Davenport North's Divine Bourrage, Journey Houston among top basketball players in U.S.

The final bell echoes through the hallways of Davenport North, and students waste little time collecting their belongings and shuffling through the exit doors lining the west side of the building. About a dozen students stay behind and make their way to the small gym — sandwiched between the main gym and the cafeteria — for practice. Two of the top girls high school basketball players in the nation, Divine Bourrage and Journey Houston, are among the athletes donning blue and white jerseys. Practice unofficially starts with a shootaround. Bourrage sends an over-the-shoulder, no-look toss to Houston, who lifts the ball over the rim and through the hoop. Bourrage quickly steps downcourt, with her tongue out and a smile spread across her face. Houston shakes her head, but lets a smile escape, as well. The two teammates’ on-court connection is something spectacular. It’s also nothing new. Bourrage and Houston have played together for practically their whole lives. But that connection — and the success that comes with it — blossomed into something bigger than the world of high school basketball. Basketball has been part of Bourrage and Houston’s lives since they were toddlers. When she was about 3-years-old, Bourrage said she picked up a basketball and has loved it ever since. Houston’s two older siblings played basketball, so she grew up around the game and it was always a part of her life. But despite their mutual love for basketball, that’s not how Bourrage and Houston’s friendship started. The duo met in kindergarten when they were placed in the same class. When assignments involved a partner, Bourrage and Houston would pair up. They spent nights at each other’s houses and attended birthday parties together. It wasn’t until about third grade that they started to play basketball together. “We just did all the stuff that friends do, and then we got into basketball,” Houston said. “We’ve been a duo ever since.” Sharing a love for the same sport helped their friendship grow. Bourrage and Houston were inseparable, and they became more like sisters than friends. But just like real sisters, the two are no strangers to little disagreements. “Oh, we get under each other’s skin,” Bourrage laughed. “I think we only get under each other’s skin on the court, though, because off it, we can talk to each other forever. But on the court, if she does something wrong, I’ll get on her or if I do something wrong, she’ll get on me.”
Houston was the first to land a Division I offer. Iowa women’s basketball extended an offer in the summer before Houston’s freshman year at Davenport North. Just a few days later, she picked up an offer from Iowa State. It was the same day that Bourrage landed her first Division I offer, also from the Cyclones. Houston added offers from Michigan and DePaul, before committing to the Hawkeyes in August. And for the first time, the two players’ paths veered in different directions. Bourrage collected an offer from Iowa, as well, and then her recruitment took off. She picked up offers from Indiana, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Purdue, Vanderbilt, and over a dozen other Division I programs.

In ESPN’s 2025 girls basketball rankings, Bourrage is ranked ninth and Houston is ranked 36th nationwide. Dan Olson, a national girls basketball recruiting analyst who runs the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, has watched both players dozens of times over the last few years. “Divine really emerged as one of the nation’s best players,” Olson said. “She’s built for college basketball. She’s a shot-maker even under some degree of duress. She was one of the more impactful guards I saw over the summer.” Much of Olson’s knowledge of Bourrage and Houston comes from watching them play on the Nike EYBL circuit with All-Iowa Attack. He was impressed by both athletes' games. “Journey’s a physical, active, around-the-basket type player, that’s started to develop a perimeter game, as well,” Olson said. “She’s a tough matchup. She can physically overpower some people; she’s exploiting those smaller guards. And she’s a solid teammate.” The two Davenport North juniors may have grown up playing together, but they’ve developed into two different athletes with unique talents. But, for Olson, one thing is certain. “We’re talking about two of the better players, nationally.” Houston made her college decision early and with help from her older sister. Jinaya Houston committed to Iowa’s 2017 class but stepped away from the Hawkeyes before ever playing a game. Jinaya’s experience with the sport — and with Division I recruiting — helped inform Journey. “She told me to just go to the place where I feel at home,” Houston said. “It may be a great program, but the people you’re surrounded by, you’re going to be around 24/7, so you gotta be comfortable.”
It helped that Iowa is both a successful program and the place where Houston felt like she belonged. Bourrage’s approach to her recruitment is also deeply motivated by her family. Her mother, LeAnne Binion, is a single parent. Getting her college education paid for would be a weight lifted for Bourrage and her family. “Getting a full ride would mean everything to me,” Bourrage said. “I know I worked hard to get there, and I know my mom’s worked hard to get me there. I think it would make her very happy.” Her recruitment might be close to winding down. Bourrage plans to announce her top 10 schools before the end of the year. Iowa may or may not be in that top 10 and, while Houston would love to continue playing with her best friend, she knows that what is the right fit for her, might not be the right fit for Bourrage. For now, Houston finds enjoyment in watching Bourrage’s recruitment. “I’m not gonna try to pressure her or anything,” Houston said. “I’m happy to see that she has all these different options, and she can pretty much choose wherever she wants to go.” Basketball is life for these two female athletes. Davenport North coach Paul Rucker knows that better than most. But he also has the chance to see his two star athletes outside of basketball. He sees a side of them that isn’t always visible on the court. “Divine, she’s got a heart inside of her that can feel the temperature of the room,” Rucker said. “Journey’s both all business and a little bit of a jokester.” Two different players; two different personalities. Both Bourrage and Houston, though, have stepped into a leadership role for the Wildcats. In Davenport North’s small gym, during a Tuesday practice early in the season, it doesn’t matter that they are two nationally-ranked recruits. It does matter how they bring the team together. “I mean, they are special,” Rucker said. “There’s no getting around that. But when it comes down to it, we are a team, and they’ve done a good job of taking on a larger role as a junior.” In the hallway outside of Davenport North’s main gymnasium, pictures of the Wildcats’ All-State selections line the cinderblock walls. Between Kaitlyn Collins and C.J. Bakoylis, there is a picture of Jinaya Houston, a first team, All-State selection in 2017. A few yards away, her little sister and her little sister’s best friend run through practice, with goals of their own on their minds. Bourrage and Houston want to accomplish similar things in their final two seasons of high school basketball: hit the 1,000-point mark (which Houston accomplished in early December), be selected for district and All-State first teams, win a state championship. They’re well on their way to achieving those goals. Both Bourrage and Houston lead the Wildcats in almost every statistical category. Both were top-10 in points scored and top-5 in assists in Class 5A, as of Dec. 15. Both are ensuring that people know about Davenport North girls basketball. And, if everything goes according to plan, Bourrage and Houston could someday soon find themselves on that wall — alongside Houston’s older sister — featuring some of the best athletes to ever wear a Wildcats jersey.
Courtesy of: desmoineregister.com