The Woodgrove Girls Varsity Basketball team are the 2023-24 class 4a State Champions. The team went 29-1 last year but still claimed their first ever state championship. This year, the team has 10 players not returning, including seniors and freshman MVP, Amaya Ramey. The Lady Wolverines are optimistic about the upcoming season.
Last year, the Girls Varsity Basketball team had six graduating seniors and four additional players that are not back this year. Coach Derek Fisher, Varsity Basketball’s head coach, highlighted the importance of team dynamic, saying, “Last year’s team was together for a long time and it takes time to build that.” This coming season is going to be a lot different than it was last year with the loss of seniors and starting players, but Valerie Blankenship, a senior basketball player, stated, “It’s going to affect us greatly, but we have a strong backup team. It’s really going to persevere.”
Offseason is important to prepare returning players for the upcoming season. One of the freshmen on the varsity team, Taylor Nishiyama, has been preparing for the upcoming season. She said, “I’ve been going to pre-workouts at the gym, and I’ve been doing a lot of running with cross country.” To prepare for another state championship, the basketball team has intense practices. They practice game situations, free throw situations, and how to play good defense without fouling. “A practice should feel exactly like a game, maybe a little bit harder,” explained Fisher.
This season, the team is going to face some challenges. Blankenship explained, “We’re going to face some losses and have to come back from them.” The main competition for this year is going to be Loudoun Valley and Heritage, but Woodgrove is going to have to come out strong and just play their game. Blankenship explained her outlook on the upcoming season. “I am looking forward most to the bonding and the friendships I am going to get to make,” she said.
Team dynamic and consistency are a big part of Woodgrove Girls Basketball. Before a game, the girls Varsity Basketball team will eat together, listen to music, and get ready as a team. It is a very positive community, especially for the upcoming freshman, and having a good mindset to block out all the noise is important as a younger player. Fisher explained the two things a player can focus on. “We encourage the players to focus on the only two things they can control. Their attitude and effort,” he said.
Records don’t define Woodgrove basketball. It is playing as a team, and making it to the end. “It’s day by day, it’s boring, but it’s one day at a time. Be a little bit better tomorrow than you were today, that’s all it is,” Fisher said.