Lady Wolverines basketball — new season, new coach

The Friday Harbor Lady Wolverine’s basketball team is looking ahead to a great season with new Head coach Sue Grenfell, who was a volunteer coach for the Wolverine girl’s Junior varsity team last year, at the helm.

The team has nine returning players, including two seniors, Bailee Lambright and Liz Cruz.

“I am feeling very good about the upcoming season because of what an enthusiastic, positive and hard-working group this is,” Grenfell said. “It is a pleasure to be a part of this team.”

Along with assistant coaches Kori Mapstead and Alli Moalli, Grenfell said she hopes to teach and coach the fundamentals of basketball as best as they can.

“We hope to put in a few basic plays and strategies and then get out of the way and let the players become the best players they can be,” she explained.

Helping to lead her team this year is senior Bailee Lambright who “has been a real standout so far,” according to Grenfell. Lambright’s strong leadership skills have impressed Grenfell along with her understanding of the game, encouragement of her teammates and her initiative to teach techniques to the less experienced players.

Fellow senior Cruz is helping her team be quick and aggressive at the point guard position, along with teammates Fallon Taylor and Olivia Germain in the same position.

“We also have three very fast and athletic juniors at the wing position in Rachel Starr, Olivia Meenan and Alex Holman,” Grenfell said.

As a team, the Lady Wolverines will set out individual goals for the upcoming season next week. With guidance and input from their coaches, the girls will come up with their own team goals.

“I think it’s important that the players generate, discuss and commit to their goals a group,” Grenfell said.

Grenfell’s goals for the season are to see her players end the season enjoying the game of basketball even more than when they started.

“I think that will naturally happen if they feel more confident as players, stronger as athletes and more comfortable as leaders,” she said.

The team has four home games to start off their season, the first is 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 against Blaine.

“We are fortunate to start our season with four home games, which will give us a chance to focus just on competing, without the extra details and burdens that come with travel,” Grenfell said.

For their next game, the team plays Clallam Bay at 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 6, followed by the Friday Harbor Tipoff Classic on Saturday, Dec. 7.

“We are a pretty inexperienced team,” Grenfell said. “so we are all excited to get some game time and see what things look like against another team.”