The girls’ basketball team is on its way to the playoffs again this year after making it to the first round last season. Playoffs begin Monday, Feb. 11 against Keller Timber Creek. The team believes it is better than the 26-7 record indicates because six out of the seven losses have been within three points.

“[Those close] losses are the toughest because we are always three or four points away from winning the game,” senior Wynter Taylor said. “We need to find the best [solution] for us to win those games.”

One of the struggles for any sports team throughout the course of a season is dealing with injuries. Overcoming issues from injuries is something Taylor has dealt with this season.

“I’ve had setbacks this season with injuries that I’ve been able to overcome to help my team make this playoff push, ” Taylor said. “[The mental aspect] is the toughest thing to overcome when dealing with an injury because you [know] you’re not able to be out on the court and help your team.”

The team is led by senior captain Nala Hemingway, who would like to continue her basketball career into college and eventually the Women’s National Basketball Association. Hemingway’s leadership is a big reason why the team is in the playoffs this season.

“Hopefully I can continue my career into college and the pros,” Hemingway said. “I feel like I’m a leader and that I need to keep [my teammates] up when they’re down by encouraging them when they make a mistake.”

As the team’s first playoff game approaches, head coach Sally Allsbrook is preparing her team for the challenge by treating everything the same as if it were the regular season. Though they aren’t changing practice strategies, the players work to keep themselves one step ahead of their opponent.

“Every practice and every game is treated the same [even though it’s the playoffs now],” Allsbrook said. “We just need to give all-out effort and hustle and make sure we’re being good teammates.”