Siblings excelling in elite sports are special. Playing any sport at senior international level together is almost unheard of. Just three times, sisters would line out together for the Irish senior women’s basketball team—the Fordes of the 80s, the Dwyers of the naughties, and now the Hickeys.
A story that belongs to the sport’s past, present, and future, Kate and Sarah Hickey were destined to play the game. Grandad John Hayes is known as Mr. Waterford Basketball, while mother Jillian Hayes is regarded as one of the best Irish female players to grace the hardwood. Built on talent and family ties, they are blazing their own path.
“We both started at the same age, I was 5 and Sarah was 4 years of age and we were thrown into the gym”, said Kate Hickey.
"Mam was in the gym coaching. After she had our bother Darragh she went back to playing and that’s when we got into it"
“We were thrown into everything, Athletics, Swimming. Kate did a bit of ballet but I didn't get into that", as both laugh over the zoom call.
"But yeah it’s just the one that stuck”.
Jillian Hayes was inducted into the Basketball Ireland Hall of Fame in 2024. She won 3 National Cups, 6 league titles, and 4x Player of the Year awards during her playing career.
She has coached the girls for their whole career, and even at a young age they quickly realised that she was a significant figure in Irish basketball.
“People were coming up to me and I didn’t have a notion of who they were, and they’d be telling me I’d have big shoes to fill", Kate, the eldest explains.
“When we made an Irish team and went up to Dublin they’d be like are you Jillian’s daughter, do you know how good she was”.
Sarah weighs in. “I think especially when we were younger, in Waterford there is not a lot of basketball presence but especially when you’re going to Cork or to Dublin and the first thing someone says to you in the gym is ‘Oh you’re Jillian Hayes’ daughter.
“That’s what we were known as when we were going to play.
"It puts a little bit of pressure but at the same time, we’ve grown up with her as our coach so she’s helped us out. So you’re trying to be better than she was or what people would say about her.”
They have shared the court with Waterford Wildcats from as young as eight and are now starring on the women's Superleague team. Kate was named Superleague Player of the Month in October while Sarah accepted the same accolade the following month.
Kate, who plays ladies' football with Erin's Own adult ladies' team admits she is drawn to other sports more than Sarah. But the coronavirus canceling the 2021/22 season became a catalyst to working on her game under the watchful eye of Jillian.
“Before COVID she (Jillian) and Sarah used to go to the gym together more.
"We had nothing else to do, so it was me and Sarah in the gym with her and that’s where it really stuck. Because it was day in and day out going to training.
"We are lucky to have someone as good as her to be our coach."
When asked how competitive it gets, Sarah smiles and hesitates as she forms her response.
“We are very competitive. It causes a lot of arguments in our house, we’re not even allowed to mark each other in training now.
“We definitely don’t take it easy on each other”.
Sarah’s first taste of international experience came at just 12 years of age with an U15 development panel, and has played on every team since. She highlights the positive impact of playing international basketball, with the biggest benefit felt beyond the court.
“Getting to play for different coaches and playing at the international level against people your age who are 10 times better than you. When you’re in your own country you’re only seeing the same players every week so it’s another level of player.
“Going away for trips has made me a better person and a player as well. Just developing friendships, like some of my best friends over the last 10 years are from those teams.
5 players from the U20 women’s team in 2022 who competed in Division A of the European Championships suit up this week for the senior squad. Abigail Rafferty, Hazel Finn, Lauryn Homan, and the Hickeys.
While they have experienced plenty of international basketball, pulling on the green jersey never loses its significance in their household. When asked if they ever took stock of playing international basketball with one another they chose two separate moments.
“I feel like playing against Latvia together in November we started together and we walked onto the court together, and it was like oh this is kind of cool", Kate describes.
“The arena was mad, full of lights and stuff, and we were standing there together, like 'oh this is cool'."
Sarah reflects on the summer of 2022 at the U20 European championships.
“I’d say the first time it hit me was playing up with Kate on the U20 Irish team, and we were both being subbed in against Spain together. We were waiting to go on and it just hit me like, 'this is really cool'.
“Obviously she’s someone I look up to, as she’s my older sister. So playing at that level and being able to experience it with her, it's definitely a stand-out moment.
“It's not the feeling that you’ve made it but, it’s something that younger me always wanted to do.
That moment also meant the world to their family watching courtside in Sopron, Hungary.
“When we were sitting on the bench, mam took a photo of us. She couldn’t believe we were playing against Spain and her two daughters were playing together.
The occasion is never lost on Jillian. With 67 international caps as a player and 6 years as senior women’s assistant coach, Amhrán Na bhFiann now carries added significance.
“Mam still cries every time the national anthem plays. She’s gotten slightly better at it but anytime we’re playing she gets emotional.
“It helps us realise not to take anything for granted. The fact that she’s been involved with Ireland for the last 25 years and she still gets emotional at our national anthem because we get the privilege to step foot onto the court. She definitely put that pride in us.
Role models at a national and club stage, they already feel the impact of their achievements on the underage players in Waterford.
“Playing for Ireland is special enough but to do it with your sister, that’s what people dream of", Kate shares.
“There’s this one kid, Lucy, she plays U12 in our club, and she has two younger sisters. She is always like ‘Oh I want to be like the two of you and play for Ireland with my sisters'.
“I just think that is the cutest thing ever that she wants to be like me and Sarah, and play for Ireland and to do it with her sisters.
“So I think that makes it extra special for us as we’re showing that next generation of Wildcats that you can play for Ireland together, and go on to play senior together if you put the work in.
A dream, for many but simply a goal, and now a reality for the talented sisters.
“It’s obviously special every time we get to play with one other. But I think at the same time it’s what we were meant to do", Sarah echoes.
"That was always our goal for the both of us. Once we fully committed to basketball we started to win games and play together. Even from the age of 13 or 14, that was always the goal, and it kind of always felt like we were getting there together."
Looking ahead and beyond the 2025 season, the duo are excited about what the future holds.
"One of my favourite things to do is to play for Ireland so I want to continue to do that. In the next ten years, well hopefully I have ten years left in me", Sarah laughs.
"But to qualify for a Eurobasket and to get to that level of Latvia and compete with the likes of France.
"Personally, I want to finish college and maybe go to Europe and see if I can play a year or two professionally. Even just to play against these players, I see the level they’re at and this is their full-time job. I would love to be able to do that too.
Kate, a final year student in SETU Waterford has plans to become a qualified teacher.
"I dunno, hopefully I’ll get into a masters. I don’t think I’d want to go professional. I don’t think I’m at that level, to be honest.
"But yeah continue to play for Ireland and see where it goes."
For a sport seeking a foothold in Ireland’s crowded sporting landscape, it helps to have stories like this, and players like the Hickeys. Ones that carry a little bit of magic.
"If you were to tell 11 and 12-year-old Kate and Sarah that we would be here, I think they’d be fairly shocked", Kate laughs.
"We were happy out playing in the Cork league, going up and down to the Pariochal hall. We would have a 3-minute warm-up and then run onto the court.
"So to be here playing together, it’s pretty special."
Tomorrow evening they will run side by side onto the floor of the National Basketball Arena, dreaming of playing their part in the next piece of Irish basketball history.
FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers Group E Fixture
Sunday 9th February 2025
Ireland v Latvia, National Basketball Arena, 5 pm (Live on TG4 Player and FIBA YouTube)
How it started vs How it's going
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