Reynolds Sisters Bring Championship Culture to Bethel Lady Wildcats

Kylie and Mikaela Reynolds are McKenzie High School alumni and basketball standouts who helped lead the Lady Rebels to back-to-back state championships in 2022 and 2023. The sisters are still representing their hometown on the court as members of the Bethel University Lady Wildcats, who recently rose to number one in the NAIA rankings.

Kylie, a junior, and Mikaela, a sophomore, spoke to The Banner about their journey together on the hardwood.

They began playing basketball in elementary school in the local Upward league and by early middle school were playing both travel ball and AAU basketball.

They then joined the McKenzie Middle School team as they each reached sixth grade and played under Coach Jennifer Nelson, the wife of their future college coach Chris Nelson.

Kylie said of Coach Jennifer, “Even as young as we were, she was still hard on us. She still pushed us to be the best that we could be. She was always a second mom, basically. There for everybody, there to talk to.

Mikaela added, “She was definitely hard on us, that’s for sure, but I guess that made us into the players we are. She was prepping us for Coach Nelson, you know. She could see the future, I guess.”

Those were successful teams at MMS, foreshadowing what was to come at the next level.

Kylie’s freshman year and then Mikaela’s the next year were both transitional years for McKenzie High School girls basketball, the latter being Coach John Wilkins’ first to helm the Lady Rebels. The team made strides that year, reaching the region semifinals.

The next two years cemented the Lady Rebels’ and the Reynolds’ legacy with a pair of state championships.

Kylie pointed to her senior season (2022-23) as the highlight of her time at MHS. “I’d say my senior year, just that whole year was a really good year for me. We had Savannah [Davis] go down and she was out for half of the season, but I felt like that was the time for me to step up and become the player that I am now. I got so much more confident. I was able to do a lot more scoring. I was a Miss Basketball finalist and then we won a state championship. It was just a year that I’m really grateful for. It really turned me into the player that I am.”

Mikaela had a similar response. “I loved high school. My best experience probably was my junior year. When Savannah went down, me and Kylie really had to step up. I remember we were in Stewart County and we were playing this team out of Clarksville. They were really tough. I think they had been beating us the whole game. We were down at halftime, and I remember I had had this terrible first half. I couldn’t do anything. And then in the second half, we just started getting buckets, me and Kylie. I think we both had 28 points. And I had 15 rebounds. It was great, just from having to step up and being able to do that and provide for my team.”

The next year was one of the few years that the sisters have not been on the same roster as Kylie graduated and moved on to Bethel.

Asked if it was a different experience without each other, Kylie responded first, “For me it was, because I’m the type that, I need somebody that I’m close with, because I’m a very quiet, shy person. Mikaela just made me that outgoing person, even more confident in myself.”

Mikaela said, “For me it wasn’t, because I still had Savannah, and I grew up playing with her just as much as I did with Kylie. So it wasn’t that big of a difference, I just had to step up my game a little bit.”

Unfortunately, Mikaela’s senior season would end early as she tore her ACL in the region semifinals, and the Lady Rebels’ season would also end with that game.

Kylie added her experience as a Bethel freshman. “It was a very tough year for me, new coaching, new team, new level of basketball. Me and Coach Nelson had our tough times. We talk about it to this day, how much I’ve grown as a player. That season was not a good season. Tough conference, our point guard tore her ACL.”

The next year, the pair reunited at Bethel. Kylie was becoming a bigger presence on the team, and Mikaela was battling hard to recover from her injury and subsequent surgery.

“It was my first major injury, first surgery, first time sitting out. It was very hard, physically and mentally, to come back from that, because it’s your senior year, everything was going great, we were going to go to state hopefully, and then I was out. That hit me hard. Going into my first year of college, you don’t want to miss out on that. That was really hard, knowing that I’m a step behind everybody, it was really tough.”

The Lady Wildcats would have a breakout season, winning their conference championship, earning a number-one seed in the NAIA tournament and reaching the semifinals.

Kylie said, “I definitely felt this possibility, because the freshman class that we had coming with Micah [Hart], Mikee [Buchanan], Hallie [Turner], Mikaela, they were all really good. They all helped us get to where we are now. They came in really strong. They didn’t play like freshmen, especially Micah. They all played like upperclassmen, they knew what they were doing. And then we also had our point guard back, Kalynn Howard. So her coming back helped us a lot. She was a really good floor general. And then we also had Madison Hart. She’s just a really good player, and a really good leader on the court.”

Mikaela said, “For me, I was happy to be there. Obviously I didn’t play, I wasn’t ready, but just watching them, it was great, they deserved it. They worked hard. We worked hard in practice. It was good to see, good to experience.”

