Bailey and Braylyn Birmingham (Photo courtesy of Johnson Photography)

Continuing the countdown of Norwalk’s top 10 sports stories for the 2024-25 school year with number 5. Senior Bailey Birmingham’s storied basketball career for the Warriors ended with 1,668 career points and a trip to the state semifinals, with freshman sister Braylyn joining her as a first-team All-State selection.

Bailey Birmingham, who led the entire state in scoring as a junior with 27.4 points per game, averaged 16.6 points and 4.3 rebounds as a senior, leading Norwalk with 66 3-pointers and 66 steals. In a January 24 game at Pella, Bailey became just the third Warrior girl in the 5-player era to surpass 1,500 points. She would finish her prep career with 1,668. More importantly, she helped lead the Warriors to their first state tournament appearance in 18 years. The team finished 23-2 and reached the Class 4A state semifinals.

Following the team’s regional final win over Pella, Birmingham told KNIA Sports that making it to state was a dream come true. “It’s pretty crazy. We’ve been working for this. Me – I’ve been working on it since (I was) a little kid, just seeing all the other girls make state, playing at Wells Fargo,” she said. “It’s been a dream of mine, but especially (these) past four years it’s been the goal, and to finally achieve it – it’s awesome.”

Norwalk head coach Joe Sigrist said that making it past 1,500 career points was a special accomplishment for Birmingham – something only about 200 girls have done in the history of Iowa girls high school 5-player basketball. “That means she’s put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this program for four years,” Sigrist said. “I’m just super happy for her because she’s a tremendous worker, a tremendous leader for us, and it couldn’t have happened to a better person.”

Following the season, Bailey Birmingham was named first team All-State for the second straight year. She will play collegiate basketball at Northwest Missouri State University. But Bailey wasn’t the only first team All-State selection on the team… or in the family. Freshman Braylyn Birmingham burst onto the varsity scene last winter and led all freshmen in the state with 20.5 points per game, adding four rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.5 steals per contest.