LEBANON, Ill. – The women's basketball team will inherit a pair of transfers from the junior college ranks to add to its 2025 class. Combining with a large returning group, the program will be poised to produce another successful season.
Both players will be on campus at McKendree University in the coming months as they will prepare for the 2025-26 season.
Maliah Sparks | Belleville, Illinois | Parkland College
Point guard Maliah Sparks joins the Bearcat family after spending two years at in-state Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. She played volleyball in both years and stepped on the scene for basketball as a redshirt freshman during the 2024-25 season.
Sparks spoke on her enthusiasm in joining McKendree: 
"I chose McKendree because I can graduate early, but also I know that I will learn a lot more about basketball and working on the little things."
The 5-foot-7 Belleville, Illinois native and an alumna from Belleville West High School played in 24 of the 32 games for the Cobras, averaging 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3.3 steals per game, along with nine total blocks as she shot 42.6% from the floor and 30.6% from distance. She put up 10-plus points in 21 of the 24 outings, and has scored 20-plus on seven occasions, including a 30-point outburst against Danville Area Community College on March 4th.
She helped lead the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 24 Tournament semifinals with a 20-12 final record.
Sparks loves to play at a fast pace, doing her best to speed up the game and catch the opposition off guard with her complex style of offense. Her effectiveness for Parkland earned her both First Team selections to the Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) and the NJCAA Region 24 this season.
Academically at Parkland, she received honors list in three different semesters.
Sparks plans to major in Exercise Science when she gets to McKendree.
Madison Johnson | Harrisonville, Missouri | State Fair Community College
Guard Madison Johnson will join McKendree this coming season after spending her last two years at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri. There, she also participated with the track and field team in both years. 
Johnson spoke on her enthusiasm in joining McKendree:
"I chose McKendree because it felt like the right fit from the start. Coach Kerkhoff and Coach Helm made me feel incredibly welcomed, and I knew right away that they believed in me, not just as a player, but as a person too."
The 5-foot-6 native of Harrisonville, Missouri, and graduate of Harrisonville High School, started in all 61 games for the Roadrunners in the two-year span. In year one in 2023-24, she finished with an average of 5.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. Six times she has reached 10 or more points throughout the year.
In her recent season of 2024-25, Johnson averaged 8.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, plus six blocks while shooting 40.8% from the floor and 34.0% from three. She hit the 10-point plateau 12 times, including in seven of her last 10 outings.
Johnson brings in a high-pressure defense and shows aggressiveness in attacking the boards and pushing the ball up the court to create fast-break opportunities. She always looks to drive to the basket to score and to also get her teammates open.
She was a key part of State Fair's recent success, advancing to the NJCAA Region 16 Tournament championship game before falling short. The next year, she helped the team claim the Region 16 title, and their season would end in the first round of the NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Championship tournament. The Roadrunners were 46-15 overall in her two seasons.
Johnson was selected in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons with Second Team All-Conference within the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC).
On the Academic side, she made the dean's list for State Fair and was honored with Academic All-MCCAC in both years.
Johnson plans to major in Psychology once she arrives at McKendree.
FROM THE VOICE OF HEAD COACH KARI KERKHOFF
On Maliah Sparks:
"We are thrilled to welcome Maliah Sparks back home to McKendree women's basketball program. Her athleticism is unmatched, with her work ethic and drive, she now has the opportunity to become a true student of the game after playing two sports at Parkland. We believe she has tremendous potential to make a significant impact on our program."
On Madison Johnson:
"Madison Johnson is a big guard that brings the level of physicality we are looking for, and her competitive fire elevates everyone around her. She embraces every challenge and refuses to back down — exactly the kind of player to make an impact at McKendree."
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