Purdue’s Panther Pride 

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind – Washington High School sister’s taking the pride of the west side to West Lafayette to join the Boilermakers. 

It’s not often that you get to play varsity basketball for your parents, let alone with your sister.  

That is unless you’re the Reynolds family.  

Mila and Amiyah Reynolds, two sisters, playing together their entire life and will continue to play side by side, in college. 

It started in the Great Western Forum at Washington High School. 

The sisters led the Panthers to a 3A state championship during the 2021-2022 season. 

It’s the program’s first time since 2007, when former Indiana miss basketball and Notre Dame legend Skylar Diggins led the team. 

“Just all the effort and like just the commitment like we had to this program you know I was here plan you know on the hoops even when I was like eight years old,” Mila said. 

Coached by their parents, Marcy and Steve Reynolds II, the two oldest of seven children always played together as early as middle school.   

“Middle school, elementary like any teams that we were on like I would usually play up a grade like just to play with her,” Amiyah added. 

Mila and Amiyah started the 21-22 season together and at the end, it was the first time they would be separated.  

On November 10, 2021, Mila signed her national letter of intent to play at the university of Maryland, but even then, “It was kind of a given I would be going there,” Amiyah said. 

Nearly one year later on November 9, Amiyah made it official joining the Maryland program just like her sister. 

As Mila took off to the east coast, Amiyah finished her senior season and for the first time, she did it without her big sister. 

“That was our first season playing without each other. This last high school season and it was just completely different,” Amiyah mentioned. 

The same goes for Mila. After scoring over 2,000 points in high school, the 6’3 forward averaged just over five minutes per game for the Maryland Terrapins as a freshman. 

“I just wanted to have like the opportunity to contribute to a team like I felt, you know, like, at Maryland like, I wasn't like a piece for them. Like I wasn't used,” Mila mentioned. 

It didn’t help that the other eight members of the Reynolds family were 10 hours away on the westside of South Bend.  

So, on March 19, Mila announced she was entering the transfer portal and shortly after, little sis decommitted from Maryland too. 

“I was like almost convincing her trying to convince her like, like, that's just not the place for you right now and trying to convince her to go somewhere that's better for her that's going to benefit her,” Amiyah said. 

And with recruitment being wide open, things got hectic in the Reynolds’ house, as coaches nationwide hoped to land both of the Reynolds sisters from the transfer portal. 

“The transfer portal was something else, man, and they actually were recruited more heavily in that three to four week, then their high school careers, you know, a lot of phone calls, a lot of deciphering some things,” said Steve. 

While mom and pops deciphered and tried to piece things together, Amiyah hinted about plans to be closer to home.  

“I had been trying to convince her like throw little hints, because I didn't want to like force it on her,” Amiyah mentioned. 

“So, I'm still waiting on her a little bit because we wanted to keep her recruitment open. I didn't want to commit, and people were like, oh, she's just gonna follow her sister. So, we wanted to keep that recruitment open a little bit for her but then I was just like, Mila like, I'm about to commit, so you got like, you got a couple days like. You got a little window, you need to hurry up,” Amiyah jokingly added. 

That means the roles were reversed this time around and Amiyah wanted to go to Purdue. 

“The first decision was like me like trailblazing to Maryland. And she, you know, she kind of followed after, like, she obviously had her own decision. But I felt like that kind of, like, persuaded her and convinced her to come to Maryland. And it's almost like this time, like, she kind of persuaded and convinced me to go to Purdue,” Mila explained. 

“Purdue was super high on my list. They were like, in the one-two spot like my whole recruitment,” Amiyah said. 

Purdue university was actually Amiyah's first division one offer, so the idea of ditching Maryland for Purdue came pretty easy.  

As the two announced their decision on social media to “boiler up” and “hammer down”, it was time for Mila to return home from Maryland, before going to west Lafayette.  

“I was so excited to leave Maryland that I was packing a week or two before I was leaving,” Mila added. 

Itching for a warm welcome from her six siblings and as, she gets settled in, her new roommate is already organizing the living arrangements.  

“We both like cold rooms. I cook, she cleans. A lot of things are situated. Yes, she's cleaning whether she likes it or not because she can't cook,” Amiyah said jokingly. 

They may want to find one more chore for a visitor, who might be stopping by fairly often. 

Their Washington High School teammate, Rashundaa Jones.  

Jones was part of the 2022 state championship run and was the first of the three panthers– to commit to Purdue on the same day Amiyah originally picked Maryland.   

“I don't know if you remember that day. But I was torn on what to do. Because you know, my family, you know, we're going to Maryland. And that was, you know, huge for us. But then I have this young lady who's become like a daughter to me, she's going to Purdue,” Steve said. 

“It feels really good. As soon as we like decommitted and transferred. She was like, like, are you guys considering Purdue?” Amiyah added. 

“It's just gonna be the same, like, our chemistry, like never died out like, still calling shunda (Rashunda) when I was at Maryland all the time. You know, she's giving me updates on her life. I’m giving her updates on mine. Definitely got our group chat, but, um, yeah, I'm super excited to play with shunda (Rashunda) again, like, like, with Miyah (Amiyah), she's just another sister. Like, it's not even, she's not just my teammate. 

The band is officially back together and headed to West Lafayette, but the journey doesn’t stop here. 

Purdue basketball is currently recruiting two additional Reynolds children. Kira, the third oldest of the bunch, is entering her junior year in high school this fall. Plus, Steve Reynolds III is coming off his freshman season on varsity at Washington and entering his sophomore year in the fall.