The Atom’s girl basketball team has started their season. The team has already played eight games this year. The girls have managed to start off the season on the right foot and are much-improved record-wise from last year.

Head coach Fawn Tucker knows that the girls have some spots in which they can improve.

“I believe that we can always improve on our defense because defense wins championships but also at the core, it builds championship caliber programs,” Tucker said.

Even though the season started on the right foot, the girls don’t want to stop training and let their guard down as they practice two or sometimes even two and a half hours everyday after school.
The girls have a record of 3-5 as of their most recent game.

The team managed to beat the Justice Wolves 53-42. The team also defeated the Thomas Jefferson Colonials recently in a tight game by a score of 46-44.

The team has also played the Falls Church Jaguars twice this season. The Atoms managed to win the first matchup by a score of 66-64 but lost the second game by a score of 63-55.

The girls fell short against the Fairfax Rebels by a score of 53-49. They also lost to the Lee Lancers 66-62 and were also defeated by the Oakton Cougars 50-35. In their most recent game, the Atoms were knocked off by the Lake Braddock Bruins, 60-37.

The team underperformed in many respects in the game in which they were defeated by a narrow margin.

“We didn’t do the little things that were needed in each game,” senior Jayla Irvin said. “This eventually led to those little things adding up at the end of each game.” The girls will not let the games they have lost get to them and plan to improve on their weak spots. Although the team has had a decent season thus far, the girls know where their weakness lie.

“Each of our teams have individual areas which can always be strengthened,” Tucker said. “Because the sport of basketball is ever so evolving, we always want to make sure that we are fundamentally strong so that we are able to build up on a strong foundation.”

Senior Sarah Shamdeen believes that the team’s strengths is that they have a heart and do not give up easily.

“Our biggest strength is our fight and hustle,” Shamdeen said. “We don’t give up even if we are down.”

Irvin has had her personal goals for the season set and is looking forward to achieving this goals.

“Me personally, I’m striving to be a better all around player, I would say I’m good at driving and scoring, but I still want to get better with my shooting and defense because I feel like like those are areas that I need more work on,” Irvin said.

Upcoming games for the girls team are against the Washington and Lee Generals and the Chantilly Chargers.