Wheeling Park High School Girls Basketball is headed to Charleston on Wednesday ranked as the 2nd seed in the state, and they are aiming to bring the title back to Ohio County.
“We have a chip on our shoulder,” explains senior Natalie Daugherty, referencing last year’s downstate loss.
With the season Wheeling Park has presented, it’s impossible not to root for these phenomenal athletes. For the first time in Wheeling Park High School history, three basketball players playing on the same team at the same time are 1,000-point career scorers. Junior Alexis Bordas claimed the record in February of 2023, junior Lala Woods earned the distinction in January of 2024, and Daugherty recently claimed her 1000th in February.
“It’s a great accomplishment for us, yes, but it’s absolutely a team effort,” states Bordas. “Every single player has supported us,” Daugherty echoes. “We all gel. We get along on and off the court, and we help each other through everything,” Woods adds.
The three athletes have a combined 40 years of basketball experience, and in addition to their great teamwork, credit their coaching staff for their successes. “We’re really well-coached, both defensively and offensively. We’re able to communicate with each other and our coaches and we get instant feedback,” Daugherty states.
The players state they feel confident, ready, excited, eager, and most importantly, hungry. When asked if they wanted to add anything else, they say in unison: “Let’s go Park!”
Student buses will be available for any student with parental permission that wants to support this exceptional team in person. Wheeling Park is scheduled to take on 7th seed, Washington, Wednesday, 3/6, at 7:15 p.m.