Kylie added, “It felt amazing. We would come in and practice, like after our Georgetown game here, we were like ‘We gotta work on our defense.’ And then once we did, we won games, we won our conference championship, we made it to the final four, and it felt good to do it with that group of people. I love that team.”

The team’s meteoric rise carried over to this season as they’ve begun the year 14-0 and went into the holiday break as the number one team in the nation.

Kylie reacted to reaching the top of the polls: “It’s unreal kind of, because it’s never happened before. We’ve all put in a lot of work. Mikaela put in a lot of work coming back from her ACL injury.

Mikaela said, “It’s great. Not many people can say that they’ve done that before, and coming from a background at McKenzie of state championships, being the top dog, it’s just a great feeling to have. Kinda unbelievable, but I trust our team and I know that we all want it really bad, so I’m very excited just to see how it goes. I know we have a target on our back but I think we’re the team that can handle that… If you look at the players on this team, you’ll see numerous high school state championships, Miss Basketball finalists, Miss Basketball.”

Kylie points to a game last year as her personal high points in college. “Last year, my sophomore year, we were in the elite eight. It was a really close game against an undefeated Southern Oregon team, and me and Kal came out at halftime and just started hitting threes. I was having a struggle with my three-point shot at that time, and then just coming out and being able to hit those... Seeing how excited the team got, how excited I got on the court. I don’t think I’ve ever shown that much emotion on the court, but I did that game. It was just a really exciting game, and it felt good to win and make it to the final four.”

Mikaela said, “In college, honestly, my best experience has been this preseason. My freshman year, I didn’t really get to play. My knee was still struggling, coming back from that. This year, I have gotten more to where I want to be physically. It’s just been great feeling like I’m getting back to myself. I’m not 100 percent where I need to be, but I do feel that I have grown so much, just since my injury. And it’s felt good to have that spark back in basketball. I wasn’t feeling it at first, but I was sticking through it, and now it’s all coming back together piece by piece.”

Mikaela also commented on the culture of Bethel basketball. “The people are great,” she said. “I know some teams struggle with grades, and they have to do things to build friendships with each other. But our team had just clicked from the jump. Everyone gets along, it’s so fun. The coaches are great. No problems at all, it’s so fun. We all hang out outside of basketball. Everyone gets along so well. It’s a blessing to have because I know a bunch of teams don’t get to experience that. And there’s always some kind of drama, but with us, it’s pretty clear.”

Kylie noted the amount of local talent on the team. “It’s very unique, it’s very neat to see. Growing up, I never knew any of the girls. But so many people from around here are going to Bethel now, and for the younger kids it’s great to see. They probably know our faces, have seen us before. So that’s fun to see.”

She also shared her appreciation for playing in front of the home crowds. “It feels really good. It shows how much they support us. Being close, and our old teachers coming to our games and talking to us after games. It just shows that they really care for us.”

Mikaela added, “It’s special. It’s great to have a great community. It feels like high school all over again.”

The pair also shared their appreciation for Coach Chris.

Mikaela said, “He’s a great coach. Growing up, in middle school, being Jen’s player, we always went to their camps. And I was like ‘I’m never going to play this dude.’ I didn’t want to play for him, and then here we are. But, I mean, it’s great. He’s hard on us when he needs to be. He’s a great coach. He knows what he’s talking about.”

Kylie said, “He’s always pushing us. My freshman year, we didn’t have the best year. He wanted me to do something and I didn’t feel like it. But he was pushing me to be the player that I am now. He doesn’t have to yell at me, to tell me to go rebound because I just do it. He’s just pushing me to be the best player I can be.”

Nelson reciprocated those feelings in comments to The Banner. “It is really neat to get to coach and watch the growth of these two. Obviously, we have pretty much known them since they were born, and my wife coached them in middle school.

“We watched them and cheered them on in high school as they won championships and have now carried that over to our level.

“Obviously, it hasn’t been easy on either of them as Mikaela had to battle back from injury to now. And the growth and maturity Kylie has had from having to play right away in the MSC [Mid-South Conference] and having to endure those growing pains, and then to see her hit those big shots last year that helped propel us to a Fab Four.

“They are proven winners, and I think it starts at home. Their mom [Stephanie McClerkin] has done a terrific job of raising them, and it shows on and off the court. They both have jobs, great grades and they excel on the court.”

Both young ladies are Exercise Science majors, but their plans split from there.

Kylie intends to become a physical therapist and is eying Nashville for the next phase of her education.

Mikaela seeks to become a dental hygienist and is considering a school in Mississippi.

The two expressed their reservations in going separate ways, but it helps knowing that their hometown will be a great midpoint for frequent reunions.

The sisters and the Lady Wildcats will begin 2026 with a pair of road games before returning to the home crowd at Crisp Arena on Thursday, January 8 as they begin conference play against The University of the Cumberlands. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m.