CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Christian School girls’ basketball team is loaded with talent, as it usually is, led by APSU Hall of Famer and NCSA National Coach of the Year Trenton Hassell.
The Centurions are 15-4, spotlighted by two of the top recruits in the 2027 class: Lauren Hassell and Marley Spires. However, there’s another junior on the squad who, despite not having as high a recruiting ranking, can ball with the best of them. Her name is Kaydence Kindle, and her story is one of unselfishness, with a team-first mentality.
Moving outside the spotlight
Kindle is a 5-foot-10 combo guard who spent her freshman and sophomore seasons at Murray High School just across the state border in Kentucky. Last year, she led Murray in scoring. It would’ve been an easy decision to stay and continue to pile on the scoring numbers as the clear No. 1 option for the Tigers, but Kindle wanted to grow her game outside the spotlight.
“My team in Murray was great for me, I have a lot of love for them, but here there was a great opportunity to be a part of an amazing program and culture,” Kindle told Clarksville Now. “I love Coach Trenton, he’s made this program really great, and I’ve learned so much under him.”
Kindle admits that she wasn’t used to playing without the ball in her hands when she arrived at CCS, however, she’s learned to be more of a complete offensive player. This includes now using her length and athleticism to be a lockdown defender. The numbers back it up, as she’s averaging 2.5 steals per game.
“It’s taught me how to be versatile without the ball in my hands,” said Kindle. “I have great teammates, so I want to look for them before I look for myself, and to uplift my team. I’ve gotten a lot better at defense here; coach stresses that, and it has been really great for my development.”
Hassell: ‘She’s a huge part of what we do’
While most of Kindle’s averages are down from last season, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Kindle is still averaging 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, while shooting 42% from the field and 28% from three-point range. Kindle is a complimentary piece to what the Centurions do, and Hassell knows they couldn’t do what they are doing in 2025-26 without her.
“She’s a huge part of what we do,” Hassell said. “She is an athletic wing that we haven’t had before. She’s still trying to figure out the way we do things here, coming from Murray, but you can see her slowly figure out her role and learn to thrive in it. She’s a big part of what we have planned for the future.”
With the goal to play at the collegiate level, Kindle has been focused on becoming the best version of herself, not just for her, but for the overall makeup of the team. Above all else, she’s a competitor and ready to help lead the Centurions back to yet another title season.
“From this program, I just hope to grow into an overall better player,” said Kindle. “Not just scoring but learning how to make people around me better. I’m not focused on my scoring ability; rather, I just want to contribute in whatever way I can to the team and help us win.”
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