With eight returning players, third-year Oak Park and River Forest High School girls basketball varsity head coach Renee Brantley believes things are trending up for her program.
“It’s been good,” Brantley told Wednesday Journal. “We know it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and so it’s not about how we look in November. I care about more how we look in late December going into January and February.”
OPRF, which went 4-29 last season with a loss to eventual Class 4A champion Kenwood in the regional, returns two starters. Senior guard Gabriella Chesney averaged 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1 steal per game, while junior guard Taryn Draine averaged 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Chesney is in her fourth varsity season, and Draine her third.
“Taryn and Gabby have a wealth of experience. They, too, continue to grow their games,” Brantley said. “They understand what the team needs of them as well as helping their teammates out on a daily basis. They continue to mature, they continue to grow and challenge themselves. I’m excited for their leadership on our team.”
The Huskies also bring back junior forward Marie Spencer, junior guard/forward Selah Sarai Backeberg, senior forwards Elianna Brucato and Aoife Mahic, senior center Ameina Johnson, and senior guard/forward Tavia Allen.
A newcomer to keep an eye on is freshman guard Katara Watson, whom Prep Girls Hoops ranks eighth among the Class of 2029 prospects in Illinois.
“She’s a hard worker; she has that hooper mentality,” Brantley said. “She wants to learn, she wants to get better. I’m excited to see how well she’ll adjust to the varsity level.”
With a developing team, Brantley realizes every game is important. With that in mind, she has put together a solid schedule that will test OPRF. The Huskies opened the season with Wheaton St. Francis in the Brenda Whitesell Tournament at Hinsdale South, Nov. 18. There is also the Loyola Academy Christmas Tournament, which features several of the best Chicago-area schools, along with non-conference games against Schaumburg, Payton Prep, and the annual East Avenue Showdown at Fenwick, Jan. 27.
While the schedule looks daunting, Brantley feels the confidence her team gained over the summer will carry over into the season.
“We had a really good summer. We had girls step up, and they competed really well against some of the top competition within the Chicagoland area,” she said. “They’re excited to continue to build off of that. They had a taste of what we could look like. They have something special, but they don’t take anything for granted, and they’ve got to go out there and take it.”
OPRF plays in the perennially tough West Suburban Silver, and Brantley expects the league to be as strong as ever this winter.
“It’s pretty hard to tell right now with it being so early,” she said. “Our conference is always tough and it’ll be exciting to see how well everyone competes. Our goal is to be one of the top teams in the conference.”
Brantley added that the season’s objectives are to win and improve every day. In order to accomplish them, she said buying in will be crucial.
“In order to achieve our goals,” Brantley said, “our girls understand the importance of playing smart and fundamentally sound basketball, doing all the little things well, attention to detail, communicating, and everyone coming together to be their piece to the puzzle. We’re just enjoying and understanding the process.”