LANCASTER, New York — Mattie Francis has never been one to back down from a challenge.
And on Wednesday night in Lancaster, she committed to another one.
Francis, the No. 1 girls basketball recruit in the state, announced she’ll be taking her talents to the SEC and joining Mississippi State’s women’s basketball program next year. She chose the Bulldogs over some of the top programs in the nation, including Louisville, Maryland and Ohio State.
“I want a second family, and it felt like a second family to me,” Francis said.
The five-star power forward has risen to every challenge she’d faced throughout her career, setting program records at Lancaster, shattering box scores by averaging almost 30 points and 13 rebounds a game this past season and taking home a gold medal this summer with the United States U18 national team.
Those triumphs started from the beginning when she not only competed on her brother’s youth team with all boys, but was the best among them.
“She always had a fire about her when she played against boys,” her father Tony said. “She had something to prove, a chip on her shoulder.”
Tony is still grappling with his daughter being nearly 1,000 miles away but knows she’s prepared for this next step.
“That's one thing about her: she steps up, too,” he said. “And she's forceful with that.”
Mattie’s next challenge will be working to help her Mississippi State team return to the top of the SEC and Final Four for the first time since 2018. Now having the No. 27 player in the nation and highest-rated player in Western New York since 2021 will help their chances.
“This game has gotten so, so competitive, and women's basketball is on a rise right now, so it's amazing to just be a part of it and get to make history,” Mattie said.
Mattie Francis has never been one to back down from a challenge — and the SEC will learn that next.