Strength. The word Charley Bowles ’26 used to best summarize the Girls’ Basketball team’s season. While the team experienced many challenges this season, they continued to improve, both individually and as a team. “One word I would use to describe the season is strength because… we’ve all overcome a lot of challenges. I think everyone’s been really strong with having a new coach,” Bowles said.

One of the team’s most memorable moments was when they defeated Dassel-Cokato in December. “This was impressive because, for the past three years, we’ve lost to them in sections,” said captain Naima Michael-Crushshon ’25, adding that the team did well in conferences.

Another massive game was against Pack Charter, where the team played what Bowles described as their best half of basketball ever: “Our ball movement was really good, which was wonderful to see.”

Despite the eventful games, the team faced many challenges this year, including a new coach and a young roster. “Another challenge is that we have a young team, consisting of one senior, two juniors, and then everyone else who is underclassmen,” Michael-Crushshon explained. The team still overcame these challenges by showing up, working hard in practice, and learning to communicate better. “We’ve grown as a team collectively through taking more pride in our defense, as well as a lot of individual progress and confidence offensively, which has helped us become more of a scoring threat to other teams,” Bowles noted.

Michael-Crushshon emphasized the importance of leadership and teamwork to their improvement: “I feel that I contribute to the team’s success by helping lead younger players and rebounding shots. I not only try to contribute individually but also help my younger teammates succeed too.”

With a 15-10 record, the team exceeded expectations. “At the beginning of the season, we were struggling because of missing players, but recently we’ve been on a winning streak with few losses,” Michael-Crushshon said. Bowles added, “The team overall has a fun environment because of the teammates, and we’re going to have a great go at sections.”

Through leadership and strong team environment, the squad made constant improvement, practicing and engaging every day. They lost to St. Anthony 68-45 on Feb. 26, ending their season.