Last year was an anomaly by the Flintridge Prep varsity girls’ basketball team’s standards.
It wasn’t since the 2012 season that the Wolves finished as Prep League runners-up, claiming eight consecutive titles and an impressive 72-league game win streak since. However, Flintridge Prep saw both of those streaks ended last year after falling to Providence High of Burbank twice despite boasting arguably the area’s top girls’ basketball player in senior Ashley Chea, who recently committed to Princeton University in New Jersey.
“Last year was a little bit of an up and down year for us,” head coach Jayme Chan said. “I think coming off COVID and having a little bit of an identity crisis with some of these newer kids — you know, those two years, they really had to reinvent themselves because they weren’t really here for the building of this program. Stepping into a program that had won so many games and had so much history was maybe a little bit daunting.”
Chea averaged 30 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2.4 assists per game last season, all team-high marks among the varsity returners that include herself, juniors Catherine Baldocchi, Kassidy Huie and Izzie Chan, and sophomores Olivia Childs and Gigi Mastras.
Kassidy Huie averaged 3.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, while Mastras finished with 3.8 boards and 2.7 points per game. Childs had 2.1 rebounds and one point per game, Baldocchi averaged 1.9 boards and 0.7 points per game, and Izzie Chan tallied 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 points per game.
“Obviously Ashley wants an undefeated league championship, but I think aside from that, she’s looking for a deep playoff run. She really wants to put her stamp on this place,” Jayme Chan said about her lone senior returner. “I think she feels gypped out of the year that she was injured and then an 11-game COVID season. There are a lot of records that she just doesn’t have the time to crush because she would absolutely crush them. I tell her not to worry, nobody averages 30 points and isn’t remembered.”
One notable name not returning is Maddie Chiu, who transferred out of Flintridge Prep earlier this academic year. She was limited to a shortened season due to a back injury but began last year’s campaign as the No. 2 shooter behind Chea.
“She had a stress fracture that kept her out for most of the season,” Jayme Chan said. “Missing her will definitely have an impact; she’s a really good player. I think she would’ve had a phenomenal year if she stayed healthy.”
Freshman Akemi Fu, Pressley Huie and Maddie Smith are joining the varsity returners. Jayme Chan has high expectations for her three newcomers, praising their talent level despite their youth and lack of varsity experience.
“Our three freshmen can play basketball, so we’re really excited about that. Now it’s just a matter of getting them to learn each other’s games,” Jayme Chan said. “The team is a completely different look. We have some pieces but the pieces that we have coming back are really stepping into new roles.”
The Wolves (3-0 overall) opened the regular season at the Muir Leave a Legacy Tipoff, sweeping all three tournament matchups. Flintridge Prep’s home opener is scheduled against Milken High of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.
