Wadsworth sisters become cross-town rivals in Aberdeen

Posted

ABERDEEN (AP) – The Wadsworth children aren’t necessarily keen on forcing their parents into making difficult decisions. But neither are they apologizing for it, particularly the two eldest sisters Lexi and Kylee.

Lexi Wadsworth will be a junior on the Northern State women’s basketball team next season. Kylee Wadsworth will join her older sister in Aberdeen, but will play across town at Presentation College. Kylee recently inked her letter of intent to join the Saints.

“It’s nice being right next to her and to have someone there when I branch out,” Kylee said of having Lexi nearby as she begins the next chapter in her basketball career. “But I’m excited to be in a different conference. I’m forging my own path.”

Kylee, who averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and three assists a game last season on her way to First Team All-Northeast Conference honors, said the ability to play basketball and major in nursing were a big draw in her choosing to play at Presentation.

“I really enjoyed Coach (Nicole) Bullock and Coach Aimee (Burmester),” she told the Aberdeen American News. “They really reached out to me. I’ve enjoyed every visit.”

Lexi, who averaged about a dozen points a game and was a Second Team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selection, was excited for her sister – and excited she wouldn’t have to play against her.

“I’m super proud of her,” Lexi said. “I think it’s going to be awesome. I’m really excited she chose PC so we can still be together, but she’s coming here to forge her own path. ... I don’t want to play against her, but she needs to do her own thing and be Kylee. She’ll be great.”

Still, Presentation and Northern have similar scheduling structures, where both team will play back-to-back nights on the weekends, occasionally both in Aberdeen, but sometimes in opposite directions, as well. And with two younger siblings still at home, decisions will have to be made.

“It’ll be crazy when Jackson and Kami have games, too,” Lexi said. “Two people, four directions. You do what you’ve got to do.”

It’s doable, of course, on the days when both the Saints and the Wolves are at home on the same weekend. On Saturdays, the two teams have tipoff times that allow for a quick trip across town to catch the second sister in action.

“It’ll work out,” Kylee said.

There will be at least one time, however, when the two sisters will play at the same time in the same place. Northern and Presentation have tentatively scheduled an exhibition contest.

“I don’t know what to expect,” Lexi said. “It’ll be competitive, but after the game, we’ll be sisters.”