The girls basketball team is off to one of their best starts in the past years with a 12-7 record led by First Year Head Coach Kristen Clyder.
Clyder has spent 5 years coaching at Sunnyslope before becoming Varsity Head Coach and said, “Having the opportunity to coach at slope has always been a dream for me, it has been super rewarding because all the girls that I have worked with and mentored have really turned out to be great young women and athletes.”
The players have had an easy time getting used to the coach as Junior Teagan Mcllroy said, “We relate to her a lot since she played basketball through high school.”
That connection has shown, causing them to be ranked in the top 25 in the latest AIA rankings.
Senior Jessa Jacobs said, “We’ve had great cohesiveness and feel more connected to our coaches and teammates.”
The team’s success can be attributed to any variety of different factors as displayed by the players.
Clyder said, “Our chemistry on and off the court has proven to really elevate where we are with such a young group at our core also, there’s a lot of trust and love and support between our coaching staff and the players.”
This season has been different from many of the past and the team has their eyes set on winning the region which hasn’t been done in over 20 years.
Mcllroy said, “Our team bond and chemistry is way closer than it’s ever been.”
The team having time to build and mesh together also has had a big impact.
Jacobs said, “This isn’t the first time that most of us have played together, so we have history and are just building on what we have done in the past.”
The love for the game has united the team to make them close on and off the court.
Clyder said, “I think the biggest difference between this year and other seasons that I’ve coached is that we have a group of student athletes that really truly love the game.”
The season has been full of good moments for the team but there are a few great moments that stand apart.
Clyder said, “Seeing them be successful and realize how great we really can be has definitely been one of the best moments for me.”
The team has been coming together to go for the goal of region champs or possibly more.
Mcllroy said, “The best part of the season is being able to grow as a team and as a whole together.”
The team hopes to continue their success against Pinnacle High School on the 26th of January currently ranked as 20th in the state.