McComiskey’s Dedication Generates Success
Leah McComiskey typically practices her shooting motion by tossing her basketball pillow in the air. This type of focus on her craft has paid big-time dividends for both Leah and the Morgan girls’ basketball team. Leah recently completed her career with Huskies’ hoops by having a great senior season for a club that won a ton of games.
“I always practice form,” says Leah. “I pride myself on my shot, and practicing that flick of the wrist is a really simple drill, but it helps perfect your shooting motion.”
Leah’s sharp shot helped her average 10 points per game as a senior this year. A 6-foot center, Leah also posted averages of 10 rebounds, four steals, and two assists per night for Head Coach Caitlin Woods’s squad.
“Leah has one of the purest shots I’ve ever seen,” Woods says. “She’s a rare athlete to have because of the fact that she’s so tall, but she’s got a great shot on top of that.”
Leah helped the Huskies enjoy an excellent campaign that saw the team finish with an overall record of 18-7. Along the way, Morgan advanced to the championship game of the Shoreline Conference Tournament with a 41-40 victory versus Cromwell in the semifinals. Morgan defeated Immaculate in its first-round game of the Class M State Tournament before taking a loss to Stonington in the second round.
“I think it’s amazing how much we improved over my four years at Morgan. Each year, our record got better,” Leah says. “I loved playing with these girls, and it was a great season. We all knew that the game against Stonington could be our last, so we went out there and gave it all we had. We wanted to leave it all out on the court, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Leah loved leading Morgan on the court as a captain this winter. Coach Woods says that Leah truly transformed into a leader of the team in her senior season.
“Leah really took on a leadership role this year. This is my fourth year coaching this team, so I’ve been here since Leah was a freshman, and the growth that she’d had over these four years has been great,” says Woods. “It’s going to be tough to say good-bye, because we have a lot of memories together and she was here when I started, but I know she’s going to do great things.”
Leah put in a lot of work during every offseason in order to improve her skills. Leah played AAU basketball with the Connecticut Cobras for a couple of years, followed by a stint with the Connecticut Storm.
“There’s no question in my mind that playing basketball in the offseason helped me grow, and the talented girls I got to compete with and against was vital in my success,” Leah says. “I think the thing that kept me so confident and willing to play is the fact that everyone appreciated me for the player I was.”
While her shot proved a huge part of her game, Leah says that she prided herself even more on playing solid defense throughout her career at Morgan.
“I know it’s cliché, but defense wins championships,” says Leah. “I averaged 10 rebounds a game, and I blocked a lot of shots. I liked being the defensive stopper for our team. It’s a really overlooked part of my game.”
As much as Leah likes basketball, she’s ready to try something new when she goes off to college. Leah is looking to attend Sacred Heart University and major in nursing.
“Basketball is a huge time commitment, and I feel like this is the right time to move on to something I’m really passionate about,” Leah says. “Both of my aunts are nurses, and I’ve always wanted to work with babies. I started volunteering at Yale-New Haven Hospital last summer, and the experience I’ve gotten already has been awesome. I know I want to be a nurse.”
Aside from basketball, Leah also ran cross country and served as a captain for the girls’ team at Morgan. In the classroom, Leah is an honors student who has a 3.5 grade-point average.
“I ran cross country mainly to stay in shape for basketball,” says Leah. “And I’ve enjoyed school a lot. My academic success has been important to me all four years of high school, and I’m proud of where I am now.”
As Leah prepares to begin a new chapter, Coach Woods says that she’s going to miss working with her next season.
“Leah was such an important player for us,” says Woods. “She was a determined player and always wanted to help her teammates get better.”