Nyayongah Gony and Nyayien Koang have known each other since they were little.
Best friends, Gony says.
"We do a lot of things together," Koang says.
Putting pen to paper and signing a National Letter of Intent to play sports at the collegiate level is a special moment for any kid. It was extra special Wednesday as two great friends sat side by side and signed to play Division I basketball.
Gony, one of the nation's top recruits in this class, will play for the Miami Hurricanes. Koang signed to play with Northwestern State in Louisiana.
"I've always imagined just doing that together," Koang said of the two Lincoln High standouts signing their letters. "For it to be that was really good. It's also bittersweet because we're going to be so far away from each other now. We spend every day (together), we spend the whole summer together."
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Gony and Koang stand tall. They're each 6-foot-2. They also have played roles in helping the other reach the Division I level.
"Actually, she got me into the sport," Gony said of that fourth-grade year. "We had been in school together for a while and I needed something to be social. I wasn't good enough to be on her team."
Those were the days of the Lincoln Katz team.
Gony got better and better, and by the midway point of her high school career, was receiving a lot of interest from college coaches. Her older sister Nyagoa is a sophomore for the Purdue women's basketball program.
Koang's college recruitment didn't take off until this past summer. She typically took summers off from basketball, but decided to play with Gony and the Cornhusker Shooting Stars, and learn the Shooting Stars' fast-paced style. Soon, Northwestern State reached out to Links head coach Dominique Kelley-Johnson asking for film. An offer followed.
"For a long time I didn't even know if I was going to play college basketball, and this (past) summer was really beneficial and I learned a lot," Koang said. "Being able to sign to a school that I really liked, and just all of it, was just surreal."
Said Gony, "I think just seeing us progress and where we're going, it's kind of crazy."
Now Gony and Koang can turn their full attention to their final high school season. The Links' roster also includes Kaysia Woods, a junior guard who has several Division I offers, and multiple freshmen ready to step in and help.
Gony said she wants to end her time with the Links on a high note.
"I really just want to finish really strong, especially since this is the place that made me and gave me a place to go in Miami," she said.
Added Koang, "(Kelley-Johnson) always says, 'You always want to do things that you won't regret.' You don't want to regret the fact that you could have done something that you really wanted to do. I'm excited to see what we can do."