Maren McKenna joins UW hoops with high aspirations

Aug. 30—LARAMIE — After a standout high school career, 5-foot-9 guard Maren McKenna is joining the University of Wyoming women's basketball team with high aspirations.

McKenna's career includes being a three-time all-state selection at Green Canyon High in Hyde Park, Utah. She was named the Coca-Cola player of the year twice, was a member of the 1,000-point club and averaged 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals per game her senior season.

Despite the accolades, McKenna feels the high school environment wasn't one she could fully develop in.

"Unfortunately, high school ball was not a good replication of my game," McKenna told WyoSports last week. "My high school program wasn't one that I necessarily flourished in due to the style of play, but through club is where I really started to unlock my potential and just play basketball. If not for club, I probably wouldn't have gotten looked at."

McKenna played club basketball for Next Level Basketball, which is owned by former Utah State players and alumni. The father and son trio of Jimmy, Jalen and Grayson Moore founded the program in 2018.

"My coaches (Jalen and Jimmy Moore) knew how to set up plays for girls to succeed," McKenna said. "He just let us go and said, 'OK, go play basketball.'

"We weren't really running set plays, unless a specific situation came where we needed a bucket. For the most part, it was motion offense, five-out and things like that. He'd always tell us that he wants us to create. In high school, the feel was very much that these are our set plays, and this is what we will run."

McKenna started playing for NLB in the spring of her junior year of high school. During that process, McKenna told her club coaches she was serious about playing in college.

From that point forward, her coaches started helping McKenna make the necessary corrections to her game and training. During one of the team's first tournaments in Salt Lake City, UW assistant coach Ryan Larsen was in attendance.

Larsen wasn't there to see McKenna. In fact, he was there to see someone on the opposing team, but Larsen noticed McKenna's play and talked to her afterward.

Over that summer, UW — along with five other schools — offered McKenna a roster spot.

"It became pretty clear to me after talking with my parents and coaches that I wanted to come to Wyoming and attend UW," McKenna said. "We really narrowed down which schools give me the best chance to succeed, both on the court and for schooling."

McKenna hopes to bring good rebounding at the guard spot for the Cowgirls this season. She is also a natural facilitator of the ball, and is comfortable creating something out of nothing on the court.

"Immediately, I felt like with (UW's) motion on offense, that everything clicked for me," McKenna said. "It really fit me, and I love the way the team plays. I can also bring some energy they don't necessarily have."

As a teammate, McKenna wants to be someone who can always be counted on. She will strive to be reliable on and off the court, and an overall happy person.

Her mom, Shelly, and her dad, Robert, are her biggest supporters and influences, along with her club coaches. Her coaches impacted her improvement in the sport over the past two years, while her parents allowed her to stick with basketball and pursue what she loves.

McKenna looks forward to competing in the Mountain West and wants to help make a run to the NCAA tournament during her time at UW.

"It's always been a big dream of mine to play in an NCAA Tournament one day," McKenna said. "So, I'm hoping to contribute enough to making this team the best it constantly can be."

McKenna arrived on campus for the fall semester last weekend, but was previously in Laramie for six weeks this summer to train. Six of her 14 teammates are from foreign countries, including her roommate, Kati Ollilainen, who is from Helsinki, Finland.

"It's so fun to meet people from different walks of life," McKenna said. "I'm super exited to make those connections and build those lifelong friends."

Outside of basketball, McKenna likes to keep herself busy with anything that involves sunshine.

"I love being outside," McKenna said. "I love reading, playing tennis and pickleball. Really anything active, and being with family and friends."

McKenna started playing basketball when she was 9 years old. She's always been told that she would be good enough to one day play Division I basketball.

"I was like, 'OK, whatever. What does that even mean?'" McKenna said. "I was so young and didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I probably started to dream about basketball more in eighth grade."

McKenna was also an accomplished track and field athlete in high school. She won two state tiles in javelin, and received the award for the best senior at the state meet.

"I started with track my sophomore year of high school," McKenna said. "The coach came up to me and told me he could tell I was going to be a good athlete, and that he needed me on his team.

"He wanted me to come and throw and at first I was skeptical. Eventually, I told myself, 'Just go for it.' But all along, I knew basketball was my passion, and I never considered going to college for track. It was more to cross-train, meet new people and get involved in more things to avoid burnout. But it was always basketball season for me, even during track."

Austin Edmonds covers Laramie High, University of Wyoming and community athletics for WyoSports. He can be reached at aedmonds@wyosports.net. Follow him on X at @_austinedmonds.