The trio headed out for a long walk around their Wentzville neighborhood in late August.

"I remember the weather was really nice, not hot or anything," Leah said.

Leah, a standout on Timberland's basketball team, was all set to begin her senior season the next day.

Then came the phone call.

Mandy listened intently as the doctor broke heartbreaking news while the family leisurely sauntered the streets.

Leah had a lump removed from her left breast earlier in the summer. Physicians indicated there probably was little reason to worry.

"They told us teenage girls never get breast cancer," Mandy recalled.

This was the rare exception.

Mandy tried to hide the stunned look on her face, telling Leah, "We'll talk about this when we get home." 

It was there Mandy summed up the courage to tell her daughter the lump was cancerous.

The initial shock led to an hour-long crying session among the three. Minutes later, Lexi, Leah's twin sister, returned home from work. Again, more tears.

"And some prayers," Mandy added.

Leah decided she would share the terrible diagnosis with her best friend, junior Carlie Boehm, who also plays for Timberland's basketball team. So the twins zipped over to Boehm's house.

"I was in total shock when she told me," Boehm said. "I didn't know what to say, what to tell her. I couldn't wrap my mind around it."

Another round of cuddles and tears ensued.

"I don't we've ever hugged like we did that night," Boehm said.

At that point, Leah decided to step up and take control. She simply dried up her tears and moved into survival mode.

"Everyone was so sad," Leah said. "I was hoping to change that."

Two weeks later, she underwent a second surgery to have some tissue removed from the area where the lump had been.

A month after that, the speedy guard got the best news possible.

"It was the greatest prognosis — that Leah was going to lead a long and healthy life," Mandy said.

Wilmsmeyer immediately began thinking about the sport she had loved since she could first walk.

She wanted to return to the court.

"I think basketball helped a lot in her recovery," Mandy said. "It gave her something to work for."

Wilmsmeyer not only is playing again — but she is doing so with more skill and enthusiasm than ever before.

The 5-foot-6 inch sharpshooter is guiding the Wolves along what could be the greatest season in the 20-year history of the program.

Timberland is off to a 13-5 start and is in position to break the school record for most wins in a season, which stands at 19.

And Wilmsmeyer is leading the way with an impressive campaign.

Just more than four months after the cancer diagnosis, Wilmsmeyer set a school single-game scoring record by pumping in 34 points in a win over St. Charles West on Dec. 27

Earlier this month, she became the all-time leading scorer at the Wentzville-based school when the four-year starter tallied her 1,259th point to break the previous mark of 1,258 set by Taylor Haymes from 2006-2009.

Wilmsmeyer has recorded five games of 20 points or more and has tallied at least 14 points in each of her last seven contests.

"Nothing she does surprises me, given how competitive she is," Timberland coach Brad Schellert said. “For a young woman to go through that, especially one in high school, is tremendous.”

That Wilmsmeyer is playing is a testament to her sheer determination. The fact that she is doing so at such a high level is nothing short of miraculous.

"We watch what she keeps doing, it's so amazing," Boehm said. "I mean, all that she's been through, mentally and physically. And she's still able to do this?"

Wilmsmeyer said the illness has given her a new outlook on life. She no longer worries about the little things.

"Just don't put pressure on yourself," Wilmsmeyer said. "Don't take things for granted. Go out and have fun whatever you are doing."

Wilmsmeyer has been having a lot of fun on the basketball court. She leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game.

Most importantly, she is near 100 percent physically after missing the first two games of the season while rebuilding her strength.

Wilmsmeyer is still struggling from the mental aspect of the disease. She likely will have to get screened and tested every year for the rest of her life to make sure the cancer has not returned.

That's a heady thought for an 18-year-old.

"At first, I was very scared because I didn't know how bad it was," Wilmsmeyer said. "It's hard because it's always in the back of your mind."

The American Cancer Society estimates 1 in every 10,000 girls between 15 and 19 develop breast cancer.

"You start thinking, what did I do to deserve this, why me?" Wilmsmeyer said. "But then I realized that I can use this to help and encourage others that this is happening to."

Wilmsmeyer has been overwhelmed by the support from family, friends and even basketball opponents.

A player from Fort Zumwalt East left a note of support in her locker before a recent game. Adults who are familiar with her battle will come up to congratulate her. Students at Timberland are well aware of her story and have been offering support on a daily basis.

Wilmsmeyer credited Boehm and Timerberland assistant coach Lexie Moe with helping her get back on track.

Yet she realizes the fight is not over, especially the mental aspect. Wilmsmeyer has been seeing a counselor to help her cope.

"I've been through a lot and I still have to remind myself of that," Wilmsmeyer said.

For now, Wilmsmeyer does not want to play basketball in college. That might change as she continues to put up eye-popping numbers.

She feels blessed to have bounced back so well from the life-altering disease.

"I used to look at basketball as my (whole) life," she says. "But now, I feel like I'm able to have more fun with a lot less pressure."