Photos: Providence Academy
More than the record book: Maddyn Greenway champions a legacy of leadership.
Great high school athletes come and go, but the ones who make a big enough impact to change a program and leave a legacy are truly special. Such is the case of Wayzata’s Maddyn Greenway. The Providence Academy (PA) basketball 2026 alum and University of Kentucky (UK) freshman student-athlete has a special level of talent—and work ethic—that her PA coach, Conner Goetz, spotted early on.
“She’s the kind of player that makes you look like a good coach just by how talented she is,” Goetz says. “And it’s really nice when the most talented player on your team leads by example and works the hardest because the expectation is set, and no one else has an excuse.”
The standout athlete was the starting point guard for the Lions all six years of her varsity playing career. Goetz saw something special in Greenway from the moment he started coaching her in her seventh-grade year; he just didn’t know how special and impactful she would become on and off the court. And it’s not just athletic prowess she brings to the court that makes her unique—it’s the way she treats everyone around her. Greenway has three younger sisters, and that informed how she related to her PA teammates. “I think that would be one of the first ways she identifies herself—as a big sister,” Goetz says. “She was just really caring, especially toward younger players, seventh and eighth graders. Where it could be an intimidating presence, she was just so welcoming and wanted everyone to feel included. She’s been nurturing, but she balances it so well with her competitiveness.”
The team-first, big-sisterly case in point: When Greenway identifies her favorite memory from her honor-filled basketball career, it doesn’t come from her own list of impressive individual and team accomplishments. She points to when her younger sister Beckett, a sophomore basketball player at PA, hit 1,000 career points last February. “The records and championships are really cool, and I’m beyond proud of them,” Greenway says. “But being able to be part of my sister’s accomplishments is amazing.”
Maddyn Greenway was the starting point guard for the Providence Academy Lions during her six-year varsity career. The team was the Minnesota State High School League Girls Basketball Class AA Champions in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Part of the talent is in her genes. Greenway’s mom, Jenni Greenway, was a standout University of Iowa (U of I) Division I cross country and track and field athlete, and her dad is former Minnesota Viking Chad Greenway, who played collegiate football at U of I. But the other part of the talent is drawn from her love of basketball. While she also excels at soccer and track and field (Her parents assist in coaching her.), Greenway is drawn to basketball in a different way. “I fell in love with seeing my work and success grow with every practice and every game,” she says. “Falling in love with the process made me love it even more.”
As a freshman student-athlete at UK, Greenway is already hitting the basketball court as practices for the upcoming season are well underway. Though she considered attending U of I, following her parents’ successful collegiate careers, Greenway decided to forge her own path. She credits her decision to the trust she built in UK’s coaching staff through the recruiting process to help her grow as a basketball player and person.
As she’s moved on from her high school career, Greenway has had great mentors in her coaches and parents and has been a mentor to those around her. It’s an attribute that Goetz says will be part of her legacy at PA, which she’s exhibited through her focus on team building. Above all else, she keeps her words of advice to her younger sisters and teammates fairly simple. “Stay confident and true to yourself,” Greenway says. “With success comes a lot of pressure, but staying true to yourself and keeping those close to you close is crucial.”
Athleticism is in Maddyn Greenway’s DNA. Her mom, Jenni Greenway, was a Division I cross country and track and field athlete; her dad, Chad Greenway, played Division I football and is a former Minnesota Viking.
Stepping up onto a larger basketball stage can add to that pressure. “Yes, there [are] a ton of nerves, and because of the success I have had, there is a ton of pressure, but I think I am in the best situation [at UK] to play like myself and thrive in that environment,” Greenway says.
With her precollegiate success, what is Greenway looking forward to as she takes the court in Lexington, Kentucky, as a Wildcat? “I am most excited to grow my game in ways I haven’t yet,” she says. “I think the coaches at [UK] will turn me into the best player I can be but also the best person I can be.”
Great athletes are goal driven. Wins. Stats. Championships. For Greenway, setting records and racking up achievements is in her DNA. As she begins another chapter, she sets her sights on more accomplishments. “My future goals in basketball are to win SEC Freshman of the Year and [be named to the] all-freshman team and, obviously, a national championship would be a huge goal of mine,” she says. “I also want to be able to grow as a person through my experience and become a better person and leader because of it. In life, I want to have a successful career and become a mom—that is something I really want out of life.”
Alongside her success on the court, Maddyn Greenway excels on both the soccer field and the race track.
Highlights … So Far
Basketball
- 5,621 career points, most in Minnesota boys and girls high school basketball history
- Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year (2025 and 2026)
- MaxPreps Minnesota High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year (2025–26)
- MaxPreps Female National Athlete of the Year (2025–26)
- McDonald’s All-American (2026)—10th Minnesota girl to receive the honor
- Minnesota career assists record for boys and girls basketball (1,339)
- Minnesota State High School League Girls Basketball Class AA Champions (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026)
- Miss Basketball Minnesota (2026)
- Nesmith All American Second Team (2026)
- Minnesota Star Tribune All-Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year (2025 and 2026)
- USA Women’s U19 National Team (2025)
Soccer
- Minnesota High School record for all time goals in girls soccer (214)
- Minnesota State High School League State Girls Soccer Class A Champions (2024 and 2025)
- Miss Soccer Class A (2025)
Track and Field
- Minnesota State High School League Girls Track and Field 4×4 Champion (2022, 2025 and 2026)
- Minnesota State High School League Girls Track and Field 300 Hurdles Champion (2024, 2025 and 2026)
- Minnesota State High School League Girls Track and Field State Tournament: placed in four events (2025)
- Providence Academy record holder in four events
This is a partial list and does not include all of Maddyn Greenway’s accomplishments.
