In March, senior athlete Macy Nilsen’s name appeared on the Minnesota 4A Basketball All-State Honorable Mentions list. This was her second consecutive year earning the title, which is given out by the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association every year to an elite group consisting of less than thirty of the best female high school basketball players statewide.

Nilsen accomplished this feat despite Edina being in one of the most difficult high school basketball conferences in the entire state, including the undefeated state champion, the Hopkins Royals.

Nilsen, who has already committed to playing basketball at the University of Jamestown in the fall, says these consecutive accolades are some of the best she’s ever received simply because of the challenging competition she’s had to adapt to as a member of the varsity basketball team.

“Playing [on the Edina team] has taught me to adjust to new roles and things I’m not used to just because that’s what the team needs from me,” Nilsen said. “You don’t get to recruit or pick who is on the team so you kinda just have to play the cards you’re dealt, and that’s a valuable skill to have.”

Nilsen’s basketball roots lead back to her father, who has been the Edina Girls’ Basketball head coach for the past eleven years, and her mother, who played basketball and volleyball in college. She also looks up to other female basketball stars like Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx.

“My dad [being the coach] has definitely kept me motivated in basketball. Because he was also my coach, he would see me every day so he would always know what kind of help I needed for the next season. It was helpful that he was there to always make sure I was keeping up with my goals,” Nilsen said.

Nilsen joins a vast incoming freshman class for basketball at Jamestown, and is looking forward to playing there. After many successful seasons at Edina, she’s optimistic about her future in the sport and hopes to leave a lasting impact at yet another girls’ basketball program.