By Amanda Scurlock for The LA Sentinel
Originally published July 22, 2026
During her junior year at Etiwanda, Grace Knox would wake up at 4 a.m. daily to practice. After a tutoring session, she would head to school. After practicing with her teammates, Knox would do another workout.
“I got on this schedule with my Dad of getting up at 4 a.m. every single day, especially whenever playoffs happened but even all season,” Knox said. “How much work I put into my shooting ability and it translated and made me confident on the court.”
The routine helped Knox average 17.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. The Eagles ultimately earned a CIF Open Division State title that season. Etiwanda was the top team in the nation during the 2023-2024 season; Knox also helped the Eagles defend their state title the following year.
Knox mentioned how she had to take on more of a leadership role during her senior season.
“We had to come together and use what we had to go as far as we could,” she said. “We didn’t want to graduate without another ring.”
On the way to her second CIF state championship, Knox became a 2025 McDonald’s All-American. She also was a member of the USA Women’s Nike Hoop Summit Team.
During her freshman year at Louisiana State University, Knox gleaned from the likes of MiLaysia Fulwiley and Flau’jae Johnson. They helped Knox understand collegiate basketball.
“I can see myself now, helping out the people who are new: the transfers or the freshmen,” Knox said. “Just being able to be that person that was there for me whenever I was looking for a role model.”
Throughout the 2025-2026 season, Knox made contributions off the bench, playing in 33 games. She averaged 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, making 11 starts.
For Knox, being a student athlete means preparing for life after being an athlete. She noted how balancing academics with athletics is something she is still working on.
“You prioritize being a student just as much as being an athlete,” Knox said. “Time management is such a real thing with all these workouts and classes, all the road trips and being tired.”
Knox is currently majoring in sports administration. She also wants to study entrepreneurship and branding. Her favorite class was a mental health class.
“I actually learned a lot more … about the brain and how it works and different reactions,” Knox said. “Learning about how that’s incorporated into sports and how important it is.”
Since she began attending LSU, Knox learned about a group of her family members that live in Baton Rouge. Her grandmother is a native, according to Knox.
“I have dozens and dozens of cousins,” she said. “A few of them came to the game and they showed me some of the family tree.”