With winter sports just starting to take off, the Mills girls basketball teams have been hard at work to find success on the court. Many returning players have come back to play the sport they love, while new faces have raised the bar high. For the girls varsity basketball team, two young players especially stand out: freshmen Makena Hoover and Ellie Chow.
The two have just begun their high school basketball careers with making it on the varsity team in their first season. When asked about her initial reaction, Ellie Chow (9) remembered, “When I came into summer, I was really unconfident at first, but then slowly I was invited to play with them, and it was just like, ‘Oh, I have an actual shot at this.’” She shared how nervous she felt before the season, especially because she would be one of the youngest players there.
This accomplishment didn’t come without its efforts, as Makena Hoover (9) explains, “I practiced a lot over the summer, every day in the fall too, and [in the] off-season,” showing her commitment leading up to the season.
She adds how her past experience with school and club basketball has helped sharpen her skills, as well as grow her passion for it.
Teamwork plays a big role on the varsity team, as players have to learn to collaborate with one another. Chow said, “It’s intimidating, but it’s fun. The varsity team brings more energy into basketball than any other team I’ve played with.”
She highlights how welcoming the upperclassmen were to them and the strong team chemistry they’ve built over the past few months and throughout the preseason. Hoover further emphasizes their bond, as she says, “I just feel like as a team, we’re just gonna get closer and learn to play together.”
As the season continues, the Mills girls varsity basketball team stays hopeful and looks forward to the rest of their season. When asked about their goals, both Chow and Hoover responded by saying how they wanted to soak up as much information from the older players as they could. Lastly, Chow adds, “I don’t think I’ve experienced as much as the upperclassmen, but I think I have enough for the basics to grow and learn, to eventually get to their level. But I think I’m not fully there yet, but I trust that the coaches trust me to put me on the team.”
