CAMAS, Wash. -- As Union Titans freshman Kadee Spike begins her high school career, she is ready to build on her family’s legacy with her dad on the sidelines. Kadee Spike, the youngest daughter of assistant coach Todd Spike, is prepared to learn the game from her dad while attempting to bring success to the Titans. With expectations to win a state championship surrounding Union, Kadee Spike hopes her skill on the court and passion for the game will be enough to bring her team to the top this season.

Kadee Spike’s journey with the Titans began before she took the court. She was able to help out the team in a managerial role for many years prior to starting her own journey, which was an advantage of having her dad as a coach. While she helped the team in many ways, her experience helped her learn the ins and outs of what playing for Union is all about.

“[My role with Union] got me more connected and in the loop I would say with what we run, our pillars [of success], and what we like go off of and really take pride in here at Union and our girls basketball team,” Kadee Spike told World Exposure Report after the Titans 82-53 win against the River Ridge Hawks. “I just learned the ins and outs of that, and so I feel like that’s gonna have a really big impact on me this year and my years to come.”

Kadee Spike’s Titans journey started before her freshman season was a luxury she took full advantage of, and it has helped her adjust to the high school game. Her dad recognized the love she had for the game at an early age, which motivated him to bring her on in a unique role with the team. Kadee Spike's energy in the practices and on the bench during games gave her dad confidence that she would be ready when her moment came to wear a Titan jersey.

“[Kadee Spike] just loved the game of basketball, loved to always be with me and coach [Gary] Mills at practice,” Todd Spike told World Exposure Report. “She’d come into practice sometimes too, would be in [the] scout team if we needed her…she just started with younger, when she was shagging balls for the players and looking up to some great role models that we've had in our program, to sitting on the bench and creating a lot of energy and studying what this might look like when it's her time to finally get the opportunity to [wear] the [Union] jersey, and now it’s here….”

As Kadee Spike begins her high school career, the adjustment to a different level can be difficult. Luckily for her, she has her dad to turn to for help with what different things to work on to improve her game. Kadee Spike described the dreamlike opportunity to play for her dad and how she’s able to establish a barrier between seeing him as a father and a coach.

“Yeah, [having my dad as a coach] is surreal,” she said. “Obviously, working out with him, training in the gyms with him, always, just has always been great…Just getting that knowledge from him has really helped me, and just in the growth of my game…I feel like when we step on the court, it's not really Dad, it's coach. And I feel like we've found that barrier and separator pretty relevant and soon, like even last year, just as I was on the bench, just getting a feel for how that [separator is] going to be.”

Todd Spike has a storied history with the sport of basketball, starting with his playing days at the University of Idaho. He started assistant coaching at Union with the boys basketball program when the school opened in 2007, winning multiple league and district titles throughout his tenure, and one state championship in 2010. Todd Spike then transitioned to the girls program in 2020 to be closer to his daughters. As Kadee Spike begins her own path as a Titan, she feels privileged rather than pressured to represent her well-respected family name.

“I wouldn’t say [I feel] pressure, I would [say I] just feel honored,” Kadee Spike said. “Just to take in that knowledge that [Todd Spike] has to give us, just given his records and career that he’s had and the legacy he’s had on so many athletes. So I’m just honored to be able to take in that role of the type of coach he is.”

Todd Spike has three daughters, including Kadee Spike. While each of his kids has gone their own way, his youngest shares his passion for the game. With him able to bond with his daughter over basketball, Todd Spike is in a similar position to the late Kobe Bryant after he retired from a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. While his résumé is different from the former Lakers star, Todd Spike feels like he is in the Bryant role of coaching his daughter and watching her development unfold.

“Absolutely [I feel like Bryant] especially with the love [and] the passion that he has for the game,” he said. “Just to see this all come to fruition, and [Kadee Spike’s] journey is just beginning and [I’m] looking forward [to] this year, obviously, and for the years to come, and where this [game] might take her.”

As Kadee Spike grew up, she became a basketball fan by watching some of the greatest women in the sport. From New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, she looks up to the game's biggest stars and uses their skills to work on her own. While her skill on the court has been a luxury for Union thus far, Kadee Spike still has much to learn. As she leans on her teammates and her dad to learn the game at the high school level, a successful first season for her involves being a positive influence for everyone around her.

“I would say [a successful season for me is] making my teammates better, just because we have a big graduating class this year,” Kadee Spike said. “So being able to make my teammates around me and the swingers around me better,... [and] hopefully getting my team going far later on [into the] playoffs. Yeah, just creating the culture of like, what we want to do here at Union basketball. [The program] has gone through its ups [and downs], peaks and valleys, and so I feel like right now is its peak time [and its time] to just hone in on, getting that culture right here, and just keeping that up….I think we can do some really special things this year, and so I’m hoping we can just lead that on in the up and coming years.”