With a current standing of 3-0 Conference and 12-3 Overall, the Wakefield’s women’s basketball team has opened the door for a successful season. The team is filled with like-minded and dedicated players all sharing the same goal: to win the conference championship, and then eventually be granted the state champion title. The girls on the team regularly go through intensive training and have formed close bonds with one another, furthering their journey of attaining their goals all while having fun.
Jason Lee is the beloved coach for the women’s basketball team who has high hopes for his players in terms of how the season will pan out.
“Everything is pointing up,” Lee said. “These girls are really dedicated to the game: they want to win, they want to win the championship, and they’re all doing everything they can. As of right now, everything is happening beautifully.”
Practice is held six times a week for these players and is fundamental to prepare these girls for their games twice a week. Aly Schaffer is a senior and a player on the team who goes more in-depth regarding practice and what it entails.
“Our practice is split up into different sections, we warm up, have a ‘defense wins championships’ portion, an offensive section and then a section where we split up to work on ‘position specific’ drills,” Schaffer said. “We try to keep practices fun while still being competitive with one another.”
When it comes to preparing his players for all their games, Lee utilizes a different approach to set the girls’ success and confidence in stone. A large extent of the training takes place outside of the gym and within the players themselves.
“I’m a huge mental preparation guy and a lot of it consists of us watching film on other teams knowing their sets and plays,” Lee said. “One of the coaches we had last year called us ‘cerebral assassins’ because we think the game. We don’t rely on our physical, shooting [nor] on running, we [instead] rely on outsmarting our opponent and knowing them better than they know themselves.”
All the time and dedication from these girls from both practice in and outside of the gym have proven to be substantial with their performances spotlighted in the games. Senior Sydney Conti is a returning player enthused with bright hopes for the future of the team.
“Our biggest highlight so far has been the win against Broughton because we hit 18 three-pointers, which is the third most in the state,” Conti said. “It was a very team-oriented win, we played as a team and put up a lot of points on the board; it was a lot of fun.”
Teamwork plays an irreplaceable role for all the players in order to accomplish the proper play outs of the games, not only to move towards the goal of winning, but also to help form tight-knit bonds with each other.
“Picking each other up after a mistake is something we emphasize in practice,” Schaffer said. “It leads to a lot of trust within the team, which results in great games. Also, trusting teammates to take shots, get stops on defense and rebound is a huge part of our game.”
As the season continues, the players eagerly anticipate each game and are confident in their abilities to perform successfully in them.
“The biggest thing I’m looking forward to this season is definitely [playing against] our rivals, Rolesville,” Conti said. “It’s one of the biggest games because we are the two best teams in the conference. I’m looking forward to that game and I am looking forward to winning and putting on a show.”
It’s key to go out to these games in order to support the team in their endeavors throughout the season. Junior and player Lyla Bagwell stresses the importance of this point.
“Everyone should come watch our team play,” Bagwell said. “We do not get much of a following and it would be cool to have some more students come and support.”