Mya Wardle following family鈥檚 passion as she continues to shine on the court
PEORIA, Ill. (BVM) 鈥� Mya Wardle has a last name that is known pretty well in the Upper Midwest. As her basketball career has continued to progress, she is making sure to take in all the knowledge she can from her family 鈥� particularly her two parents who were former college athletes 鈥� while focusing on making her own name for herself.
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e learned from them through sports is just their work ethic,鈥� Wardle said. 鈥淭hey are the hardest workers I know 鈥� Also just their drive and their motivation. Seeing that they both found their passions in life and they followed it, it鈥檚 something that鈥檚 really cool. Seeing how motivated they were to achieve their dreams and roll the dice on themselves, I definitely took that away and I鈥檓 trying to do the same right now.鈥�
Mya鈥檚 father is Brian Wardle, a former college basketball standout at Marquette. Brian joined the Golden Eagles out of Hinsdale Central High School where he became a two-time all-state player as well as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder for the Red Devils.聽
At Marquette, Brian helped his team to two NIT appearances, and still sits as the program鈥檚 eighth all-time leading scorer. After brief stops in the NBA D League and Continental Basketball Association post-college, Brian began his coaching career as an assistant back at Marquette and later at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In 2010, Brian got his first opportunity to be a head coach with the Phoenix.
Going 95-65 over his five years at Green Bay, Brian was named Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2014 and led his team to an at-large selection in the NIT in 2014-15. His tremendous success would springboard him to his next and current job as head coach of the Bradley Braves.
At Bradley, Brian took over a program that had not had a winning conference record in six seasons. By 2019, the Braves won their first conference title in over three decades and made an NCAA Tournament appearance. They repeated as Missouri Valley champions once again in 2020.
While Brian has had his success on the court, Mya鈥檚 mother, Lecia Schuetz, was a college soccer player at Marquette, meeting Brian during their time together at the school.聽
Growing up in Green Bay, Mya used to follow in her mom鈥檚 footsteps as a soccer player. However, basketball has always been her sport, playing since she was old enough to walk and carry a ball. At the same time, she was in awe of many of the players her dad was coaching at Green Bay.
鈥淢y first memories were just going to the Green Bay Phoenix games,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淪eeing the team and seeing those guys, I thought they were amazing, the coolest people in the world. They were super tall and they could dunk. But as I got older, I got to see more sides of it and especially being around it the way I am, I fell in love with everything about it 鈥� The whole sport just became my life and I love it.鈥�
Currently, Mya has grown to idolize the likes of some current college basketball stars such as Hailey Van Lith and Paige Bueckers. But as she was growing up, one of her favorite players was one of her dad鈥檚 best, Keifer Sykes. Sykes is the only Horizon League player ever to score over 2,000 points, dish out 500 assists and grab over 400 rebounds in his career.聽
Yet, the biggest role model in Mya鈥檚 life has remained her father, as she has been able to look up to him on and off the court.
鈥淢y dad and I have a very special relationship that not every dad and daughter have,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淣ot only is he a coach, but he鈥檚 my dad. We are basically the same person, we have so many personality traits that are so similar.鈥�
After moving to Peoria while she was in fourth grade as Brian took over at Bradley, Mya has had the opportunity to learn the game even further. Leadership and a high basketball IQ have become two of the 15-year-old鈥檚 greatest strengths on the court, and that has come from unique opportunities Mya has had like getting to sit in on film sessions with the Bradley coaches or even attending practices.
鈥淗e lets me do a lot of things that girls don鈥檛 get to do,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淚 get to come down, see their film, pick his brain about certain things and see his insight. Obviously, I can see why he鈥檚 so special at what he does. He鈥檚, in my opinion, one of the smartest people I know in the sport and within life.鈥�
As both Brian and Lecia have served as role models for Mya, she is now trying to do the same for her younger siblings, Emery and Davin. With Emery being three years younger than Mya, the sisters are eager to play one season of high school basketball together in 2023-24.
鈥淚 love my siblings,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all super different people 鈥� We鈥檙e all super close, we train together, we do family workouts together in the summer, and that鈥檚 not something every family gets. Obviously, I try to be the best role model I can be for them.鈥�
The Wardle family continues to grow its legacy, and a big part of that is due to Mya鈥檚 play on the court. After moving to Peoria, she began a successful AAU tenure with Heart of Illinois (HOI), winning nationals in her sixth grade year. She now plays select basketball in Iowa with Lady Martin Brothers.
