Quite a few college basketball managers dream of what few have accomplished; being offered a spot on the active roster. A mid-season transition from team manager to Division I athlete serves as a tale of relentless pursuit.
Add Bradley freshman Katy Wade to the list of those who have successfully realized that dream.
Before she came to Bradley, Wade played softball and ran track and field at Plano West High School in addition to basketball. As the years passed, her focus shifted entirely to basketball as her college decision loomed.
“As I got to the end of my sophomore year, I started to realize I have to take one of these seriously and devote my time to it,” Wade said. “I wanted to play a collegiate sport and basketball’s always been my number one sport.”
The recruiting process for Wade proved to be difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic and she graduated in 2021 with no official offers to play college basketball.
As early as February of 2020, Bradley was a target destination for Wade’s higher education. The school’s selling points of small class sizes and a friendly campus were enticing, but the possibility of walking on to the Bradley women’s basketball team was influential in her decision as well.
Guided by her high school coaches, Wade decided to reach out to head coach Andrea Gorski, the rest of the Braves’ coaching staff and Kyle Dillon, the program’s director of operations.
“I wanted to know for sure that I have the abilities to contribute to the team if that were a possibility,” Wade said. “I just needed to get my foot in the door and get my name out there.”
Despite receiving word that the roster was solidified for the upcoming 2021-22 season, Wade was undeterred in her efforts. Eventually, she agreed to a manager position and her journey with the program began.
While it wasn’t what she initially strived for, Wade viewed the manager position as a way to prove herself.
“At first, it was hard being a manager because I knew I really wanted to play basketball here,” Wade said. “It just wasn’t what I expected, but it humbled me a lot. As I kept telling myself to keep a positive attitude and keep working hard, being a manager became more of something that I wanted to do.”
Wade’s stint as a manager was successful and it proved to be the perfect opportunity to make a memorable first impression on Gorski.
“As a manager she proved that she’s fine with doing the little things,” Gorski said. “She has a great work ethic so once I saw that, I thought it was probably going to translate onto the court.”
Wade’s ambitious leap toward pursuing her collegiate basketball career continued when she texted Gorski on Dec. 7, inquiring about her future with the team as a walk-on.
“At the time, we were kind of shorthanded with COVID,” Gorski said. “We had kids in and out of the lineup every game. [Wade] said ‘I think I can help you, especially on the defensive end.'”
“I told her that I think I can contribute to the team,” Wade said. “I was in the gym late at night working out, just keeping myself conditioned because you never know what could happen. I’m willing to put in the extra work if I get that opportunity to show [Coach Gorski] that this is what I want to do and that I’ll be committed to the whole process.”
Gorski offered Wade the opportunity to walk on to the team after one week as a practice player, if that was still of interest to the five-foot-six guard. Gorski noted that before the season started, the NCAA had approved a proposition that managers could be practice players. This rule change was a large part of how Wade was able to capitalize on her newfound opportunity.
“She was doing a great job on the scout team defense,” Gorski said. “She works her tail off, has a great attitude, she just loves the game of basketball and loves being out on the floor. The team really likes her, she loves to win, she’s very competitive, so it’s really been a good match.”
About one month later, Wade’s dream was realized as she was officially added to the team’s roster. The move was made right before conference play was set to begin, yet she felt acquainted enough with the culture to step in and be confident in her new role.
“I feel great about the whole situation, especially this year because I didn’t expect to have this happen,” Wade said. “The girls are super helpful and encouraging, they make me feel like just as much a part of the team as I was when I was a manager. They were super happy for me as well.”
On Jan. 7, Wade earned her first collegiate minutes, playing some key defensive possessions down the stretch in a tightly contested battle at Evansville. Even though her dream has been achieved, she’s still hungry for more.
“Now, the easy part is over, I have to grind and work even harder to make a name for myself and help the team this year in whatever way that may be,” Wade said. “I’m ready for all the hard work.”
