Younger brothers, Choctaw Nation inspire Williston following tragic loss

Aspen Williston has been through enough in her life to be able to attach a sense of proportion to the personal inconveniences brought on by the presence of the pandemic.

The tough stuff in her past has not kept her from making friends. It has not kept her from seeking out ways to contribute and stay engaged in her community.

It has not stopped her from wanting to become an excellent basketball player for the University of South Dakota, either, or in trying to be a good teammate and a good leader.

USD coach Dawn Plitzuweit calls the Coyotes’ 6-4 transfer from the University of Oklahoma “a dynamic young lady” and sees big things ahead for Williston as a Coyote.

It’s obvious when she says this that the coach is referring to both Williston’s potential as a basketball player and as a person.

“She’s high-energy,” Plitzuweit said. “She’s very genuine. Very authentic. She’s just a great person who Coyote fans are going to love when they get to know her.”

It has been a little more than two years since the family said goodbye to Sheldon, their father who died after a battle with pneumonia at age 41. Months later, their mother, Jennifer, died of colon cancer. She was 42.

While this was happening, Williston was also playing major-college basketball. It gave her temporary relief from a sadness that included good days, bad days and reasons to seek comfort in those close to her.

“I pushed my feelings away for basketball,” Williston said. “The whole thing is still kind of new to me. But what really keeps me going are my little brothers. That, and knowing my parents would want me to help take care of them and they’re proud of me for doing that. I represent my parents now. And I represent my little brothers. I want to make them all happy.”

Williston started playing basketball in Broken Bow in seventh grade. Like her younger brothers Jasiah (11), Kaylem (9) and Noah (7), she is a member of the Choctaw Nation in southeastern Oklahoma.

When the NCAA granted a blanket waiver to Division I college basketball players recently for the 2020-21 season, it meant Williston was not going to have to sit out this year, as would be the case otherwise. In addition, it also meant she was not going to have to give up either of the next two seasons to participate this year.

It’s a bonus for Williston and the Coyotes (4-3), who enter Summit League play with two games against Denver at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center this weekend.

Her immediate eligibility, ultimately brought on by the NCAA’s treatment of the continued presence of the pandemic, will add some sparkle to the season for Williston, who saw limited playing time for the Sooners the last year.

It’s clear in talking to both Williston and Plitzuweit, however, that the focus will remain on the big picture.

“I came with the mindset that I was going to grow this year whether I’m playing or not,” Williston said. “My goal is to help this team get better in any way I can. We’re all going to make each other better. It hasn’t changed the way I look at practice because I would be thinking that way no matter what happens.”

With a squad filled with experienced, talented players, the Coyotes are not in urgent need of Williston’s minutes. Because she does not have to sacrifice her future eligibility, it’s a win-win to be able to put on a uniform.

“She really has the potential to be a very good player for us,” Plitzuweit said. “She has to grow and develop yet, but she has the opportunity to do that in this program. All our players need a development period when they come here and she’s in the middle of that right now.”

Within the Coyote offense, post-players serve in many roles. That conventional post player down on the block with their back to the basket doesn’t exist in the USD system. They have to handle the ball, make good decisions and defend both underneath and on the perimeter.

“She’s a lefty, she can run the floor and shoot it pretty well from that 15-17 foot range,” Plitzuweit said. “I’m excited about her because I can see she cares a lot – she’s putting in the time. She’s doing the right things and it’s going to pay off for her.”

Throughout middle school and high school, Williston was involved in American Indian leadership ventures. Like many in her family, she remains involved in maintaining and exploring her Choctaw heritage.

“It’s down the line for now but I’d really like to be the first female chief of Choctaw Nation,” she said. “The tribe has done so much for me and my family, I just want to give back to them and give back to my community when I get the chance.”

Williston calls her coaches and teammates the most competitive people she’s ever met. While she jokes around – she’s been known to answer texts from Plitzuweit in Choctaw, then follow with the English translation – she also respects the basketball culture established at USD.

“Coach always finds a way,” Williston said. “That’s actually one of our team's sayings. She definitely finds a way.”

The laughs come easy. When asked what it’s like being tall, she said it helped her make friends.

“Before COVID, sometimes people at the store would ask me to grab something for them off the top shelf,” she explained. “Being tall has some benefits.”

And if you really want to get her going, you ask her to start talking about those little brothers. One wonders what kind of stories you’d hear if she had a little more time to explain their behavior.

“They’re real characters,” she said. “They’re the craziest, most lovable, most mature and strongest little guys I know.”

In their own way, like the Coyote basketball team, Jasiah, Kaylem and Noah have had to “find a way” as well. When Williston said basketball gave her a chance to push away feelings, it helped most of the time. But not always.