Last night, the girls basketball team partnered with Duchesne to honor the Play For Kay foundation with a pink-out game. Each team wore Play For Kay shirts and headbands during warmups, and the Wildcats wore pink socks and shoelaces as well. 

The Play For Kay Foundation was founded on December 3rd, 2007 in honor of former women’s basketball coach and breast cancer victim Kay Yow. 

Yow coached the North Caroline State Wolfpack women’s team from 1975 to 2009, leading to more than 700 career wins with 20 appearances in the NCAA tournament, including one appearance in the final four.

Yow is the recipient of numerous awards due to her outstanding coaching ability and exceptional character. To name a few, she received the Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance, the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball award, was named National Coach of the Year eight times, and is a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Throughout her fight against cancer, Yow maintained a devout faith in Christ and continued to have a positive outlook on life. “I have to go through it. I accept that, and I’m not panicked about it because the Lord is in control. But it just would be so saddening if I had to go through it and I couldn’t help people. But then I see I’m helping others in a greater way than I ever have. That’s the amazing thing, you know?” said Kay in an interview.

Kay Yow passed away on January 24, 2009 after battling breast cancer for nearly two decades. Even after her death, she remains a beacon of hope and love to all of those fighting cancer. The Kay Yow Foundation continues to spread her vision to “support advanced research, extend the quality of life for those battling cancer, serve the underserved, and unite people.”

The Wildcats successfully capped off the night with a 59 to 20 win again the Duchesne Pioneers. Sophomore Brooke Highmark scored a game-high of 15, while senior Carsyn Beachy and freshman Julia Coleman added an additional 10 each.

If there is anything to take away from Kay Yow and her legacy, it is her optimistic perspective on life throughout battling a deadly disease. The Westminster team was proud to support such a strong and impactful woman. As she said herself, “When life kicks you, let it kick you forward.”