Ava McKennie grew up watching her brother play for Maryland. Now she does the same.

A wave of euphoria washed over Ava McKennie as she celebrated with her teammates at half court. The clock read zero, and the 54-53 score signaled a third straight conference title for McDonogh High School girls’ basketball.

The four-star Maryland commit looked over to the bleachers and made a beeline for her brother, Ellis McKennie III. Fighting back tears, the two shared an emotional embrace.

“He [told] me how much he loves me and how proud of me he is,” she recalled with a smile.

The win came after the siblings’ countless late-night hoop sessions, long drives and shared athletic accomplishments.

“I was just over the moon, proud of her,” Ellis McKennie said. “It was a long journey through high school basketball, and to finish it on such a high note like she did, it was an incredible relief.”

In Ava McKennie’s family, everyone gets to pick their sport, she said. She grew up playing basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, track and tennis in hopes of finding her niche.

She continued to experiment as a dual-sport athlete in high school. She juggled volleyball, track and basketball for four years, finding success in each one.

But basketball was her true passion.

The McKennie family’s basketball ties date back generations. Her dad, Ellis McKennie Jr., played at George Washington from 1986 to 1991, while her older cousin played at Penn State.

“I had so many basketball players in my family to look up to,” Ava McKennie said. “Basketball was just really what I knew.”

Ava McKennie spent most of the summer before her senior year of high school with her brother. They took road trip after road trip to AAU tournaments and college visits together.

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“That just put him in another place in my heart,” Ava McKennie said. “He put time, money and effort into me being a better basketball player.”

Ellis McKennie would take frequent trips home while in law school — online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him more freedom to travel. He’d text his sister before driving back to Pennsylvania.

“Hey, text coach, tell him we need the barn,” the message always read.

The sibling duo would spend hours taking shots on an automated shooting and rebounding machine at ‘LeBarn James,’ a tucked-away basketball sanctuary in a barn owned by Ava McKennie’s former coach.

“Those are just moments you won’t forget,” Ellis McKennie said. “That bond is something that siblings rarely get to have.”

The two are eight years apart, and describe their relationship as special, yet unexpected. Ellis McKennie serves as an extra pair of eyes and ears for his sister with whatever she needs in what he calls a “parent role.”

Ava McKennie visited many schools across the country early in her recruiting process. Her brother saw value in seeing what different programs had to offer.

When Ava McKennie received the long-awaited Maryland offer, Ellis called her in tears. It was the culmination of a years-long journey.

“I knew I finally reached a point in my career that I could play at a high Division 1 level, that I could be something really great,” Ava said. “And that I’d reach what my brother believed I could reach.”

Maryland was a perfect fit for McKennie, who was familiar with the program and wanted to stay close to home. She announced her commitment in February 2023.

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“After looking at all these [schools] and what everyone had to offer, we could come home and see that the place down the street is the one that has the most opportunity and the best place for her,” Ellis McKennie said.

Ellis McKennie was on Maryland’s active roster when teammate Jordan McNair died from a heat stroke in 2018. The McKennie and McNair families lived down the street from one another when the kids were growing up.

The McKennie siblings helped jumpstart the Jordan McNair Foundation when McNair’s parents established it in June 2018. Ava serves as an ambassador who encourages confidence and self-advocacy.

“It’s just such a great thing to be a part of, to feel like I can make a difference for my fellow athletes,” Ava said.” “I’m just lucky enough to be close to the McNair family and to be able to help them whenever I can.”

Ava McKennie’s earliest Maryland memories come from sitting on the cold, snowy bleachers of Maryland Stadium, now called SECU Stadium.

She watched Ellis McKennie, who played on the football team from 2015 to 2019, compete week after week. The McKennie family would gather for tailgates and watch parties six or seven times each season.

Now, McKennie is a Terp. She’ll play in front of those same supporters, including her brother, who passed along the Maryland tradition.

“It was where I felt like I could spend four years no matter what,” McKennie said. “Even if basketball wasn’t going great, I knew that the school would keep me here, and this is where I just wanted to be.”