Women’s basketball team has had accomplishments on the court and in the classroom this season. The team had a cumulative 3.65 GPA during the winter quarter this year, with five players having a 4.0 GPA and 10 players with a 3.5 GPA or higher, during the season. 

“We do take pride in it a lot and it’s definitely because we are athletes, [we’re] competitive,” redshirt sophomore guard Tori Maeda said.

While the team is competitive in the classroom and on the court, when it is within the team, it is all about support. 

“[Whenever] I hear that somebody gets an amazing grade whether or not we’re in the same class, I am going to be happy for them,” redshirt junior forward Kiera Bush said. “We know what we’re all going through.” 

According to Bush, athletics has systems in place to assist athletes with their school work, such as providing access to tutors and extra help. 

“They get us connected with a tutor or another student-athlete that’s taken the class before and it’s connections like those that help us stay on track,” Bush said. 

When the women’s basketball team travels for away games, Bush said she does her school work whenever she can. 

“Whether it’s on the bus or waiting in the airport and sitting inside the hotel room,” Bush said. “Whenever you get the chance, we fit it in.” 

Maeda said the expectations and standards that the head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley emphasizes are the three pillars: compete, learn and love. 

 “We are always competing and we always know that we’re not just representing ourselves but also the school and our program,” Maeda said. “It’s more than just holding ourselves to these high standards.” 

Those high standards Richardson-Thornley sets are not just held in the classroom or on the court, but also in the community as well. 

“We’re role models for the community,” Bush said. “We do a lot of community service, especially during the offseason [at] local elementary schools. So, knowing that we have people looking up to us, I feel like that pushes us to want to do better.” 

The women’s basketball team visits local elementary schools weekly to help out teachers and visit the classrooms. 

“It’s a great thing to put ourselves out there and show them that athletes aren’t just like the stereotypical athlete, but we can also be good people and good students,” Maeda said.