I remember
the first time I saw the San Antonio Islanders play almost six years ago; there
was something about that squad that kept me glued to them. They simply played
within themselves , played great team oriented ball and played with a very high
basketball IQ and this also helped them
knock off some of the “sneaker” squads along the way but the skill and talent
across the board made them a must see team for me to catch. Fast forward to a
new breed and one of the standouts that simply captivated me was Claire Hale
who just played the game the same way over and over and continued to show
progression each year
Hale could
always shoot the long ball, well it got deeper over the years, her ability to
create off the dribble as well as attack the basket for buckets also got better
and her defense and rebounding also took off but what impressed me even more
was she learned how to get hers in the flow or just take over when she had too
and her unselfishness and ability to make her teammates better was huge as far
as her growth. Her Brandeis High School
team is off to a 13-2 start and could definitely be a problem in playoffs and
she has definitely made a major impact during her career there
After
weighing her options and opportunities, Hale has decided to play for Trinity at
the next level and the Tigers are definitely receiving a great student-athlete
so I asked her what sold her on them and Hale said “Trinity is a perennial
powerhouse in women’s basketball and I was drawn to that. My family and I had a chance to meet with the coaches several
times and she really connected with Coach Cam and Coach Shotland” . She also
added “In September I got to play some
pick-up ball with the team and just loved it. Then when I found out that
Trinity is the top ranked academic university in Texas I was very intrigued.” She also stated “I’m drawn to their STEM programs so when
Coach Cam recently offered a spot on the team she felt like she had found a
home. I had several great offers from
really good schools, but Trinity is home for now”
