One of my lasting memories of last year’s high school girls basketball state championship game is of Deja Strother powering her way to the hoop for a rebound and nearly running me over on her way out of bounds. I was sitting on the baseline trying to get a photo for the paper.
As she got up to run back out on the court she paused and asked if I was “okay.”
It came in the midst of a furious comeback attempt by the Vikings. They had trailed since the first quarter, mostly by double digits, and entered the fourth quarter down 10 points. Understandably, most athletes are wrapped up in the game, just pop back up and run back out on the court.
It was not about focus. Strother had 22 points during the game and was one of the main reasons the team was able to force overtime against Gonzaga Prep. I don’t know Strother very well. When I was a sports editor, covering teams on a consistent basis and developing small relationships with some of the athletes, not many would ask if I was “okay” after running me over on the baseline or the sideline. They are in the zone; reporters and photographers get that.
After the game it was obvious Strother had given everything she had and was upset with the loss. It was heartbreaking to see all the girls come so close to an historic state championship game comeback and fall just short. I could tell after the game that Strother was just more upset for her teammates lost opportunity. But they all played well and I hoped that with time and perspective they would realize just how much they accomplished on the court last season.
This year, things are different for Strother. She is a Viking alum and freshman on the University of Washington women’s basketball team. Her current squad has made Husky history, qualifying for the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament for the first time.
Strother did not play during the team’s 85-76 victory in the Elite Eight against Stanford on Sunday. But Strother has contributed this season, as a freshman, to the championship-caliber team, playing 96 minutes with 39 points, eight blocked shots and 36 rebounds. She is also the tallest member of the team at 6-foot-5.
Strother’s future with the Huskies, and in basketball overall, is extremely bright. She will undoubtedly become a bigger part of the program as her college career goes on.
So as you sit down on Sunday to watch the University of Washington women play in the Final Four for the first time in school history, keep an eye out for our Viking alum.
As a University of Washington graduate myself, with many family members who are also graduates, I am proud to call Deja a Husky.
Matt Phelps is the regional editor for the Bothell/Kenmore and Kirkland Reporter newspapers.
