

“Every time I see her play I’m surprised by how many points she scores because she’s such a team player, that it doesn’t seem like she’s shooting enough for that many points. Her skill and team play is what I’ve always loved. 

“She will have seven years of varsity experience when she graduates and has continued to grow as a player each year that she has played. Whitney is a self-motivated gym rat who loves to be in the gym working on her game. We may have to put her dorm room under the bleachers in Diddle. She wants to win championships.”

Frank, who stands at 5-10, will earn her sixth varsity letter in basketball at Franklin County in 2015-16 before joining the Lady Toppers next fall. She has helped lead the Flyers to a 74-24 record over the last three seasons with a pair of district championships and a Region 11 championship in 2014-15.

Frank has been named to the District All-Tournament Team in each of her last three seasons, the Regional All-Tournament Team as a junior and the All-Region Team as a sophomore in 2013-14. She has also received the team’s award as the best defender for each of the last four years, the individual instruction award in 2011-12 and the field goal percentage award in 2013-14.

She has averaged 10 or more points per game in each of the last two seasons and also pulled down seven rebounds per contest as a junior. She has also factored into games as a distributor, dishing out two assists per game over the last two years.

Frank played her AAU basketball with the Kentucky Top Prospects under head coach and WKU alum Jon Washington and Kentucky Premier under head coach David Tapley. She was also recruited by Missouri and Marshall.

In addition to her basketball career, Frank has also competed in track and field for Franklin County, earning the Most Valuable Sprinter award.

“The first time I saw Malaka I knew we needed her off-the-chart-energy and defensive aggressiveness,” Heard said. “She will impact our intensity in practice and in games every day of her four years here. 

“Malaka has played nearly every position and has no fear of facing post players or point guards. She’d guard the team bus if I asked her. 

“She can handle the ball well and is able to get to the basket whenever she wants. Malaka, like Sarah and Whitney, comes from a great family and has had great coaching. She’s a winner on and off the court and will represent WKU with passion and great pride.”

The 6-1 Price began her varsity playing career at Bath County as an eighth-grader in 2011-12 and has since developed into a force on both sides of the ball for the Wildcats, averaging a double-double in each of her last three seasons.

Price is a four-time All-State Honorable Mention selection by the Lexington Herald-Leader, a three-time All-District 61 Tournament choice and three-time All-Area pick. The forward also helped Bath County to capture the Class A regional championship and the runner-up spot in the district as a junior in 2014-15.

Since the 2012-13 season as a ninth grader, Price has averaged no fewer than 14.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game during a campaign, and her field goal percentage has been no lower than 47.1 percent in any of the last three years. She has also become a strong free-throw shooter, converting more than 80 percent of her chances from the charity stripe as a sophomore and junior.

Under coaches Troy Lee Thomas and Melanie Rogers, Price has eclipsed the 1,000-point mark during her career and is fewer than 100 rebounds from collecting 1,000 boards.

Price played her AAU basketball with the West Virginia Thunder and head coach Scott Johnson and also received interest from Butler.

Prior to beginning her varsity basketball career, Price also earned one varsity letter in softball as a seventh-grader in 2010-11.

“We are very thankful to add another Kentucky player to our roster in Sarah,” Heard said. “The first thing that caught my eye about Sarah is her relentless effort – she will play hard and run the floor until the lights go out. 

“She is a highly skilled post player who can play facing the basket or with her back to the basket. She will remind our fans of some the great versatile post players who have been with WKU in the past. 

“Sarah is a double-double threat each time she steps onto the court. She has worked hard on the court and in the weight room every year. She wants to be great and is willing to work to earn it.”