The tiny little sister they called “nugget” has grown so much — figuratively and literally — that she’s signed to play college basketball at NCAA Division II D’Youville University beginning this fall.

“Life is full circle,” said LaVan. “I wanted to coach this program to give back to the sport I love. Sixteen years later, I think I have given a lot to many young ladies, but also so many young ladies helped me raise my girls in this program.”

Sammie “has grown immensely” around the team, added LaVan. “She has had great role models in Emma and Gracie. My girls and I have always prided ourselves on being hard workers. It didn’t click for Sammie right away, and that is okay. I didn’t push as a coach or parent. I knew if it was going to click, it would. And it truly has. Sammie plays the game very differently than Emma and Gracie. She plays very relaxed and carefree.”

Emma, Gracie, Sammie and mom have grabbed three D10 championships since Emma was a freshman in 2019. Now big sis — a three-time all-state standout with over 1,400 career points in high school — plays DII ball in Michigan at Hillsdale College.

Photos submitted to Times Observer

Last year, as a junior, little sis shared something in common with big sis; Sammie was named co-Region 5 Player of the Year. She averaged over 9 points, plus six assists and five rebounds, per game for the 18-8 state-qualifying Dragons.

“We always called her ‘nugget’ because she was so tiny, and then she hit her growth spurt very late,” said LaVan. “She always played point guard because she was shorter. She is now a 6-foot point guard.”

She loved passing the ball to her sisters and continues to love feeding her teammates. She’s good at it.

“I think compared to my sisters and other players, what makes my game my own is the way I play relaxed,” said Sammie. “I grew up playing point guard, so I’ve always been used to the ball in my hands. I also think passing is a huge part of my game, so I love passing to my teammates and trusting them to score.”

Her family and her teammates, who are essentially her extended family, are what motivate Sammie.

Submitted photo Sammie Ruhlman will open her senior season with the Warren Dragons today.

“(I think) what has motivated me is playing for my family and the community that supports, loves and believes in us, but also to prove a lot of people who don’t believe in us wrong,” she said. “Another thing that has motivated me is just the feeling to get better and the feeling to win, because it’s a great feeling.

“I first fell in love with the sport when my sisters and I would go to my mom’s basketball practices from when we were babies until about middle school, and just being around that environment with all of those girls I looked up to as a young girl,” added Sammie. “I first realized I was pretty good when, from fourth to seventh grade, I would always play up a year with my older sister, Gracie, during travel basketball. Even when playing with girls a year or two older than me, I still dominated. Growing to 6 feet definitely did help.

“My Papa was someone who got me into sports,” Sammie continued. “Sports was something we could bond with and he knew my potential in all sports I played and pushed me to be better. Over all my years, I have played soccer, softball, tennis and, of course, basketball. I have played basketball since I was able to hold and dribble a ball. I have played competitively since about fourth grade. I think until about ninth grade it wasn’t as important to me as it is now, but I don’t think there was ever a time it wasn’t fun. I love the game.”

She certainly looks happy to be on the court.

“My parents have done a great job raising me and shaping me in the way I am today,” she said. “My dad (Jason Ruhlman) has always taught me to be myself and to embrace who I am. He has helped me grow my confidence on the court and in life. My mom has taught me toughness as a player and especially as a woman. She also pushed my confidence and always believed in my success. My parents, my sisters and my friends are what push me to be successful because they know what I am capable of and want to see me succeed and become a better person on and off the court.”

Ruhlman had other options to play DII or DIII, “but I decided early to go to D’Youville (in Buffalo, New York) because I just knew right away it’s where I wanted to be,” she said. “I am going to major in exercise science and minor in biology to become a chiropractor. The first few trips, seeing the campus and meeting the team were really great. The campus and facilities are extremely nice and the area is beautiful. The most recent trips are what really pulled me in. D’Youville has a great student body and the school gives back to them so much. Everyone is one big community. The school is very science-heavy and that is what I am really into. All of this and so much more is what made me absolutely want to go to D’Youville.”

Sammie isn’t exactly following in Emma’s or Gracie’s footsteps.

“I didn’t really have any thoughts of playing at the next level until about my sophomore year when I saw Emma go through the process and seeing her love for it,” said Sammie. “Through the two years of playing with her, she pushed me every day, and it proved to me that I was capable of getting to that next level as well. D’Youville was the first college I communicated with and, since day one, coach Ali (Bouman) believed in me and, after the first visit, I knew that’s where I wanted to be. The team was so welcoming and treated me like one of them as soon as I walked through the door.

“Once I gained some confidence my sophomore year and knew I had such a high ceiling, I realized this was something I wanted to do,” she added. “I started playing AAU sophomore year, and playing with all these other talented girls who also had a goal to play college basketball, encouraged me even more.”

Of course, her final high school season begins today.

“I think what I will miss most about high school is the friendships,” she said. “I will miss coming to school and seeing all of my closest friends and being able to hang out whenever we wanted to. What I will miss specifically about Warren is the community built around our sports. The support we could always count on from them was a great feeling.

“What I am looking forward to most in college is the freedom and opportunity,” said Sammie. “Being able to have my own schedule and really start to become an adult is something I’m very excited for. The opportunities in college are endless, and this is where I start a whole new chapter in my life.”