By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Rainier Beach Lady Vikings (4-11 Overall, 5-13 in Metro) have had a tough season this year as they faced off against some of the best teams in the Metro League.
Despite the tough season the Vikings have endured, senior guard Mikah Brooks has enjoyed this season playing with her teammates under the direction of Rainier Beach Girls Basketball Head Coach Joe Perry.
“I think the season went well, because in the beginning we didn’t really play as a team and as the season continued we started to work better together,” says Brooks.
One of the challenges for Rainier Beach was not having enough players to fill their roster. The program lost a lot of players because some of them no longer wanted to play for the team, and others left because they were placed on junior varsity instead of varsity. The lack of players forced the Lady Vikings to rely on teamwork rather than the depth and raw talent that they were accustomed to in the past.
“I feel like this season was not really a good season for us due to the fact of losing so many girls on our roster. We learned how to communicate as a team and that was the best part of the season to me,” says junior Alanna Washington-Bella.
Junior Nayloni Matthews also agrees that the season could have been better if they had more players to fill the roster.
“This season could have been better if we did have more girls, although most people didn’t want to play because of how our team was at the time dealing with issues between players,” says Matthews.
Working together as a team has taken the Lady Vikings a long way this year, as they try to build a close-knit bond with each other. Brooks says that the team continuously saw more success, especially defensively, as they learned to work together.
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“I feel because we lost a lot of girls this year, that we had to work with what we had and in a way kind of work better as a team to get more points,” says Brooks.
With this year being her first year at Rainier Beach, Brooks did not play basketball much prior to the season. Focusing on growing herself as a player and making the most of her senior season, Brooks saw the girls’ basketball program as a way for her to get to know more people and more about herself as a female athlete.
“Meeting the head coach and all of the girls was a very welcoming experience for me,” says Brooks. “Having the team be so open with me, not having that much basketball ability or knowing many people at the school, the program became like a club for me to get out there and meet more people.”
The Vikings have a lot of players that are big pieces to the team. According to Brooks, Matthews has been a good leader this year for the team and that has helped Brooks grow as a player.
“Nayloni knows how to make good decisions with the ball, she is never afraid to give her input on how to make the team better, and having another leader like herself is something that we needed,” says Brooks.
A talented basketball coach possesses a wide range of qualities that allows them to get the most out of their players. Effective communication skills, motivating players, and building a personal relationship with the players is something that Brooks admires about Perry.
“He doesn’t get on girls as hard as others would,” says Brooks. “When coaching, I feel that you do not always need to yell or resort straight to running. Perry would rather have a conversation with us to see what is going on if we have not been performing our best.”
“He cares to ask about our day and is very open to having any type of conversation,” added Brooks. “Perry has been more of a mentor than a coach for me, and I really appreciate that.”
Matthews also says that Perry did a lot to help her transition into the school and the team over her last two seasons at Rainier Beach.
“He did a lot welcoming me into the school and the team last year, which made the season better for me,” says Matthews.
For a lot of teams in the Metro League, each season is very different from the last. Seniors leave, new players join, or even changing of the coaching staff.
With only 6 players on the roster and two seniors leaving after this year, next year could potentially be a rebuilding year for the Lady Vikings. Coming out of a tough 2023-2024 season, the Lady Vikings will need to make some adjustments if they wish to have a winning season.
Although she will no longer be with them, Brooks is hopeful that next year’s team will have success, and believes that the right amount of effort and work will get the program to where it needs to be in the coming years.
“A piece of advice that I have for next year’s team is to stay motivated,” says Brooks. “Even if girls are not wanting to compete some days, or if the coaches are having a hard coaching day, remaining still motivated and playing the game of basketball despite the tougher days will make them want to be better as a team and an individual.”
With one more season left to play during their high school careers at Rainier Beach, Matthews and Washington-Bella are very optimistic for next year’s team.
“I hope we get more players and are able to bond with everyone as a team,” says Washington-Bella. “We do play well together when we communicate, so next year I would like to have more communication between the players and coaches.”
“I would like to see more team bonding next year, because I think that could help our team grow together on and off the court,” said Matthews.
As Brooks, Matthews, and Washington-Bella finish off this year’s season, they hope to continue to have a positive attitude.
Working as a team in their most recent game prior to press time, the Lady Vikings defeated the Cleveland Eagles 53-28 in the first round of the Metro League district qualifier tournament on Monday.
“When we all work together on our communication on the court it improves our defense and offense. Communicating effectively helped us play well against Cleveland,” says Brooks.