You’re standing at the free-throw line and your team is two points down with only a few seconds left on the clock. The only sound you can hear is the beating of your own heart, a sharp contrast to the loud and rowdy environment surrounding you. You take a deep breath, dribble the ball, shoot, and score. You grasp the ball again, dribble, and launch it towards the hoop. It sails smoothly through the ring, the crowd erupts, and you immediately feel your teammates’ arms wrapped around you.
This movie-like scene was a reality for WA Girls’ Basketball senior captain Kaitlyn Pepin during the 2023-2024 season. Now, Pepin will hold memories such as this one close to her heart as she soaks in her last season on the team.
Pepin will continue to pursue basketball at the Division III level at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in the fall of 2026, while also exploring her passion for engineering by selecting the subject as her major.
From the start of the recruitment process, WPI has always been Pepin’s top choice. The university stood out to her not only for its strong engineering programs, but also for its excellent balance of academics and athletics.
“The most important thing to me was the school, before sports and other stuff,” Pepin said. “I really like that [Division III] is competitive, both academically and sports-wise. So I guess WPI worked perfectly, because it has a great engineering program that interests me, it’s pretty competitive, and I had a really great relationship with the coaches too.”
Pepin’s talent in basketball was apparent from the start of her high school career; she was a varsity swing her freshman year, meaning that she was officially on the junior varsity team, but often got pulled up to help out during varsity games. After freshman year, Pepin became a permanent member of the varsity team, playing in every game and quickly emerging as one of the team’s star players.
“I think that when [Pepin] was in middle school, she was still kind of growing, she was still getting used to how tall she is, and as she started getting a little bit more coordinated and growing into her size, she realized that she had the potential to be a pretty good basketball player,” former head coach of WA Girls’ Basketball Russell Coward said. “To be honest, she could have been lazy, but she worked her butt off. She really deserves all the credit for making herself into a really good basketball player.”
Listen to Pepin express how she believes she contributes to the WA Girls’ Varsity Basketball team.
For Pepin, the journey to getting recruited to play collegiate basketball did not come without its own set of challenges. As a freshman who occasionally joined varsity games, Pepin struggled to play up against tough competitors who were usually older and stronger than she was. However, she eventually built up confidence and adapted to the fast-paced matches.
Listen to Pepin describe the biggest challenge she has faced during her high school basketball career.
Even when Pepin is not out on the basketball court, she can still be found in the gymnasium, practicing a different sport. Pepin is also one of the WA Girls’ Volleyball captains, and she is one of the biggest point-scorers for the team with her consistent blocks and powerful hits. However, she ultimately decided on playing basketball in college rather than volleyball because of her long-lasting passion for the sport.
“I played basketball a lot longer than I played volleyball, so basketball was something that I’ve done more competitively,” Pepin said. “I do basketball all year round basically, versus volleyball, [which] is mostly in the fall, so basketball got me more exposure. I guess I’ve just loved it more because I’ve been doing it longer, but it’s definitely gonna be hard to let volleyball go.”
As a dedicated student-athlete taking numerous advanced classes, another challenge Pepin faced was balancing athletics and academics. Throughout her nearly four years as a dual sport athlete, Pepin learned strategies to help manage her time.
Listen to Pepin explain the biggest piece of advice she would give to student-athletes who want to manage their time better.
According to Pepin, over the past few years, the WA team has not only formed strong new connections but it has also built upon existing ones. Pepin’s longtime friend and teammate, senior Maddie Smith, believes that playing basketball with Pepin has strengthened their friendship and that she will miss practicing with Pepin as they both head off to college.
“My friendship with [Pepin] honestly started long before we played basketball together, but playing basketball with her has not only [grown] our friendship but [also] built so much trust and support beyond the court,” Smith said. “As a teammate, it is always great to have someone you can trust and rely on so much. As a player, it is so nice passing the ball to a player like Pepin because you know she will do something great with it.”
As Pepin transitions from high school to collegiate basketball, she is most excited about combining the familiarity of the game with the new experiences that await her.
“I love that [WPI is] still close to home,” Pepin said. “It’s exciting that my parents and family can come see games, and I just love that I can continue doing what I love.”
