South Lakes girls’ basketball coach Christy Winters Scott was driving by an outdoor court in Reston recently when she noticed her star player putting in work.
It was a warm evening following a two-hour practice, but rather than relax or get something to eat, there was South Lakes senior Princess Aghayere, still in her practice gear, working on her shot.
Winters Scott smiled.
“Look at this kid,” she recalled thinking.
Aghayere is a 6-foot-1 double-double machine who is committed to play at the University of Pennsylvania. She’s the top returning player from a 2013-14 South Lakes team that won the program’s first conference/district championship since 1997. But there she was, trying to improve her game.
“She’s out there on her own after we had practice for a couple hours,” Winters Scott said, “and she’s out there getting shots up.”
With the graduation of eight seniors, including college-bound standouts Abigail Rendle (William & Mary) and Caitlin Jensen (Mary Washington), Aghayere’s talent and leadership will be vital for the Seahawks during the 2014-15 campaign.
“She’s mature beyond her years,” Winters Scott said.
Aghayere, a team captain, spent a lot of time in the paint last year, but could look to score more from the perimeter as a senior. With the graduation of 6-foot-4 Rendle, Winters Scott said teams could focus more on stopping Aghayere on the block, but the senior has the outside game to keep opponents honest.
Fellow senior captains Brenda Kamga (5-9 guard), Paige Barlow (5-8 guard) and Hanna Shukran (5-8 forward) are also experienced Seahawks who will need to mesh with a talented group of younger athletes who were part of South Lakes’ 14-2 JV team last season.
“[Kamga will] be a tremendous asset,” Winters Scott said. “… She’s pretty agile [in the paint] and finishes strong. She’ll definitely be a great piece for us.”
Sophomore guards Taylor Newman (5-9) and Alivia Damper (5-7) are also expected to be key contributors.
“[Damper has] got the ‘Wow’ factor to her game,” Winters Scott said. “She’ll make a crossover [move] and sometime people will fall. I can’t describe what she just did. She’ll lull you to sleep and then make this insane move.”
South Lakes opened the season with a 56-31 victory over Stone Bridge on Tuesday at South Lakes High School. The Seahawks will travel to face Wakefield at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4.