The Millard West girls’ basketball team has won back-to-back Class A state championships. In 2024 and 2025, now senior Kylee Paben, has been a starter and a leader on the number one team in the state. Striving in the highest competition, she racked up multiple Division 1 offers, including schools like Creighton, Drake, Minnesota, etc.
Narrowing down her top choices, on August 23, Paben drove up to visit the University of Minnesota. Getting to tour the campus, visit the basketball facilities, and attend a football game, Paben fell in love with the university and committed there the next weekend.
“I chose the University of Minnesota because it felt like a family, the coaching staff showed so much belief in me, and the hard work, along with the winning mindset of the program,” Paben said. “Beyond basketball, I also loved the vibe of the campus with the college town and big university atmosphere. I want to go into architecture, so that was a big thing that set them apart from other colleges, when I learned they had my major.”
As a significant part of the Millard West team, Coach Mark Kruger has coached Paben for the past four years and has seen her develop into the person she is today. Through ups and downs, he has seen her work through challenges and witnessed how important she would be to any college that could secure her, like the University of Minnesota finally did.
“Kylee has taken huge steps in improving herself each year; it’s like you can see her getting better in front of your eyes,” Kruger said. “She leads by example, is hard working, coachable, and has a caring attitude, which is super important. She would be a good addition to any roster and always brings her best to the court, playing at a consistent high level.”
The biggest supporter Kylee has had is her dad, Derek Paben, who has watched and helped her grow since she dribbled her first ball after being a basketball player himself.
“It has been exciting to watch her work hard in both the classroom and on the court,” Derek Paben said. “I love seeing her go to a great academic school with a women’s basketball program that has a great culture and a coaching staff with a history of developing young women and basketball players. The entire program is motivated and working towards a common goal, while being supportive of each other. The campus and facilities were everything a student-athlete could ask for. I am very excited for Kylee.”
Going from a school of a few thousand to 55,000 is a gigantic change for anyone, but especially for athletes at an extreme level. Division one athletes have to learn how to manage school, sports, and long traveling weeks like no other. Paben has to do everything on top of moving away from friends and family for the first time.
“I am excited to push myself to grow by venturing to a new state,” Kylee Paben said. “It has been my dream to play basketball at a school like this for as long as I can remember, and I’m proud of myself for getting here, but I’m also excited to see what else I can accomplish. I do have some doubts at times because this is such a big change, but when I keep a positive mindset, I can see growth and good things happen.”
Paben signed her commitment papers to the University of Minnesota in Wildcat 1 at 7:20 am on Nov. 12, 2025. Then, at the beginning of the 2026 summer, she will move to Minneapolis to start summer workouts with the team and play her first collegiate games in November 2026.
