WOLSEY – Mallory Miller has only been a Warbird for one season.

But the 6-foot-4 senior and her Wolsey-Wessington girls basketball teammates are on the cusp of history.

Wolsey-Wessington is making its first appearance in the state tournament as a co-op squad, entering this weekend’s Class B state tournament as the top overall seed.

And, if that’s not enough, Miller herself has already made history, becoming the program’s first Division I commit when she signed with Arizona State out of the Pac-12 Conference.

“She’s definitely brought some experience with her athletic abilities and leadership to the team,” said Wolsey-Wessington coach Josh McGillvrey. “She’s competed at a high level before … and her skill set is very good.”

Coming into a new program in one’s senior season can be a tricky process, especially if there are some established leaders in place. But that, McGillvrey said, has not been an issue.

“We already had two seniors that do have a lot of experience and are great leaders,” he said. “Mallory came in and really complemented that. They get along really well.”

Miller has averaged nearly 18 points per game this season, adding to Leah Williams’ similar scoring abilities, giving the Warbirds a formidable 1-2 punch. McGillvrey said he knew what Miller could add to his program, but says he has also watched Miller develop into an even better player in the past few months.

“I’ve seen her play the last couple years,” he said, “so I was familiar with her game. She’s really done a good job this year at squaring up to the hoop. She’s 6-4 and sometimes when you’re that tall, it’s easy to just turn around and throw it up.”

Instead, McGillvrey said, Miller has worked to improve her individual skills regardless of who is playing defense.

For her part, Miller said that was a conscious goal of hers coming into the season. While she already knew she would be playing at the next level – though where had yet to be determined at that point – she also knew that being 6-foot-4 wouldn’t be as rare at that next level as it is in South Dakota.

“I’ll be playing against girls that look a lot like me,” Miller said.

Miller hasn’t shied away from playing more physical defense either, McGillvrey said.

The result – a tandem Division I offer for Miller and her older sister Hanna, who spent this past season playing at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kan.

“I was already considering Arizona State even before Hanna was involved,” Mallory Miller said. “I liked the campus and the coaches and I really liked the vibe when I went on a visit.”

Then the University of New Mexico got involved, offering both Miller sisters scholarship offers. That set off a bit of a bidding war, so to speak, which ended with Arizona State snagging both players.

It’s essentially a dream come true for the younger Miller.

“Basketball and Hanna are one thing for me,” Mallory said. “I’ve never known basketball without Hanna and I’ve never known Hanna without basketball.”

Even playing this season without Hanna by her side has been a different experience, Mallory said, noting the two grew up playing together from a very young age.

There are no plans to redshirt either sister when they arrive in Tempe, Ariz. in the fall, Miller said. And while she’ll project as a forward, she wants to make versatility – the ability to step out and hit a 3-pointer – a staple of her arsenal.

But for now, there’s the matter at hand.

“From the summer when we started playing team camps, the coaches and players emphasized we really wanted to go to state this season,” Miller said. “And not just make it, but succeed.”

That journey begins Thursday when the top-seeded Warbirds take on No. 8 Jones County in the opening game of the Class B tournament in Huron.