Brenda (Bruggeman) Cox couldn't even imagine what a college basketball career would look like when she started playing competitively in the seventh grade. So having four daughters, who would excel in college sports, win national championships and go on to play professionally was the farthest thing from her mind.

But here she is, 40 years later, shaking her head while thinking about where it all began – on the hardwood floor of Felten Middle School in Hays.

Cox, the youngest child of tall parents – her dad was 6-foot-4 and her mom is 5-10 – had grown to 6-2 by the time she was a freshman at Hays High School and went on to become a three-sport standout for the Indians.

Cox's husband, Dennis, is 6-4, and they are the parents of four tall, athletic daughters. Their oldest, Lauren, is a 6-4 WNBA player for the Los Angeles Sparks and is currently playing in Spain. Whitney is a 6-0 junior who plays basketball for Division II power Lubbock Christian. The 6-2 Kaylee chose to play volleyball in college and is a freshman at the University of Missouri.

Maddie, also 6-2, is a high school junior in the family's hometown of Flower Mound, Texas. Maddie is already looking at colleges at which to continue her basketball career at the next level.

That's not the way college recruiting for female basketball players worked back in the early 1980s, though, Cox said.

Cox, who competed at state in volleyball, basketball and track, didn't decide until late in her senior year at Hays High to go the junior college route and signed with Dodge City Community College. It was during a standout career at Dodge City that Division I schools started to take notice of her.

Cox chose to play at Southern Methodist University. And it was during her career at SMU when she met her future husband, a former college basketball player at Central Methodist, who was working in Dallas.

The couple was married in 1995. Lauren was born in 1998, and so continued the Cox family sports legacy. Whitney came along two years later, followed by Kaylee and Maddie.

Cox said she and her husband knew early on their daughters would compete in sports.

"People would ask us if our girls were going to be in dance, etc.," Cox said, "and we'd say, 'No, they're going to play sports.' That's what we knew. We're just a sports family."

Maddie said some of her first memories are from attending sporting events. While some younger siblings might tire of following their older brothers and sisters, that wasn't the case for Maddie.

"I loved going to all my sisters' games," Maddie said. "We're a competitive family, so that really rubbed off, too."

After soaking that all in as a youngster, Maddie now takes all the advice her older sisters offer.

"They definitely know what it takes to get to the college level, so they push me every day to be my best," Maddie said. "Having older sisters go through the process of college recruiting has made it easier for me. I know it takes a lot of hard work."

The Cox family legacy wasn't built without some challenges. Lauren was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) when she was 7 years old, but it didn't slow her down.

Lauren went on to win gold medals with USA teams at three different age levels. The No. 1 player in the nation out of high school, Lauren went on to earn numerous postseason awards at Baylor University. A three-time All-American, Lauren helped lead the Bears to a national championship her junior year. She was the third overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft and is the first Type 1 diabetic to play in the WNBA.

Whitney, who was diagnosed with the same disease as Lauren when she was 17 years old, helped Lubbock Christian win the Division II national championship last year. Both Lauren and Whitney are heavily involved in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, trying to inspire youth dealing with T1D.

Kaylee and Maddie have tested negative for diabetes.

Cox said it's been a fun ride following her daughters' teams and that she and Dennis think "it's pretty cool to be their parents."

But she wouldn't change her athletic experiences for anything.

"I got to play every sport growing up, and I loved it," Cox said. "Now, kids start playing club sports at such a young age – and specializing in one sport. I feel they don't get the experience of cross-training, and that can result in burnout and injuries."

Basketball turned out to be Cox's favorite sport, and she played during a five-year span that still ranks as the winningest stretch in the history of Hays High girls' basketball. A three-time all-state selection in basketball, Cox still holds the school record for rebounds in a game (20), a season (252), and a career (769). Her name also appears in the top five of several scoring records at Hays High.

She credits that success to competing in a variety of sports while growing up.

"I think it was great being able to play different sports and train under different coaches," she said. "It was a really good experience and tons of fun with great teammates. I made friends who will be friends for life."
 
We are grateful to partner with WIN for KC, an organization with the mission to empower the lives of girls and women by advocating and promoting the lifetime value of sports through opportunities for participation and leadership development. WIN for KC and the KSHSAA believe involvement in activities and sports lay the ground work for supporting well-rounded citizens in our communities and beyond. For more on WIN for KC visit: https://www.sportkc.org/win-for-kc