Kendall Wallace following legacy while paving her own
Oct. 1—Sports are full of family ties and the Lewis-Clark Valley is no different.
While older sister Ashlyn Wallace is preparing for her junior season as a member of the University of Idaho women's basketball team, younger sister and Clarkston girls basketball standout Kendall Wallace has committed to play basketball for Lewis-Clark State College beginning in the 2024-25 season.
Wallace's commitment on Monday was not only the latest in a line of recent L-C Valley prep athletes joining local universities, (Cruz Hepburn, Titus Yearout, Jennah Carpenter and Ashlyn Wallace among others), but it marks the first commit in the tenure of new LCSC women's basketball coach Caelyn Orlandi.
"I am extremely excited that Kendall chose to continue her athletic and academic career as a Warrior," Orlandi said in a news release. "Kendall is an excellent student, a fantastic basketball player and above all she is a wonderful person. She exemplifies the type of player we want to recruit to our program."
When Wallace was going through her recruitment — staying near home where her family and friends could come see her games was the top priority. And it doesn't get any closer to home than with the Warriors.
"I always had the idea that I wanted to stay closer to home just so my family could come watch," Wallace said. "I come from a really big family that's really into basketball and I have a huge support system so that was really big and important to me."
Wallace had other offers and visits to Whitworth University in Spokane, and Whitman University in Walla Walla. But in making her decision, she said she loved the Warriors' team, coaching staff and play-style.
Wallace also had the guidance of her older sister Ashlyn — who, a few years ago, was going through the same process of her own and had some advice to offer her sibling.
"(Ashlyn) gave me a lot of advice," Wallace said. "Making sure to ask questions so you can see if it's the right fit for you. She reassured me to just pick what feels right for you. During her process she went on a lot of visits and when she went to Idaho that was the one she felt the most comfortable and at home at so she said just to make sure that's how it is for you, also."
Wallace's decision to play for the Warriors secures the next step in her athletic career. It can also have further ripples in local recruiting down the line.
College recruits coming from the L-C Valley is not a new development. In the past couple years alone there have been several athletes who have received offers from NCAA Division I schools and programs. But Clarkston has long seemed overlooked when recruiting season comes rolling around. The Wallace sisters' ability to advance to the next level can open the pipeline for more Clarkston athletes to advance to the collegiate level.
"It opens up a pipeline for valley kids," Clarkston athletic director Shannon Wilson said. "We've been wanting to get kids to LCSC for a long time and (Kendall) is opening up that pipeline again."
With all of that being said — Wallace playing for LCSC is in the future. Those future Clarkston kids going to advance their athletic careers are in the future. For right now, Wallace will focus on the Bantams' upcoming girls basketball season, which will be her last in high school girls basketball.
Clarkston's season ended last year in the WIAA Class 2A District 5/6/8 crossover — one game away from the 2A state tournament. Now that she knows what her future holds, Wallace can focus on the present — getting the Bantams to the dance.
"I feel a lot of relief," Wallace said. "I feel like going into my senior season now I can just relax and play my game without the stress of wondering where I'm going to go or commit. It's a lot of relief and I'm just really excited to go into this last season and play like I can."
Kowatsch can be contacted at 208-848-2268, tkowatsch@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch.
