The girls varsity basketball team’s season came to an end after competing in the first round of the playoffs on February 26. Though the season ended after the first round, the team was in a rebuilding year after losing seven seniors from last season. Nonetheless, these players proved that they could compete at a high level, finishing tied for second place in the division with an 11-3 record.

Coach Lauren Caiaccia said that replacing those seniors was a major hurdle, saying, “One of the biggest challenges was to work on the team as a whole in terms of camaraderie and cohesion.” She said she was proud of the team’s hard work: “I was most satisfied in our growth as a group. The players were able to realize how much success we could have when we put the work in.”

Players recalled key moments from throughout the season.

Sophomore point guard Ava Yan said that the Coach vs. Cancer’s game against Beacon was a major turning point: “We pulled it off by just a couple of points, and the whole energy was just so intense and fast-paced.” Junior forward Jada Heredia recalled a game against John Bowne where the team stayed “locked in” despite some obstacles. “Our cherished freshman Joana [Matoshi] scored and brought us in the lead and we ended up winning the game,” Jada said.

Jada said that, “the playoff games came with even more” pressure than the regular season. The casual atmosphere of earlier games were gone. Ava said, “The atmosphere in the playoffs was definitely on another level because it’s literally a win or go home type of game.” The urgency of “go big or go home” increases the stakes, pushing these players to dig deeper and perform under immense pressure in order to make crucial plays when it matters most. Ultimately, the team lost 53-41 against Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in the first round of the city championship playoffs.

Returning players said they are already looking toward next year and using their loss from the playoffs as motivation.

Junior Jayla Leandré said that the “sting” of the loss will help the group go harder to prevent a similar outcome next year. Ava said she wants to focus on aggressive rebounding: “If we can start winning those rebounds, it’s going to be a total game changer for us next  year,” she explained.

Coach Caiaccia said that for next season, “the things that we have to improve on the most would be accuracy with shooting and boxing out for rebounding.” Jada Heredia plans to work one-on-one with a trainer to  help bring the team “to the next level,” while sophomore Faye Simons said she is optimistic about the continuity of the roster. “I am excited for next season since I have the opportunity to play with almost all of the same starters,” she said.

As the season concludes, the upperclassmen are focused on the lessons they will pass down to new and rising players. “The biggest lesson I’m carrying into next season is we play until the final whistle,” Jayla said.

Senior guard Janna Pasig talked about how it felt to wear the jersey one last time. “When I took it off after the game and had to place it in the wash I had to take a moment to pause because of all the memories,” Janna said. “Honestly it’s more than a team. It’s a family.”