Girls making headlines on basketball court

By Sophia Riccio '26

Kayla Martel '24 gets ready to shoot for the team.

The W+H girls’ varsity basketball team is having a wonderful season! Their record is 10-2. They are not undefeated, but are still doing incredibly well in a huge turnaround season from last year.

The first game they lost was played on January 11 vs. Timothy Christian. It was a very tough game and the girls put up a great fight, but the odds were not in their favor that day. The final score of that game was 35-30, a close loss. This did not stop the team, and they came back stronger.

Two days later, on January 13, the girls played Timothy Christian. Recovering from their recent loss, it would have been easy for the girls to feel dejected. They pulled through, however, and earned the victory! Again, it was a very difficult game, but the team remained determined and focused. The final score was 38-33. Five points, once again!

Another heated game which took place more recently was played against Woodbridge Magnet School. The Rams dominated the entirety of the first half with a strong lead, but could not hold it in the fourth quarter. Soon enough the girls realized that the lead they had was shrinking as their opposition finally tied the score. This pressure upped the ante, but the girls were prepared for this. Both teams were neck and neck until the last 10 seconds of the game. As the seconds dwindled, sophomore Saveena Boga ‘25 scored the game-winning basket for the Rams. The girls went ballistic! They erupted with joy, excitement, and a feeling of accomplishment.

Captain Aastha Patel ‘23 said, “This is my third year on the team and like every year so far, the dynamic is completely different than the last. A majority of our team is new, which means so much new talent and opportunity.”

She continued, “In particular, one of our bigger advantages this year has been the size of the team. compared to previous seasons where we’d barely have subs, we have many different players with unique abilities, which gives us a chance to learn many plays. For example, although our offense was a bit rocky at the beginning of the season, Coach (Mike Howell) gave us new plays to try and we’ve finally got the hang of them. Overall, I’m so grateful that this year’s team is filled with incredible girls that are ready to learn and execute!”

It is obvious Aastha has high hopes and expectations for her team, and rightfully so according to their record. With only two losses, the expectations for the W+H girls’ basketball team are high, and they are ready to exceed them. This team has been on a hot streak of six wins since their last loss. The stakes are high, but this team is ready to play their hearts out and show everyone they are capable of continuing their winning ways.