For many teams, a loss is an indication of bad luck and casts a shadow over future games. For the Ladypack basketball team, this loss was a sign of growth. Natia Alcaraz, a senior who plays point guard and shooting guard, recounts the game, “We were expecting to lose…when we saw we did better than we did last year, we saw it but rather that we improved than we lost again.” The growth of the team can be exemplified in their journey of skill and performance this season.
Becoming the number one team in the Southern League wasn’t easy and nobody understands that more than the Ladypack. From November to February, the girls have progressed. “In the beginning we still had a lot of things to work on,” Kayre Hernandez says. “[We were] struggling with passing, defense, or communication.” However, as the season grew in length, the Ladypack grew with them, “the more we practiced, the more we understood how to play with each other.” With only five people on the court, playing together effectively is key to coming out victorious on the court.
From schools like Sotomayor to Torres, the Ladypack was able to dominate on the court but found themselves struggling against a certain opponent; Marquez. The Linda Marquez Gladiators are an especially hard team because, similar to the wolfpack, they find themselves typically ranked first or second in the southern league. The Wolfpack’s first game against the gladiators wasn’t easy. Hernandez details all the challenges they game had in store for them, “…we had a missing player…shes a main part of our team and we were tired because we had no subs.” To become Southern League champions, the Ladypack had to win against every team in the Southern Division. Since the Ladypack had already lost against the gladiators, it meant to become southern league champions the ladypack would not just have to win their next game against them, but also win by points. This means since the gladiators had won against the Ladypack 52-43, the next game the Ladypack would have to win by over a nine point difference.
The Ladypack has become familiar with each other’s ins and outs which allows them to not just add together their individual skills but to multiply their abilities together to create a powerhouse. This second game would be different, their teamwork skills would be demonstrated with all their girls on the court. Alcaraz recounts their will to win, “We had all our players and were determined to say ‘no we want this’, we all played as a team.” The Ladypack ended the game with a 46-24 win. This win against the gladiators on January 30 opened the door of possibility to becoming league champions. Together, the Ladypack was just one more win away from becoming first in the Southern League. Their final game was against Torres High School.
On February 5, after their final game against the Toros, the Ladypack became girls basketball Southern League champions, “it was our time to show them we can win and to beat them [Marquez]” Jamie Amaya, a junior, said. This win was also the same day as the girls’ senior night which created a bittersweet environment, “It’s a very sad feeling just because it’s my last year playing for the school, and also [a very happy feeling] I get to leave something behind,” Alcaraz fondly states. Becoming Southern League champions isn’t the end for the girls but rather the beginning of playoffs.
