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While both siblings still had work to do to reach their ultimate goals, Feb. 16, 2026 was a day that will be etched in Heise family history forever.

In Milan, USA women’s hockey star Taylor Heise scored a goal in the Americans’ dominant semifinal win over Sweden. Hours later, her brother Nate Heise hit a go-ahead shot that ignited Hilton Coliseum and propelled No. 6 Iowa State to a win over No. 2 Houston. 

Monday was quite the day in the Heise household.

Taylor Heise scored a goal in Team USA’s 5-0 win over Sweden to advance to the Gold Medal Game.

Nate Heise hit the go-ahead shot to beat No. 2 Houston.

Nate says he had the better day. Nothing like a sibling rivalry. pic.twitter.com/xXxuwarR7y

— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) February 17, 2026

It was a triumphant day for both siblings, but the family’s success on the court and on the ice goes well beyond a highlight or two.

Here’s what you need to know about the Heise family, including how Taylor and Nate both rose to prominence. 

MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer’s guide | Day-by-day schedule

Heise family tree

Taylor Heise

Despite her family’s basketball background, Taylor took up hockey in first grade and quickly found a home. She played high school hockey at Red Wing High School southeast of Minneapolis. 

Before she became an Olympic star for the USA, Taylor enjoyed a sensational career at the University of Minnesota. She recorded 227 points in five seasons for the Golden Gophers, appearing in more games than any player in program history and earning the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in the country.

Taylor was the first-ever PWHL Draft selecting, landing with her hometown Minnesota Frost when they were still know as PWHL Minnesota. 

Taylor explained in 2024 that she started to become more serious about hockey when she was 12 or 13 years old.  “I love basketball, and I love my family and everything, but hockey was just a place where I got to learn myself and go about it in a different way,” she told Minnesota Hockey, adding, “The biggest memories from my childhood are out there on that rink with family and friends.”

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Nate Heise

Taylor’s younger brother, Nate, is in his sixth season playing Division I basketball and has spent his entire college career in the state of Iowa. Nate played four seasons at Northern Iowa, starting 21 of 25 games as a freshman and starting each game he played over his final three seasons with the Panthers, though he missed almost all of the 2022-23 season due to injury. Nate earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2023-24.

With a redshirt year and the NCAA’s additional COVID-19 year of eligibility in his pocket, Nate transferred to Iowa State in 2024 with two years of eligibility remaining.

The move forced him to settle for a smaller role off the bench, but the reward was the chance to still play significant minutes for a national contender. After averaging 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 2024-25, Nate has filled out his role well again in his final season and reached the pinnacle when his late 3-pointer pushed the Cyclones to a massive win over No. 2 Iowa State on Feb. 16.

Nate said after the win over Houston that most of his family was already sleeping in Milan when he gave Iowa State the lead. “They’ll wake up to some fun texts,” he joked to reporters.

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Tony Heise

Taylor and Nate’s father, Tony, played college basketball at Wisconsin-River Falls and has owned insurance agency Lakeshore Agents in Lake City, Minnesota since 1998.

With his daughter playing for gold in Milan, Tony and his wife, Amy, traveled to Italy to attend each of her games, and they have said they plan to do the same for Nate’s NCAA Tournament games with Iowa State. 

Amy Heise

Taylor and Nate’s mother, Amy, also played basketball at Wisconsin-River Falls.

Amy would go on to become a teacher and served as president of the Lake City Athletic Booster Club, which supports youth sports in the Heises’ hometown of Lake City.

Ryan Heise

Ryan Heise, the younger brother of Taylor and Nate, is also an athlete. He currently plays basketball at D-2 Winona State University in Minnesota, averaging nearly 14 points per game after transferring from Upper Iowa University in 2025. Ryan is easily the tallest of the three siblings, as he stands at 6-foot-10.

Tony Heise told the Minnesota Star Tribune that his children constantly try to one-up each other, and he said Ryan “started it” before Taylor scored a goal in the Olympic semifinals and Nate hit a go-ahead shot for Iowa State.

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Did Taylor Heise play basketball?

Heise grew up in hockey country, but she came from a basketball-loving family with two parents who played college basketball. Now, both of her brothers also play college basketball.

For her, however, hockey was the sport she grew to love. Heise started playing hockey in first grade and began to think seriously about long-term goals as a hockey player when she was 12 or 13.

As a child, Heise did play basketball in addition to hockey.

“Basketball was the sport my family played, my dad was my coach,” she told The Rink Live in 2023. “Whenever I needed a basketball practice, he would schedule it around my hockey time that I needed.”

Heise also played soccer during her childhood, but she decided to commit fully to hockey in high school.

MORE: What to know about Olympic hockey rules

Taylor Heise fiance: Parker Fox

Heise’s fiancé, Parker Fox, played seven years of college basketball, starting out at D-2 Northern State University before spending his final two healthy seasons at the University of Minnesota.

Fox actually transferred to Minnesota in 2021, but an ACL injury and other complications kept him off the court until 2023. During that time rehabbing, Fox met Heise, who played hockey at Minnesota until 2023.

Fox averaged 5.1 points per game off the bench in 2023-24 before starting 23 of his 32 games for the Gophers in 2024-25, averaging 5.8 points. 

Heise and Fox announced their engagement in June of 2025.

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Where is the Heise family from?

The Heise family calls Lake City, Minnesota home. All three Heise children grew up in Lake City, and parents Tony and Amy still live in Lake City, with Tony owning a business in the area since 1998.

Lake City sits southeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul, though it isn’t quite close enough to the major metro area to be called a suburb of the twin cities. The population of Lake City is only about 5,200, as of the 2020 census, but it has produced a family that knows its way around both the hockey rink and the basketball court.

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