Timing isn’t everything for versatile teenager Brooklyn Leary this week.
The 18-year-old is excited to be flying out to Missouri tomorrow to start a year-long basketball scholarship, but frustrated she’ll miss competing in a vital netball semi-final alongside her twin sister Jayden later that same day.
“Jayden and I have been playing together in the same teams like forever, so being apart is going to be really weird. I will miss her a little bit. It will be quite scary leaving the family,” admits the Prices Waimea Ahurei centre.
“I am going to miss her a lot. It is bad timing. I hope the airport is fogged out that day,” adds Jayden, who plays as goalkeeper for the defending champions.
The siblings were key figures in Nayland College’s breakout season last year.
The side made national sporting headlines with its unbeaten run to the final of the South Island Secondary Schools Netball Championship in Dunedin.
While eventually losing to local team St Hilda’s Collegiate, Nayland qualified for the nationals for the first time.
Nayland also brought fresh energy to the Nelson netball premier competition, where it was runner-up to Prices.
With the starting line-up finishing high school, Nayland didn’t enter the local league this season, so the Leary’s were a welcome addition to the Prices fold.
“I feel Jayden is more the netballer and I am the basketballer,” declares 1.8m tall Brooklyn, who has attended national age grade basketball development camps.
She is heading to Jefferson Community College in Missouri, which has produced WNBA basketball players Maya Moore and Napheesa Collier.
“I looked up Jefferson. It is quite rural so it is going to be different, but that’s okay. I know one girl from Rangiora who is going there, too.”
The population is about 43,000 and the women’s team is known as the Lady Vikings, probably because the campus is on Viking Drive.
After a year there, Brooklyn is hoping to move on to a bigger college or university as she follows her American basketball pathway.
One school has already been in contact about next year.
Meanwhile, Jayden is studying nursing at NMIT and is looking to beat Nelson College for Girls in the elimination semi-final tomorrow night.
Stopping towering NCG shooter Greer Robertson will be a tall order.
“She’s big. A tall girl, so it will be cool to verse her,” says Jayden, whose side crashed 58-37 to Jacks OPD in the final regular round match last Thursday.
“I will call her as soon as tomorrow’s game finishes,” quips Brooklyn.
She reckons there is one bonus about the twins splitting up for now.
“People won’t get us confused anymore. Even the coaches,” concludes Brooklyn.
