‘I wanted to come home’: PND grad commits to Bradley from women’s basketball transfer portal

PEORIA — Mya Wardle went into the NCAA transfer portal and came out the other side back at home.

The former Peoria Notre Dame basketball and soccer hero took an official basketball visit to Bradley University earlier this week and, on Saturday, announced she will play for BU women’s coach Kate Popovec-Goss’ program in 2025-26.

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“Other schools had reached out,” Wardle said. “But I wanted to visit Bradley first. I wanted to come home. Coach Popovec’s vision of the program and the culture she is building, I want to be part of that. I want to win with her and grow with the program.

More: A Division I prospect. A well-known father. Mya Wardle is writing her own story in Peoria

“She’s really going to coach me, wants me to lead, use my voice, do what I do best — run a team.”

Wardle spent her freshman season at Eastern Kentucky, where the 5-foot-7 guard appeared in 32 games off the bench. She averaged 1.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for an Atlantic Sun Conference team that went 21-12.

“I played behind three really talented fifth-year guards (at EK),” Wardle said. “I learned so much from them, how to practice … how to be resilient … I responded to challenges there, learned to be a star in my role and accept being humble.”

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Wardle entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season, and surfaced this week on her visit around the BU campus. Alongside was her father, Bradley Braves men’s basketball head coach Brian Wardle.

“It was actually really fun,” she said. “I was super grateful he got to come and be a dad on a visit. I’ve actually never seen a lot of Bradley. I’ve seen the gym of course, and that’s pretty much it.

“But I definitely know my way around that gym, basically grew up there.”

PND title run: Every story from Peoria Notre Dame’s run to the Class 2A girls basketball championship

Mya Wardle was a three-time All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection during her basketball career at Notre Dame. She earned all-state honors three times, and teamed with her sister, Emy, to lead the Irish to an IHSA state championship in 2024.

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She was named Journal Star Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2024, capping a prep career in which she averaged 16.0 points per game, 7.6 assists and 3.5 steals per game.

On her watch, Notre Dame went 97-15 and held a top 10 ranking in the state for three years.

The elite athlete also ran track and played soccer. She earned all-state and all-conference honors in soccer, was Journal Star Girls Soccer Player of the Year in 2023 and helped Notre Dame to a state soccer title as a senior.