Bender will be one of three from Waccamaw who will make the trek down Highway 17 to arrive at this year’s SCBCA Elite Camp. She returns to a Warriors team that was reclassified into the 2A ranks following a decade of playing in the 3A realm. Bender was one of the participants at this year’s Prep Girls Hoops Carolinas Expo in Rock Hill early last month. Not only was Bender one of four 2028s on last season’s team but she was also one of two team co-captains. She competed in 22 contests last season and averaged 8.1 points, 7.9 rebounds (second on the team) per game.

Waccamaw will be one of the interesting teams to watch this season as Bender’s Warriors will be dropping in classification from 3A into the 2A field. Bender has kept a very active athletic schedule throughout her career as she has also played softball and volleyball in addition to her growing list of basketball achievements. Even though she is a frontcourt specialist, some of her finishes at the rim can be indicative of a point guard. Bender also understands that playing in the interior means being tough and playing through a great deal of contact. She averaged 8.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and nearly a block per game last season.

On paper, Dillon should be a better team than Waccamaw for four quarters. Even though the Warriors did not achieve the result it was looking for, Waccamaw’s sophomore big and team co-captain paced the Warriors efforts with a 12-point outing. Bender becoming a team captain as a sophomore is a reflection of the trust she has earned from her teammates and coaching staff while still being relatively young. Bender leads by example with the offensive production she gives her team from the interior and she also bolsters Waccamaw’s rebounding efforts. Bender is one of three 2028s on this season’s Warriors group.