Solid Comebacks In July
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I was thinking about the numerous comebacks after seeing Chrishelle Washington Chrishelle Washington 5'7" | CG North Shore | 2022 State TX supporting her teammates at various events. She and Ja’Nyla Kennedy Ja’Nyla Kennedy 5'8" | PF North Shore | 2022 State TX were a couple of starters that were injured last season for North Shore and that had a bearing on their season while Jamia Harris Jamia Harris 5'7" | SG DeSoto | 2022 State TX and Michayla Gatewood Michayla Gatewood 5'8" | PG DeSoto | 2022 State TX were both injured yet Desoto managed to win a State Championship (UIL 6A) so the Texas Tech commits will be back as their squad is the favorite to win it all but here are some of the other comebacks
Ja’Nyla Kennedy Ja’Nyla Kennedy 5'8" | PF North Shore | 2022 State TX
Kennedy’s name preceded her as her Houston Lady Dominator coach Peter Badie told me I had to see this 8th grader named La La. She entered North Shore with a vengeance and quickly entered the Top 100 because she was a “double-double” waiting to happen so after the Lady Dominators disbanded, she played this season on that star-studded Skyrise Edmond squad and came back slowly in April, yet those April showers helped her grow like the flowers and she was punishing again, especially in July. Oh yeah, after seeing her that initial time, Badie asked what I thought about La La, I responded, “you didn’t LIE LIE”
Michayla Gatewood Michayla Gatewood 5'8" | PG DeSoto | 2022 State TX
Gatewood and her little NTX team were in elementary school when I first caught them and I had to see them as much as possible, yeah that group just did it for me and became one of my faves yet seeing what they became didn’t fool me, especially Gatewood because even with that 2nd or 3rd-grade voice, she was vocal on the court and had me SMH at her running the squad so fast forward to July, OMG she came back with a vengeance, that jumper was smoking, those passes crisp and on the money and still running the squad to perfection
Aaliyah Holmes-5’10 SG Pflugerville
Holmes has solved so many mysteries, even Sherlock would be impressed, and what I have enjoyed about watching her since probably the 6th grade is her playing within herself, her unselfishness, and her ability to flip the switch and just take over a game, especially in the clutch. Just shy of the magic number, she falls into that “college coaches love big guards that can shoot” category, and seeing her set the defender up and just drop it with a hand in her face, not cracking a smile, still cracks me up
Iyanna McCown-5’4 CG Trinity Leadership
McCown probably wasn’t 5’0 when I first caught her yet when you’re heady, can handle pressure, and can control the tempo, especially when you’re young, #sizedontmatter when you can play and she’s come back several times from a variety of injuries and after speaking with her dad a few months ago, he said “Simmie, she said she isn’t done” which was great news for me because she has always been a joy to watch, explosive with the ball, attacked with ease or dropped the jumper yet that court vision, not to leave out defense yet that passion always grabbed me. She has decided to continue her academic and athletic career at the University Of Dallas so trust me, she’ll be more than ready
FYI
When I was coming up, a knee injury just about did it however over the years, the vast majority of athletes will come back just as strong or better which brings me to a story that hits close to home My daughter tore her ACL prior to her sophomore season at Texas A&M, came back in 4 months and a day and wound up winning a National Championship her senior and played 8 or 9 seasons in the WNBA so this ESPN story SIMS it up