Norman High’s Keeley Parks Named 2X Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year
From her freshman to her senior year, Keeley Parks was a player to watch for the Norman Tigers. Parks ended her high school career with a 83-26 record, including a trip to the state championship in 2023 and the state semifinals in 2025.
The two-time Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year averaged 25.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 3.9 assists per game in her senior year. Head Coach Frankie Parks, who was named OGBCA Central Region Coach of the Year, credited his daughter’s accolades and awards to hard work.
“She was very fortunate to have older siblings to help show her that path along that way, and that started early for her as a kid. She was able to watch her sisters do their thing and then she was able to do it herself,” Frankie Parks said. “Keeley has put in a lot of work, and it started early in her childhood.”
Despite being injured and a game-time decision in this year’s state quarterfinals game against Union, Keeley still found a way to impact the game and help her team advance.
The Tigers were trailing by 2 with 12.3 seconds left in the 4th quarter, before Halyn Browning found Keeley Parks, who drilled a 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds left on the clock to keep Norman’s season alive. It was a moment Frankie Parks will never forget.
“I think this year’s state tournament stood out the most and was probably the most special out of the bunch,” he said. “Her ability to sustain that injury and show up for us at the end of the game with that shot was pretty special for me. I think that game helped cement who she was as a player, healthy or hurt.”
As a 5-star recruit, the next step for Keeley is playing college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. She announced her commitment to the Jayhawks on Nov. 24 and it was a surreal moment for the Parks household.
Mikayla Parks, Keeley’s sister, plays for the Kansas State Wildcats and won two state championships with the Norman Tigers in 2019 and 2021. With Keeley heading to Lawrence, the Parks sisters will be playing against each other in the Sunflower Showdown.
“That’s going to be pretty fun,” Frankie Parks said. “The competitive nature of the two has already started, when it comes to that rivalry. This is going to be a fun time for us as a family. At the end of the day, we look at it as being fortunate that we have two kids competing against each other.”
Keeley will be looking to continue her basketball success at the collegiate level in the Big 12. Her high school career may be over, but the all-time leading scorer has put her name in the record books at Norman High.– BSM
Career highlights:
- State title appearance in 2023
- State semifinal appearance in 2025
- 2-time Oklahoman Super 5 Player of the Year
- Named to the All-State Team in 2025
- 2-Time Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year
- 6A District 2 Most Valuable Player
By Connor Pasby
