Miranda and Kayla Wilson
When opposing teams take the court against the Alice Lloyd College women’s basketball team, they often do a double-take. At 17-4, the ALC Lady Eagles are off to the schools best record since 1996, and the resurgence has been largely led by a pair of remarkable sisters who are tearing up the court: 5’7 senior twin guards Kayla and Miranda Wilson.
Twins are known to have a special bond and the two Corbin, Kentucky, natives are no exception. Recently, they demonstrated their closeness by surpassing the 1000 point mark for their careers with Miranda scoring 1,059 points and Kayla scoring 1,049 points.
Kayla and Miranda grew up competitive and always challenged each other to become better players. Kayla commented on their competitiveness saying, “I have been blessed to play with someone my whole life who has pushed me and held me accountable.” Growing up playing basketball together has allowed the sisters to connect in more way than one and improve their skills. Both agree with their connection on the court, saying, “We have played together for so many years, that it is easy to read what the other is going to do.”
Lady Eagle Coach John Mills knew there was something special about the sisters, “I could tell from the moment I first saw them play that they had potential to become special players. Each time I saw them, they were constantly improving and I made it a point to follow their careers closely. Also, in all of the years that I have observed them, either as a spectator or as their coach, I have never seen them get frustrated or lose their composure. That definitely left an impression.”
The twins’ cool composure has not only allowed them to leave an impression on the Coach but also on the stats. For the season, Kayla is leading the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game with 45.9% from the field and 49.5% (49-99) from beyond the arc. Miranda is only 9 points behind and averaging 14.2 points per game while shooting 47.2% from the floor and 48.8% (39-80) from long range. Kayla leads the squad in rebounds with 7 rebounds per game and has 78 assists and 47 steals. Miranda leads the squad with 97 assists and 49 steals and snares 4.6 rebounds per night.
The sisters’ names are prominent among the statistics leaders in the River States Conference. Kayla is ranked in the Top Ten in 11 different categories and leads in two. Miranda is ranked in the Top Ten in 9 different categories and also leads in two. On the NAIA DII national level, both ladies are ranked in the Top Ten in 3 point field goal percentage (3rd and 7th), and Miranda is ranked 9th in assists.
The Eagles mentor commented on the twins’ impressive rankings by saying, “Kayla and Miranda have risen to the level they are now at due to extremely high basketball IQ’s and an incredible work ethic. They push each other each day to become the best at different parts of their game. This duo is leaving a mark on the Lady Eagles program that will never be erased.” However, off the court, the Wilson twins are making an impact in the classroom. Even though basketball takes up some of their time, they still manage to focus on their school work. Currently, Kayla maintains a 3.89 GPA while Miranda has a 3.31GPA. Last season, because of their dedication to learning both were selected to the NAIA DakStats All-Academic Team.
The sisters are definitely enjoying their final year of basketball together and have high expectations for their squad. Both hope to close out the season strong and put themselves in position to compete for a conference title. The squad is currently in first place overall in the Western Division of the River States Conference, so a bid to the National Tournament would be a great way to close out their outstanding careers.
