Leah Macy can only watch Bethlehem play now due to a knee injury but hopes to be back on the court in January. (Larry Vaught Photo)
She’s not been able to play for about a month now because of a knee injury but Bardstown Bethlehem junior center Leah Macy will still make a visit to Connecticut.
Macy, a 6-3 five-star wing prospect, is one of the top 20 players nationally in the 2025 recruiting class with almost 40 scholarship offers already from many of the nation’s best programs and now she’ll get a chance to visit one of the nation’s most storied women’s programs.
Macy transferred from Mercy to Bethlehem this season and averaged 22.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the three games she has played this season. She averaged 25 points and 13.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Mercy and shot 61.4 percent from the field.
She was hoping to become the first Kentucky girl to reach 2,000 points and 2,000 rebounds in her career. She had a combined 841 rebounds the last two years and came into this season with 1,197 rebounds. The state career rebounding record is 1,978 by Sherry Gish of Muhlenberg County. Macy now has 1,228 and needs 750 more to tie the record and 772 to reach 2,000. She already has over 2,000 career points.
“I was going to be the first girl to have 2,000 points and 2,000 rebounds in the state and I was on track for that and it was going to be a big goal. I don’t think I can quite get that now (because of the injury),” Macy said this week while watching Bethlehem play in the Queen of the Commonwealth at Bullitt East.
“But a big thing is knowing what I want after high school is still most important to me. I still have my senior year and I don’t want to rush back and have problems in college. So I just have to keep that in mind.”
Here’s more insights from Macy as she waits to be cleared to return to the court soon.
Question: What is going on with you and how did you hurt yourself?
Macy: “We played December 2nd against McCracken County in Owensboro. I got a steal and was going on a fast break. I went up and a girl got under me and I landed pretty hard on my knee. I got really lucky actually. I only have a sprained ACL, bone bruise on my femur and bone bruise on my tibia. No surgery or anything like that, so very fortunate. The only bad thing about a bone bruise is that it just takes a lot of time to heal. I have been out since then and hope to come back sometime in early January when we come back from break and start practicing again and I can get back and see how I do. But I won’t know for sure until I start practicing.”
Question: What have you been doing since you cannot play/practice?
Macy: “I had to take it easy. Before last week I had just been resting. I was on crutches the first week so I couldn’t do anything. I started swimming this week. I didn’t realize how much exercise that was and how it works you but it made me really tired. I usually bike during every practice. I got to lift weights with my arms. I couldn’t lift anything with my legs and still can’t. So I had to take time off.”
Question: Since you have never been injured, what has having to take time off been like?
Macy: “I’ve never done that but it has been nice in some ways. It’s just unfortunate it is during the season. I also have to remember it is my junior year and I want to play for four years in college so taking this time off now will pay off instead of rushing back. I am going to play this season but I just don’t know when yet. This is the first time I have actually been sidelined.”
Question: What has sitting on the bench and watching been like?
Macy: “It has given me a new perspective. I am like a third coach. My little sister Loren has actually taken most of my minutes which has been good for her. She has had to grow up fast. When I come back we will be deeper than we were because some young players have had to step up and play big minutes. It just gives me a perspective, though, that I have never had. I have never seen the game from the side like this. I think when I come back to play some aspects will go into my game because of this.”
Question: How have you fit in with your new teammates?
Macy: “I played 2 1/2 games and we saw a lot of zone and junk defenses. We have taken some losses but they have a great mindset and they know they are missing me but it has given them time to work on stuff that will be good for us in the postseason.”
Question: Is the focus just being full speed and familiar with the team’s playing style by the time postseason play starts?
Macy: “I should be back no later than the All ‘A’ which is at the end of January hopefully if everything goes well. All that matters is Rupp (Arena) in March (at the state tournament). I just want to be healthy for that.”
Question: How many college coaches have reached out to check on you?
Macy: “Yes they have all done that and even told me training systems I need to do to help and certain things I can do. They see stuff like this all the time and obviously have the best trainers and doctors in their programs. They just say take time off, don’t rush back because it’s not worth the risk to rush back and they have emphasized that to me which has made me feel good. But they have also let me know as soon as I get back that they will be here to watch me. They just said to take all the time off I need.”
Question: What have you done to keep from being bored since you can’t play?
Macy: “We play about every day and the holidays are really busy. I think the holidays have made it better having something to look forward to. I am very vocal and still very engaged with all the girls on the team. We are like best friends so outside of basketball we always hang out and are together. I am still as engaged as I was playing. I have taken the mindset of just helping them get better.”
Question: Had you played against most of your current teammates before?
Macy: “The last time I played against Bethlehem was my eighth grade year and we played them in the first round of the region and got beat. But not the past two years when I was in Louisville.”
Question: How much fun is it to play with Carlie Thurmond, Bethlehem’s all-time leading scorer in basketball and soccer?
Macy: “I love Carlie. I would call her a quiet killer. She is quiet but when it is business time, it is business time. But outside of basketball I love hanging out with her. She is an awesome teammate and such a great competitor. She is so competitive and just wants to win all the time. You want a teammate like that and that’s how we all are. That is why they have always been so good. It’s just their mindset but Carlie is just a phenomenal athlete. She is really, really good in soccer and then really good in basketball. She is amazing.”
Question: Just how competitive are you?
Macy: “I am very, very competitive. Ever since I was little it was hard to stop me. With this injury everybody has wondered how I settled down. My family was like, ‘Oh gosh. I don’t know how we are going to keep her busy.’ I have taken it well. I have done as much as I could but I know I have to be patient. This has taught me patience I will need in college, so I guess I have learned some valuable lessons out of this that maybe I don’t recognize yet but maybe will in my future.”
