A Q&A with members of the Girls Varsity Basketball team

Varsity Girls Basketball has had a rockin’ season. With 14 wins and only 5 loses, they finished second in the league with a shot at going to State championship. A tight knit team, every player has contributed to their successes. To give you a taste of what they are made of, allow me to introduce:  

Shooting Guard, Co-Captain, Junior: Karsyn Wallace.

Post, Junior: Laura Van Arsdel.

Wing, Sophomore: Maggie Scroggs.

What do you like about basketball?

Wallace: [I like] meeting a  bunch of new people. A lot left last year, we have a lot of new players. You get to know everyone super well and you make really good friends.

Van Arsdel: I had a lot of fun in the beginning with my friends, and that’s what kept me playing. My dad is really into it, and he played with me a lot. I think it’s really fun. You have to be able to work together well to play well, so it’s nice way to make friends.

Scroggs: You can be more aggressive than in soccer and it’s a very physical sport and you can score a lot more. My other sports are soccer and ultimate frisbee. Basketball is the highest-scoring sport and the most gratifying when you score.

What is your favorite team moment from the season?

Wallace: Walla Walla was super fun. We all spent the night together and I got to know everyone and meet people I would never have met before.

Scroggs: The trip to Walla Walla. Getting to spend a full three days with my team without my parents. I love my team, we’re an odd group of girls, but somehow we all work really well together and have fun together, so getting to spend time with everyone was really nice.

What is challenging in basketball?

Wallace: Sometimes I second-guess decisions and it holds me back because I think too much, so I’ve been working on not thinking so much and actually playing.

Van Arsdel: This team is working really well together this year. We have some challenges with certain skills, but we know what they are so we can fix them.

Scroggs: One problem we’ve had is starting out slow in games and the other team getting a lot of baskets on us early, which is really discouraging and can sometimes cost the game.

Shout out to…

Wallace: Melissa Funes is my co-captain and she’s been a super great team leader. She helps everyone out who hasn’t played basketball as much as her. She’s been doing a great job.

Van Arsdel: Karsyn Wallace. It’s her first year playing with us, but she’s really stepped up to become our second captain. She’s been really encouraging and positive. She says encouraging things while we are playing in games. She’s been a great captain this year.

Scroggs: Our captains Karsyn and Melissa. They’re outstanding basketball players. I go over to Lilian or someone and I’m like, “How are they this good at basketball?” And they’re amazing people, and they know a lot of what we need to better.

By Yoela Zimberoff