Mansfield’s all-everything athlete, Kaylee Ward, signed Friday morning to play Division I college basketball for Oral Roberts University. In an intimate ceremony staged inside the Mansfield High School cafeteria this past Friday, Ward was surrounded by family and friends as she inked her letter of intent to be an ORU Golden Eagle.
“I loved the people at ORU,” confessed Ward as she considered multiple offers from all across the country to play big school basketball. “They were so welcoming. They’re Christian based. That’s a big part of their college and their team. They are very much surrounded by that, and that’s what I loved and why I chose them over others.”
Mansfield’s first year Lady Tiger basketball coach, Jacob Hindman, spoke on Kaylee’s behalf at the signing ceremony. Only working with the star-studded athlete for a short time, Hindman was flexible with his remarks offering latitude for Ethan Bowman, Mansfield’s previous head coach, to speak.
“She’s a coach’s dream,” Hindman said before giving up the mic. “Obviously, we’ve talked about this before, every day she walks in the gym - she’s 6’ 4”. Above that, her competitiveness, her heart and the teammate she is - she’s the whole package. I know we’re only 5 games, 6 games into it, but I already miss her for next year.”
Ethan Bowman, the current head coach of the men's team at Clarksville High School, was the women’s basketball coach at Mansfield from 2021-2025. As Kaylee’s head coach from her eighth grade season through her junior year, Bowman was welcomed home to speak about his former player during the festivities.
“This is a special day for a special young woman and her family,” began Bowman. “I first started coaching Kaylee in the eighth grade, and coached her for the next four years.
“I showed her some simple post moves and was immediately impressed with her ability to learn at a quick rate and her natural coordination. I thought to myself, ‘Wow! We really have something special here’.
“Not only was her ability to play as a basketball player special, but it was who she is as a person that was even more impressive.”
Ward was elated her former coach took time away from his current job to come share in this college decision. In fact, she and her parents reached out to the former Mansfield coach to share in the celebration.
“Him (Coach Bowman) coming back means a lot,” expressed the 4-sport All-State athlete. "There's no way I couldn’t have him there. Just to speak on how it was to coach me, what I did and how I did it, how he helped me through it all - it was special.”
Kaylee was recruited heavily by college coaches since her eighth grade season. As a matter of record, it was the University of Central Arkansas that gave the budding basketball star her first offer while she was still in middle school. Along the way, Tulsa, Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech were among some of the more recognized of the multitude of suitors that came calling.
As a multi-sport athlete, Ward also drew interest from scores of other schools to play volleyball or track as well. Attention from those different arenas became more frequent as she continued to help lead those varied teams to state or runner-up titles.
In volleyball alone, Kaylee won three state championships including this season’s class 3A title. She was the state tournament’s MVP to go along with four consecutive All-State volleyball awards.
She also won an indoor track state championship and an outdoor track state runner-up trophy. She earned All-State honors throwing the indoor shot and the outdoor discus.
However, basketball was always Ward’s first love. She spent countless hours playing the sport she hoped would one day take her to college. Travel teams, mostly concentrated in the Ohio Valley, private lessons, and summer league competition dominated her "free time”. She was also completely engaged in her high school experience that began as a freshman starter for the Mansfield varsity.
As a MHS sophomore, Kaylee and the Lady Tigers made it all the way to the 2A state basketball finals with an undefeated record. Winners of 32 consecutive games, her team, which included sister Kynslee Ward, battled brilliantly against Mt. Vernon-Enola. Ultimately, Mansfield fell short of the defending state champs by a scant six points.
Kaylee, however, was outstanding in the state finals loss. The post-forward had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. The competing Warhawks, winners of 43 games that season, were just too much for Mansfield to overcome. Ward did, however, receive All-State honors that season - a distinction she would repeat her junior year as well.
With all the attention Ward had to endure through the recruiting process, the potential was there to add an extra layer of worry on top of her already full plate. When asked how she dealt with the potential distractions, the Mansfield native said that she simply relied on her support system.
“Honestly, Coach Bowman was one of the best people,” Kaylee opened up about the process. “He’s the one that understood the most about the people and the process. He basically just talked to me about having confidence. He’d always tell me to have confidence and don’t listen to what everyone else said - don’t get in your head.
“I’d say he helped me the most, and my family as well. They just always had my back through everything.”
Family and faith have always been cornerstones to Kaylee’s progress. Her parents Kendall and Mindy Ward, along with her sister Kynslee, who plays basketball at South Arkansas College, have been the stabilizing force.
Coach Bowman put his take on the situation this way.
“Kaylee is grounded in faith and surrounded by a great family,” extended the former Mansfield coach. “Her family during this whole process has been outstanding.
“For those that don’t know, with a player of this caliber, the recruiting process can be very hard and stressful to navigate through.” Bowman continued, revealing some of the darker elements to the recruiting process as a contrast to the positive experiences Kaylee found with the help of family.
“There are a lot of people who are like vultures, who want to come in and benefit off a player’s talent,” said the coach. “Kaylee and her family managed that perfectly.”
Kaylee submitted how happy she was with her decision to play basketball at ORU. She also admitted how thankful she was that her sister got to come home and share in the announcement.
“”I’m thankful Kynslee got to come down and visit for a little bit and especially that she got to come to the signing,” said the future Oral Roberts basketball player. “It was a special moment. I sat next to her when she signed. So, it was awesome having her there for me.”
Mansfield’s only senior on the current Lady Tiger roster said that she is excited to join Coach Cophie Anderson’s ORU squad and play in the Summit League conference. She believes her skill set will fit in well with the young Golden Eagle roster which currently contains only two upperclassmen.
Ward said that she anticipates playing forward for the Golden Eagles. She said that the coaching staff frequently checks in on her progress and encourages her ability to play both inside the paint and outside the 3-point line. It’s partially because of that constant communication by the university’s coaches that she fully committed to the interdenominational Christian college founded by evangelist Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
At this moment, Kaylee sits in third place on the all-time Mansfield scoring list with 1,471 points. That includes the 136 points she’s scored in the first five games of this season for a 27.2 points per game average. With the addition of this year’s current totals she just recently surpassed Bridget Pyles (1,347) and Brittany Pyles (1,463) to move into third place on the all-time MHS scoring list.
Kaylee needs only 71 points to overtake recent Mansfield Wall of Fame inductee Stephanie Taylor Jeffrey’s 1,541 for second place. She needs 138 points to the top position presently occupied by Heather Ward’s 1,608. At the Mansfield senior’s current rate of scoring this season, she should surpass all standards sometime in early January after the school’s winter break.
“Obviously, it will be a big change,” said Kaylee on her future transition to NCAA basketball. “For the most part, I think I’ll be ready. I’ll have to get used to it and the routine of it, but I think I’ll be able to hang up there.”
Reviewing Oral Robert’s current schedule, the Mansfield product will soon be facing competition from such schools as Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Nebraska, Kansas, Idaho and others. No doubt, Ward’s 2026-2027 schedule will be just as challenging while she also dives into an academic schedule geared towards being a Physical Therapist’s Assistant.
By the look of all the accomplishments this ultra active student-athlete has achieved through hard work and commitment, it should be little problem. After all, this girl who will graduate Mansfield High School as one of the most decorated Lady Tigers of all time will always have her faith and family for support.
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
