Ever-humble superstar Mikaylah Williams said Friday had been a largely "normal" day.

The Bossier native enjoyed competing in a team camp at nearby Northwestern State, in Natchitoches, as she and her Parkway teammates prepare for another run at the Class 5A state championship that narrowly eluded them this spring.

Only, first, she released through The Players' Tribune, a college commitment video that has already garnered more than 50,000 views on Twitter alone in a span of hours.

The nation's No. 1 women's basketball prospect for the 2023 recruiting class unzipped a jacket stating, "Family Before Everything," and unveiled her purple-and-gold "Geaux Tigers" T-shirt.

"I am very thankful for every coach that took the time to recruit me," she said. "I am thankful for all my teammates along the way, because I couldn't do it on my own. In order to take my game to the next level and continue to learn and grow as a young woman, there's only one place I wanted to be: Home."

The 6-foot-1 guard has been a highly touted athlete since childhood, including a commitment in eighth grade to play collegiate softball at Louisiana (Lafayette).

But for all her multisport talent, including track and field, she exploded as one of the nation's most can't-miss basketball prospects of any age.

Williams earned MVP honors last summer as a leader on the United States' gold medal-winning Under-18 3-on-3 World Cup team in Hungary and has been named a member of the country's 12-member Under-17 national team set to compete next month.

A junior campaign of 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game added LSWA Class 5A Outstanding Player, Louisiana Miss Basketball and Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year awards to the impressive résumé.

And she was the lone junior among five finalists considered for the Naismith National High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year trophy.

"Humbling," Williams said of the awards and rankings. "As long as I stay humble, I'll be OK. Humbling and just very blessed to even have the accolade by my name."

She had her choice of college options, including Duke, Texas A&M, Baylor and Ole Miss as other top contenders for her eventual signature in November.

But home-state LSU always felt like home and an opportunity to realize a childhood dream — just with a little twist.

"They've always been in my top," she said. "Not many people know this, but that was my dream school ever since I was a little girl, 7 or 8 years old, but it's just a different sport now."

Williams said she fell in love with the idea of representing her home state one day in the Women's College World Series as a softball player under coach Beth Torina.

Shortly thereafter, Shreveport native Tiara Young signed with the LSU basketball program in 2019 and playing two seasons in purple and gold.

"That's when I started watching more because she was a hometown kid playing, and then obviously it's LSU," she said.

And that passion paired with the rejuvenation and vision Kim Mulkey, herself a Louisiana native, brought to the basketball program in her first season were too good a combination to ignore.

"She told us her vision and what she had planned for that season," Williams said. "And she put it all together, her players worked hard behind her, she coached them up well, and they did everything they said they were going to do."

The Hall-of-Fame coach, a national championship player and assistant at Louisiana Tech in the 1980s, returned to her home state in 2021 after a 21-year tenure at Baylor that included three national titles.

LSU finished 26-6, both its most wins and fewest losses since 2008, and finished second in the SEC, its highest position since 2009.

The Lady Tigers earned their first NCAA tournament berth since 2018, their highest seed (No. 3) since 2008 and their first home tournament games and victory since 2014.

That success only served to send a message at an even higher ceiling for the immediate future.

"We're most definitely trying to win championships," Williams said. "I think that's what every program is trying to do right now."

Title aspirations are the clear priority at both the current and next levels.

Parkway has advanced deeper in the Class 5A each year from a four-point, second-round loss in 2020, to a three-point, quarterfinal loss in 2021, and a thrilling championship game this March.

The Lady Panthers fell by just one point, 80-79, in double overtime to Ponchatoula.

"I'm looking forward to just ending my senior year on a high note, finally getting my state championship that I need," she said. "And having fun my senior year and making memories that will last me a lifetime and being ready and prepared for college."

And she said she looks forward to watching her future teammates carry the Lady Tigers another step forward in the process.

LSU has signed a highly regarded 2022 class of both decorated high school stars and veteran transfers, but nearly entirely from out-of-state.

As much talent as Williams will bring to Baton Rouge in 2023, she also hopes her addition will help encourage and motivate the next generation.

Said Williams: "My goal is just to inspire the young little girls to know that they can do it, it's possible."