“We have four seniors, and we’re very excited for the season,” said Wright, mentioning classmates Gabby Lindley, Katlynn Woodruff and Hannah Hurst. “We have a great team this year with great chemistry. We have a lot of energy and love each other. We would do anything for each other on or off the court.”
The Braves are under new leadership as they begin their quest for a fifth straight Southwest Ohio Conference championship.
Tom Head has replaced Kim Richter at the Talawanda helm. Richter was 88-28 over the last five years.
“Our girls are very adaptable,” Wright said. “He gives us a lot of insight and has something different to bring to the table. It’s really cool getting a different perspective for senior year.”
Head, 59, is a 1976 Greenhills High School graduate and lives in Shandon.
He’s coached boys and girls in a varied career that has included stops at Temple Baptist College (now Ohio Mid-Western College) and Cumberland College (now the University of the Cumberlands). His prep jobs have included Forest Park and Landmark Christian.
“I’ve still got a couple good years left,” Head said. “I’d been out of coaching three years and thought I was done, but I kind of missed it, the relationships and the competition.”
He likes the makeup of his Talawanda unit. Wright is the SWOC’s second-leading returning scorer with a 16.7 average, while Lindley, Woodruff, Hurst and junior Addie Brown played in every game last year.
The Braves shared the conference title with Little Miami and Ross in 2015-16.
“We’re going to be guard-heavy,” Head said. “We’re small, but we’ve got some good athletes. The first time I got asked to coach girls I had no idea how to do it, so what I decided was just to coach ’em like athletes. We pretty much have an aggressive style. I expect them to push the ball and play hard the whole time.
“I know this group of girls can definitely come out and compete. They like each other and respond really well to coaching, so I don’t have a lot of excuses. This ought to be a good team.”
Wright is a 5-foot-10 combo guard “with a lot of natural leadership abilities,” Head said. “Her basketball IQ is really high, and she’s really easy to coach. She’s gotten on board and is getting the other girls to come along.”
The decision to pick Grand Valley State wasn’t a hard one for Wright.
She mentioned other collegiate possibilities like Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh and Lee, but said she was sold on GVSU when she visited the Allendale, Mich., campus in June.
“Right when I got there, I knew I fit,” Wright said. “I loved the culture and the coaches, and the players were so nice. They were in the Final Four last year in Division II, and that was super-important to me because I love to compete. They seemed like a very competitive and high-energy team. I love that kind of environment.
“Their academics are good, and I know I’m not going to play in the WNBA, so that’s obviously important to me. They just stood out completely from all the other colleges I visited. It’s cold and I like the cold, so go Michigan.”
Wright plans to major in biomedical sciences with a goal of becoming a physician assistant. Her father Cleve is the head coach at Miami University.
“That’s always the big question,” she said when asked about the possibility of playing for her dad at MU. “My dream was always to play college basketball and he’s a great coach, but I guess I just knew I wanted to go somewhere else. We decided that a long time ago. I’m excited to have him coach me as a dad instead of coaching me as a coach.”
10 Area Players To Watch
Emma Broermann, Badin, 6-1, sophomore, center — Broermann recorded 16 double-doubles last season while averaging 11.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. She was a Greater Catholic League Coed Central Division first-teamer.
Kelli Bush, Madison, 5-10, senior, forward — Bush is expected to once again be an inside force after earning a spot on the Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division first team last year, when she averaged 9.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
Grace Edmonston, Cincinnati Christian, 5-11, junior, post — Mostly a perimeter player last season while averaging 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest, Edmonston is moving back to her natural position. She was a Miami Valley Conference Scarlet Division second-teamer as a frosh.
Layne Ferrell, Franklin, 6-1, sophomore, guard — A first-team Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division choice last season, the shooting guard had a breakout year by averaging 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 2.8 steals and 1.3 assists per contest.
Lauren Gerber, Edgewood, 5-9, senior, guard/forward — Beginning her fourth season as a starter, Gerber was a Southwest Ohio Conference first-teamer as a junior. She averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
Abby Prohaska, Lakota West, 5-10, junior, guard — The Firebirds' high-motor leader was a second-team selection in the Greater Miami Conference last season, despite missing nine games with an injury. She averaged 7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Cici Riggins, Hamilton, 5-10, sophomore, forward — She shot 57.8 percent from the floor as a freshman, averaging 9.7 points and 7.1 boards per contest.
Alyssa Robinette, New Miami, 5-10, senior, forward — Robinette garnered a place on the Miami Valley Conference Gray Division first team last year while averaging 13.1 points, 11.3 boards and 2.7 steals per game.
Katie Sloneker, Monroe, 5-10, sophomore, point guard — Look for Sloneker to be the Hornets' floor general again this year. She was a Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division honorable-mention choice last season, averaging 8.8 points, 6.1 boards and 2.4 assists per game.
Brooke Spaulding, Fairfield, 5-6, senior, guard — A second-team Greater Miami Conference selection last season, Spaulding averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
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