'The Lord & a seatbelt' saved Myah Epps: On life, basketball following near-fatal crash

FORT WAYNE — It takes only a couple minutes before someone recognizes Myah Epps while she's waiting in line at Chick-fil-A. It's an employee around the same age who notices the Homestead High School senior as she returns from dropping off an order. I pray for you every day, she says as she gently wraps her arms around Myah, back brace and all.

Life in the spotlight isn't necessarily anything new for Epps, whose basketball prowess has long preceded her. The 5-foot-10 combo guard totaled 1,560 points, 445 assists and 217 steals in four seasons at Homestead , guiding the Spartans to three consecutive sectional champions from 2023-25 and a regional title in 2024, the program's first since 2017. She committed to Louisville as a junior , was named an Indiana All-Star following her senior season and is ranked 70th nationally by ESPN .

People gravitate to her, Lonnie and Danielle Epps agree, recalling how their daughter would run around introducing herself to strangers during her older brothers' baseball games growing up. "She always has a smile on her face. That's just her demeanor — I think she got it from her mom," Lonnie smiles.

"Myah's never met a person she didn't like. She's just a very upbeat, very happy and very outgoing kid. " Even so, the 18-year-old is still not entirely accustomed to the widespread attention she's received in recent weeks, with complete strangers saying hello and offering their well wishes.