Women’s Varsity Basketball: The Road Back to NCS

By Virginia H. '27

Women’s Varsity Basketball: The Road Back to NCS

League play has wrapped up for College Prep Women’s Basketball, but the season isn’t over just yet. Advancing to the North Coast Sectional (

NCS) for the first time in over 10 years, your women’s basketball team has had a very successful season. With a 5-5 record in league play, they’ve triumphed over some tough opponents like Bentley to earn their spot in the playoff tournament.

But what has been their key to success this season? Players have a few thoughts. 

“I think defense is our biggest strength,” says junior Surina Pugh. “In our starting lineup, we’ve been running a great trap, and I think that’s where we’ve been really holding our own on the court.” Surina and her teammates credit the underclassmen with making a major impact on the defensive end, especially sophomore Amelia Pozzi. As far as shooting, Yara Elassad has also been a standout this season. Yara’s three-pointers have made her the team’s leading scorer, while sophomore Brixie Recinos and freshman Shivani Mohta have been contributing as strong shooters as well.

However, this season has not been without hurdles. “Honestly, I think a big problem [the] entire team has is that [we] just cannot catch a ball,” admits Deirdre. Beyond catching, passing, and turnovers have also posed challenges for the team. Surina adds, “We don’t move to the ball enough when we play. Sometimes we’re making the read incorrectly and passing when we shouldn’t.” Against aggressive teams like St. Joe’s, those errors have proven to be costly in-game. Players have also mentioned that size can sometimes hold the team back. Right now, sophomore Noelle Yearns is the only true big, which can make things tough against taller opponents. Since height plays such an important role in the game, the team has had to adjust and run smarter plays to stay competitive.

So, what is the future of College Prep women’s basketball looking like? Obviously, the departure of Captain Deirdre Brown will be tough for the team. “We will definitely miss Deirdre’s presence,” agrees Surina. “She brings a lot of energy both offensively and defensively.” Team manager Aziza Whitfield has been out this season with a knee injury, but she’s still been a big part of the team’s support system. A former player, Aziza stepped into the team manager role after her injury, finding a new way to stay involved and lead from the sidelines. With her and Deirdre graduating this year, the team will look for other players to step into major leadership roles next season. Fortunately, most of this year's roster is made up of younger players, so the core of the team will remain largely the same. Their existing chemistry will give them a good foundation, and strong performances from the underclassmen are already setting them up for continued success. “I think our future is bright,” says Surina, adding that “[there are obviously] a lot of sophomores that are really good on the team.” Deirdre says she “sees great potential from this year's freshman” and is “hopeful for a lot of talent from the incoming students next year” following her and Aziza’s departure. As far as the current season goes, Deirdre says the team “just want[s] to play our hardest for the rest of the games this season.”