The Lady Warriors continue their 2019-20 season with a tough start, currently holding an overall record of 6-3, 2-2 in the conference. Although this start may not be ideal for the team, they are taking each game as a learning opportunity to get better for the next game and as a team as a whole.
“[Losing early in the season was] a wake-up call. I feel like a lot of us thought that we were going to be that team, but we’re new and we need to have more chemistry,” senior Lauronai Daly said.
On Nov. 5, the ladies kicked off their regular season with a home game against Fishers High School. Unfortunately, they were unable to come away with a win but were able to come back and win against Mt. Vernon and Cathedral in their next games.
While the ladies have lost some of their experienced players, they still have a lot of talent on their team and are pushing to be successful this year. The team as a whole is full of athletes that are confidence and agile in their basketball skills and are well-rounded in various areas of the sport.
“We do have a younger team so we’re just trying to tell everyone to communicate better, and we recognize that we have a lot of younger new faces on the team. We’re just trying to get our chemistry right again,” Daly said.
In order to help the transition go more smoothly, the team has had team bonding at each other’s houses as well as having bonding sessions on the bus rides to and from games. The ladies recognize that team bonding is imperative to a successful season and want to make sure that they are doing everything that they can to have a strong year.
So far this season, senior K’Ja Talley has been a standout on the court for the Warriors. Talley averages 16.3 points per game for the Warriors, nearly four times higher than the national average, as well as 10 rebounds per game.
In their recent matchup against Center Grove, Talley was responsible for eight rebounds, one steal and one block, but so far this season, her strongest game was against the Cathedral Irish. Talley scored 29 points and had 14 rebounds, drawing attention to her on the court and proving that she and her team were a force to be reckoned with. Talley put up similar numbers in the game against Mt. Vernon and leads her team in various statistics.
In the second conference game of the season, the ladies hosted the Ben Davis Giants and, in a close game, lost 44-37. The Warriors may not have come out victorious in this matchup, but positive things were seen throughout the game like freshman Sanaa Thomas scored 14 points for the Warriors, the highest of the night. Talley led the Warriors in rebounds once again, and senior Alaysia Davis led with blocks.
Next, the team traveled to Pike High School and were able to come away with the 63-45 win allowing for their first conference win of the season. A few days later the Lady Warriors took on the Carmel Greyhounds and in a close comeback victory were able to defeat the Greyhounds 43-42 after being down 31-36 at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors were led by Talley who scored 13 points during the match and Davis with 11 rebounds.
“The feeling was amazing just knowing we started off the season a little rocky and we’re starting to finally bond as a team and get our groove back so beating the top ranked team Carmel was a much needed win,” Davis said. “It's adding momentum to our team and hopefully we take that momentum and [get more wins].”
Although competing against other schools is one of the most enjoyable parts for the girls, it is not the only thing that makes them happy to be a part of the team. Many girls enjoy just being among one another and bonding with the team.
“My favorite part about playing basketball at Warren is growing and creating a bond- chemistry with the team. Going through the wins and losses as a team and at the end of the day we are all together and love each other,” Talley said.
As the girls look down the road at their season they are excited to see where it will take them. With a young team that gains more and more experience every day at practice and in games, the road ahead looks optimistic for the ladies.
“I feel good [about the season so far]. We can’t do anything but go up, we keep getting better,” Daly said.