Gullo Player of the Month -- The Woodlands Paige Bradley

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Gullo Player of the Month

Paige Bradley

The Woodlands Basketball

By Austin Staton

With a district championship in tow and the lethal frontline of Anna Strickland and Kelsey Lang, The Woodlands has it all this season.

Although the Lady Highlanders have a talented duo in the low post, the motor behind their engine this year is a combination of senior leadership and savvy guard play and both come in the form of five-foot-nine Paige Bradley.

Essentially, depth and defense are key factors behind the 14th-ranked team in the state of Texas.

“The depth has been great this year,” said Bradley. “In the past our bench hasn’t been as deep but everyone on the team has just stepped up this season.”

While the Highlanders have just two losses to their name – both by a combined total of four points – the red and green are somewhat flying under the radar in terms of state-wide rankings, but that’s okay for Bradley and her team as she contends that the losses will help prepare her team for their postseason run.

“We had two tough games early in the season but it gave us the challenge that we needed,” said Bradley. “The losses gave us the learning experience that we needed and it will only prepare us for what we have coming in the playoffs.”

Highlighting the roster this year is a seven-member senior class with a pair of juniors and a sophomore. Essentially, the experience is there. For Bradley, the Lady Highlanders’ success this season has been a result of their stable of strong guards that compliment Strickland and Lang. Often times, it is the press defense which forces turnovers and creates open looks on the offensive end.

“I think defense is a strong point for our team and it has become a strong focus,” said Bradley, who recently signed to play basketball at Denver. “We’ve always emphasized passing on the team and coming into this season it wasn’t about how many points we could score individually, it was always can I make that extra pass or get the ball to the post.”

As a senior playing on a team that features several of her close friends, Bradley maintains that it is thoroughly enjoyable to play on a team that does everything to focus on the long-term success of the program in the postseason.

“I knew that this year was going to be a great year,” said Bradley. “I think the difference for us this season is the way that we prepare for games. Our coaches have done a good job motivating us this season knowing that everything is forward-looking."