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Post Presents: Lady Wildcats' frontcourt has strong Signing Day showing
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
This season, the Plano Senior girls basketball team intends to make good use of its size advantage against opponents.
The Lady Wildcats who comprise the team's interior presence won't be called upon to help anchor just Plano's 2012-13 campaign, though. Three of those players will pursue their craft on the court beyond their respective senior years, evidenced by the turnout Thursday for the school's National Signing Day.
"I'm so happy that I just have this weight lifted off and can enjoy this moment with my teammates," said Lucy Gentry. "It's really special."
"[It was a matter of] how badly they wanted me plus the kind of school [Air Force] is," Gentry said. "I had to decide for somewhere that would get me where I want to be in life rather than just where I want to be in basketball."
A prospective behavioral science major, Gentry's long-term foresight was mirrored in the decision made by teammate Grace Mitchell to attend Missouri-Kansas City.
"It was more of the medical program they have at [UM-KC]," Mitchell said. "I want to be a doctor when I'm older and I think academics were very important in this decision as well."
The Kangaroos first hopped on Mitchell's radar around April and ratcheted up interest while the forward was competing in the AAU circuit over the summer.
"They always called me during the summer," Mitchell said, "so what led me to my decision was on my visit I found it to be a very nice campus. It's a small D-I, but it's the perfect size for me."
Mitchell's two primary suitors were UM-KC and Western Kentucky, with the strength of the major offered by the former emerging as the deciding factor.
It also assured Mitchell the next step in her career.
"It's very rewarding," she said. "I've been working for this for a very long time and to finally have it here is a blessing."
The overwhelming emotions of Thursday were felt by all three Lady Wildcats, but for senior Wilma Afunugo, there had to be a sense of déjà vu from last year after her sister Stephanie inked to play for Wayland Baptist.
One year later, Wilma enjoyed a moment in the spotlight after committing to Seattle.
Like her teammates, the recruiting trail picked up over the summer with Seattle head coach Joan Bonvicini reaching out to Wilma in August on the heels of an AAU stint.
Fortunately, Wilma was one step ahead of the game.
"I was actually already interested in going (to Seattle)," she said. "I went on a visit in September and loved the campus a lot, plus the coaching staff, players and city. When I left, I knew this was where I wanted to be."
That atmosphere won out, with Wilma also considering the likes of McNeese State, Carnegie Mellon and Central Arkansas.
Like Gentry and Mitchell, the decision means venturing outside of Texas and in Wilma's case, to a drastically different part of the country.
"It's going to be cold and much different from Texas," Wilma said. "There's a big weather change, but I'm excited for the whole experience."
Wilma hopes to major in pre-med, clearing the way for she and her teammates to enjoy their senior years after celebrating taking the next step in their respective careers Thursday.
"It's crazy and unbelievable," Wilma said. "I can't believe I'm here and doing this right now. I'm excited for it all."
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