How Meeyah Green dominated TSSAA basketball semifinals to help Webb reach championship game

COOKEVILLE — Sean Green’s message to his daughter before Knoxville Webb’s Division II-AA semifinal in the 2024 TSSAA girls basketball state tournament was valuable. 

“He told me to stay composed and take over when my team needed me to,” said Knoxville Webb basketball star Meeyah Green. 

The sophomore guard’s calmness was needed as the Lady Spartans battled back from a deficit from the onset to beat The Webb School - Bell Buckle 48-41 at Tennessee Tech’s Hooper Eblen Center on Thursday. 

The Lady Spartans play Knoxville Catholic at noon, Saturday in the Division II-AA state championship game. The last time Knoxville Webb (21-8) reached a state title game was in 2018. 

A pickpocket steal and transition layup from Green gave her team its first lead at 41-39 with 2:31 remaining in the game. 

That play was the first time her dad Sean could exhale as he admitted he was “very” nervous. 

"When Meeyah got that steal and got that bucket, after that I kind of calmed down,” Sean said. “For us to play and beat a good team, we needed that.”

Sean is a basketball trainer who has worked with her most of her life. He's trained high school players and college players such as former Tennessee men’s basketball player Admiral Schofield. 

Meeyah finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. She made 11 of 20 shots. Eighth-grader Kyndall Mays had 16 points and seven rebounds. 

The Webb School (15-10) was led by Kora Johnson, the sister of former Tennessee Vol Keon Johnson, who had 16 points. Miss Basketball finalist Daria Biriuk was held to eight points. 

Knoxville Webb girls basketball coach Greg Hernandez is in his first year leading the program. He joined in August and said that he needed his seniors and Meeyah to believe in the culture he would establish. 

“It didn’t take long for her to buy in,” Hernandez said. 

The main descriptor the coach could use to describe Meeyah, who has offers from Georgia Tech, Georgia, Arizona and Miami, was “superstar.”

“She’s been working for this to have this moment, especially against a girl that was up for Miss Basketball … I might have put that in her ear as a little motivation," Hernandez said.

The depth of Meeyah's scoring ability radiated.

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She made transition 3-pointers, slashed for baskets in the paint and made jumpers from the mid-range.

Where does the lethal scoring arsenal come from?

“I model my game after my dad,” she said. 

Sean said he can see his daughter's game as a similarity to how he plays it.

“Her movement kind of mimics mine because I train her a lot but for me, it’s just good that I’m able to watch,” Sean said. “God has blessed me to be able to work with my own kids and watch them have success.”

Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly Twitter, @TJ3rd_.