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02/20/2024 11:23 AMAva Johnson has been connected to basketball for the majority of her young life. The desire she has to constantly be on the court has made her a true and dedicated leader for the Morgan girls’ basketball team.
The senior shooting guard/forward and captain has been playing basketball since she was in first grade, and a strong family influence kept her drawn to the game.
“My dad played basketball in college, so he influenced me to start playing. I also have two older brothers who also play basketball,” says Ava. “I have been playing with them for as long as I can remember.”
Ava’s ability to learn from her family kept her grounded and focused, and it has allowed her to find a lot of success on the floor for the Huskies. This season, Ava is averaging 15 points per game (PPG), eight rebounds per game (RPG), three assists per game (APG), and three steals per game (SPG). Not only do her on-court stats impress, but her leadership ability is her true strength, and her desire to keep her teammates focused and always wanting to put their best foot forward.
“I think just making sure that we are focused and that everyone is making good plays, that is what I focus on,” Ava says. “I like to make plays for my teammates so we can have good shots.”
Ava and the Huskies currently have their attention on the Shoreline Athletic Conference (SLC) Tournament, in which they faced Hale Ray in a quarterfinal matchup on Feb. 17 and won 63-19. Ava recorded 22 points, six rebounds, and four steals in the contest.
“The game went really well, we started off strong and gave them a lot of pressure with our defense. We were able to get a big lead in the first quarter and continue it for the rest of the game,” says Ava. “We played together by always finding the open person, especially since they were in a zone for part of the game. We moved the ball really well, and made it difficult for them to stop us from scoring.”
As the team takes it day-by-day and focuses on digging deep and challenging opponents, Ava is optimistic about the ceiling her team truly has.
“I hope that we make it far in the Shoreline and state tournaments, which I know we can do. I hope that we play hard and stick together,” says Ava. “I also hope that I will be on the First or Second Team All-Conference for Shorelines this season, as I was an Honorable Mention last year.”
Ava is one of four captains for the Huskies this season, and Head Coach Caitlin Woods admires the way she constantly sets a strong example for her peers of what it means to be a good teammate.
“She has already done a fantastic job leading this program as a senior captain. She is more of a quiet leader who leads by example, but her teammates adore her and look up to her so much,”, says Woods. “Ava is also tremendously supportive of her teammates, and is always modest about her own accomplishments. Her knowledge of the game also contributes to her guiding and teaching her younger teammates. You can't ask for more than that out of a student-athlete.”
Woods also feels confident in Ava’s on-court skills, knowing she’ll be someone who will be called upon to step up in the big moments throughout the postseason.
“Ava will be a key component for our team in both tournaments. She has already proved that she is one of the most talented basketball players in the league, but I think she is determined to lead our team to the success we have been working for all season,” Woods says. “If there is an athlete you want to have leading the charge at tournament time, it's Ava.”
Ava knows very well that every season can come with obstacles, and she certainly learned to overcome her fair share of challenges this winter, while continuing to improve as an athlete.
“This year I did face a few challenges, because I did miss a few games as I had appendicitis, so it was a little challenging to get back from that and recover,” says Ava. “I was able to recover pretty quickly and get back to playing.”
Woods also acknowledges the struggles that came for Ava and her fellow student-athletes over the last few years, but sees that Ava was able to take it in stride and grow into an even bigger competitor on the floor.
“One huge challenge for this group of seniors was COVID. They came into a year where we were at a heightened level of the pandemic, but still allowed to play. Athletes had to play wearing masks, but we also had to divide our team into two cohorts before stepping on the court. That was a tough way for Ava and her grade-level peers to start their high school careers,” says Woods. “Additionally, Ava had to have appendix surgery after only playing the first game of this season. Her recovery was two weeks during a tough stretch of the season, and she was missed immensely. However, she came back strong and has never looked back.”
Ava is not looking to play basketball at the collegiate level after she graduates, but she is open to joining a club team wherever she decides to go to college.
As Ava turns her attention towards finishing her final foray with the Huskies on the highest of notes, she is excited to continue to form relationships that will last a lifetime, and create stories she’ll never forget.
“I am looking forward to making good memories together as a team, and I hope that we make it far in both tournaments. With only five losses, that puts us in a higher place for both tournaments,” says Ava. “We will most likely see East Hampton again, which is a team that we lost to in the regular season. I know that we will be able to beat them, if we play together as a team and make good decisions on the court.”