鈥淚t was a great experience, I loved it,鈥� Mya said about playing for HOI. 鈥淭hose girls became my sisters 鈥� It was amazing, it鈥檚 such a great program. My siblings still play there and it was awesome, it was family.鈥�
Already an AAU champion, Mya also helped her school team at St. Vincent to a state championship in eighth grade.聽
鈥淭hat was so fun, that was crazy,鈥� Mya added. 鈥淗onestly, in that moment I kind of realized that this is what I wanted to do, not just because we won, but because I fell in love with the journey.鈥�
Shortly after the title, Mya faced the adversity all athletes did in 2020 during the initial part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, she stayed sharp, got to play another summer of AAU ball, and came in prepared for her high school career at Peoria Notre Dame despite her first season being delayed and abbreviated.
鈥淚t was a little weird because of Covid,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淚 think the biggest thing for me was just the size. Everyone was bigger than me 鈥� But I think the worst part of it was that our seniors didn鈥檛 get a postseason. We kind of went all out for them.鈥�
The 5-foot-7 guard played both JV and varsity, helping lead the Fighting Irish to a 13-3 overall record. Success continued for Peoria Notre Dame this past winter, as Mya continued to develop into a true leader for her team in a more normalized season.
鈥淚 think that sometimes people don鈥檛 like to lead because it鈥檚 uncomfortable,鈥� Mya explained. 鈥淔or me, I鈥檓 OK with being a little uncomfortable sometimes 鈥� Being young, a lot of older girls might be like, 鈥楽he鈥檚 a sophomore, who does she think she is?鈥� I鈥檓 not thinking I鈥檓 better than everybody else, it鈥檚 just in my blood. I think I was born to lead.鈥�
Under the sophomore鈥檚 leadership, the Fighting Irish won 24 games and were one of the top-ranked teams in the state as Mya averaged 12.5 points and 7.0 assists per game during the regular season. Unfortunately, the year ended with a tough loss in the regional championship.
鈥淲e were really good this year,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淲e lost in the regional championship which was extremely disappointing. It鈥檚 part of the game though, you win some and you lose some. It was hard to lose like that and go out like that because this team was the closest team I鈥檝e ever been on. Everyday I loved coming to practice and I loved playing 鈥� We didn鈥檛 finish the way we wanted to, but I wouldn鈥檛 have wanted to play this year with anyone else than the girls I did. It was an incredible season.鈥�
Coming up just short this past season, Mya鈥檚 main goal is to go to state in her final two years at Peoria Notre Dame. Win or lose, she also hopes to leave a positive impact on the program overall.聽
鈥淥bviously, my goal my junior and senior year is to go to state,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the goal every year, but I really want to go to state now that I kind of got a taste of what the postseason is like.
鈥淚 want to leave the program better than what I came into. I want to leave a winning program that has won consistently and that鈥檚 what we鈥檝e done my first two years here. I just want to be remembered as a great leader and a great teammate.鈥�
This spring, Mya continues to run track at Peoria Notre Dame, and will continue to play AAU basketball over the summer. After her next two years of high school basketball are finished, she will look to follow in her parents鈥� footsteps as a college athlete.
Currently, Mya has already received offers from SIU-Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois, Indiana State and Bradley. More offers will undoubtedly come in as her play continues to progress, likely giving her plenty of options, perhaps even back at her parents鈥� alma mater.
鈥淚鈥檝e been talking to some coaches here and there from other conferences,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淗opefully this AAU season will be more back to normal, a lot of people will come out and watch our team play. But honestly, I know that getting an offer is a blessing, not everyone gets to do that. I know the hard work really starts when you鈥檙e in college, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 training for.
鈥淎s much as people love to go where their parents went, I haven鈥檛 really thought about it. I definitely would be open to it if it鈥檚 the right fit. It might ruffle some feathers though if I do better than my dad at Marquette. We鈥檒l just have to see what happens, but I鈥檇 be open to it.鈥�
In college, Mya will be prepared to do whatever it takes to help her team win. Whether that ends up being at Marquette or somewhere else, she does know she wants to follow her dad鈥檚 path as a coach after her playing career.
鈥淎fter college, I definitely think I would find a way to get into coaching,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in my blood, it鈥檚 in my DNA, I can totally see myself doing it. I love the game and I think that it鈥檇 be awesome to be able to coach it because I don鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be able to stay away from it for too long.鈥�
No matter where Mya鈥檚 bright future goes, the most important thing for her will be continuing her family鈥檚 success, and adding to the great legacy the Wardle name already has.
鈥淥bviously, my last name is pretty well-known because of my dad,鈥� Mya said. 鈥淏ecause of it, I have good genetics, but it鈥檚 a deeper meaning. It鈥檚 an honor to be a Wardle. I just respect it a lot and I hold myself to a higher standard on the court but also off the court. That鈥檚 what makes the Wardle name so special, we hold ourselves to a higher standard.鈥�
