VIRGINIA BEACH — VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — Kellam girls basketball practices come sometimes resemble an old pickup game in the driveway for Molly Spain and her younger sisters, twins Mia and Kate.
"We're all very competitive," Kate said.
"I'm just a little bit more vocal with it," Mia said. "When I'm frustrated or stressed out, everybody knows. But only with these two."
Those games at the house seem like yesterday for the trio of sisters, who are helping lead the Knights to a powerhouse season in the Beach District together. The three finally became teammates again last season and have wasted no time making memories on the floor.
"It's a really awesome experience getting to play with my little sisters," said Molly, who is two years older than Mia and Kate. "It just leads to us spending so much more time together, it's just a bond that can't be broken."
In a twist of normal roles, it was the younger siblings that inspired Molly to give basketball a shot.
"I was really into gymnastics for a long time," she said. "Just playing in the driveway with them I was like, 'This is a lot more fun.' So I started playing."
Soon the three were playing together at local rec leagues and travel schedules. Because of the age difference, the chance to always be on the same team started getting rarer as Molly progressed.
"We were supposed to play together my eighth grade year when they were going into sixth grade," she remembered, "but that got interrupted by COVID. So then I went to high school and played two years without them."
After waiting the extra years, the trio becoming teammates again in 2023-24. They helped guide the Knights to a 19-5 campaign, success that's carried over. Kellam is 21-1 this season with tournament time right around the corner.
"To be able to be this successful is amazing," Kate said. "We as a team and us three have worked so hard to get here."
Through that journey together again, the three able to be blunt in their critiques of one another and even happier when celebrating an accomplishments.
"I trust them and I trust that they're telling me the right thing," Kate said. "I trust them to guide me through it."
"Having a support system who's always gonna be there for you is something that not a lot of people get to have," Mia said. "When I have my sisters with me, I know I'm always gonna have someone there for me."
Molly is in her senior season, meaning the next games they play are the last in their basketball stories with all three together.
"I'm just hoping we go as far as we can in the playoffs so I can keep experiencing this," she said.
The twins, who are sophomores at Kellam, taking every moment with a little more meaning.
"Whether its the car rides or hanging out before the game or hanging out during practice," Mia said, "it's just pulled us together so much."
"I'm trying to soak up every last minute," Kate said. "Because I know it's coming to an end."
As they gear up for a state championship hunt, the competitive moments in practice and games will also ramp up. So will the memories they will take with them in one last ride with each other on the court, hoping they'll last as long as the stories of growing up playing in the driveway together have.
"I didn't realize how lucky I would be to be on a team with my sisters," Mia said. "They're my best friends on and off the court."
Kellam faces Norview on Tuesday before fully diving into postseason tournament play.
