Daniela Álzate
Background: I was in the 5th grade when I started playing. My grandma played basketball when she was in college and she’s always been an inspiration to me.
Pregame ritual: Before every game I go home and take a 30 minute nap. On my way back to school I pray and ask God for a good game and my safety.
Hype songs: Anything from DaBaby or JBalvin always gets me hype before the game
Jersey number: 23
Positions: Power forward, but I also adapt to whatever the team needs on the court.
Season So Far: The season has been very challenging, but mostly fun especially because of all my teammates.
Team Relationship: Everyone is close and there’s absolutely no beef between anyone – we all love each other.
Practice schedule: It’s pretty rigorous, Monday and Thursday is a classic practice while on Wednesday and Saturdays consist of heavy lift and games like “shots”. The practices don’t interfere with school, but the late night travels to a game can sometimes cause me to stay up late.
Low point: Preseason was a really hard time for me. Only because I wasn’t scoring as much as I wanted to; we also weren’t winning much. I felt like a disappointment to my parents, teammates and coaches. Thankfully, they pulled me out of my slump along with the help of God. With my friends, parents, and coaches constantly giving me confidence, my game improved to where it is now.
Future plans: I hope to finish off the season in a playoff game and win districts next year as a senior.
Favorite college team: Appalachian State for girls and Virginia for boys.
Favorite professional team: Lakers, to honor the recent death of Kobe and Gianna Bryant.