Girls’ basketball wrapped up regular-season play with a 14-6 record while building momentum heading into playoffs. In their first regional playoff game on February 27, the Warriors crushed Altholton, finishing with a 66-26 score. Despite a rough finish to the regular season, the Warriors were able to move the ball well and play lock down defense, both of which helped them sail smoothly past Atholton. Junior point guard Aubree Thompson had an incredible game, scoring 26 points, with 8 steals and 7 assists. In round two this past Tuesday, the Warriors faced Reservoir.

After some early-season challenges, the Warriors found their rhythm. The team has shown improvement from game to game, developing stronger chemistry and adjusting to new roles. “Replacing four starters and six seniors who played significant minutes is a large chunk of the team, which means there are a lot of people who needed to play a lot more minutes, take on a lot more, and totally new responsibilities,” said coach Tammy Ross. “We spent the first part of the season finding ourselves and learning what our new ‘normal’ looked like.

The Warriors responded with a string of wins over conference opponents in the middle of the season, proving their ability to adjust and compete. A narrow 44-43 win against Gaithersburg on December 12 highlighted the team’s composure in pressure situations. “We move as a unit now unlike the beginning,” said Thompson.  “Everyone knows who can do what so, it’s been working out pretty good.”

The Warriors faced a setback against Broadneck in tournament play in December, and a five-game winning streak in the regular season came to an end in the 49-35 loss to B-CC on January 20. More recently, Sherwood fell to Richard Montgomery, Whitman, Gaithersburg, and Walter Johnson near the end of the season. Despite the losses, the girls continued to compete, earning key wins over Magruder, Blake, Paint Branch, and Blair to stay competitive in the region standings.

Thompson has led the team in scoring in multiple games, including a career-high performance against Paint Branch, while also making a major impact on defense with her rebounding and ability to force turnovers. Her outstanding performance earned  her Maryland Girls Basketball Player of the Week for the third week of January.

“Aubree’s leadership and scoring ability has been a steadying force for us throughout the year,” said Ross. “She was our lone returning starter and she knew that she needed to step up for us in a big way for us to be competitive most nights, especially in the beginning of the season. Knowing every night that she was going to put up 15-20 pts. was really calming as we looked for others to find their way and join her in the scoring column.”

Senior Annelyn Webb continues to provide leadership as one of only three seniors on the roster. As Webb plays her final games in a Sherwood jersey, her impact on the underclassman remains clear. “Annelyn’s energy is unmatched; she brings good vibes to practice and her hustle is amazing, especially on the defensive end,” said Thompson.

  “We’ve asked our team to focus on being consistent with their mental focus, their energy, and their habits,” said Ross. “Just because one [opponent] has a certain record, or may look a certain way, doesn’t mean we should not give our best, try our hardest, and be there for our teammates every possession – good or bad. If we let these standards slip, we’ll eventually break apart and fail. And that is an outcome that none of us want to see happen.”