In a school full of athletes, what makes one stand out? Someone who has made a mark on the girls basketball team would be a great person to cover. Someone who experienced a tough transition in her junior year, but still rose to the occasion and became a team leader. Basketball meant a lot to Ava Wu (‘25), who got her start very young, by admiring the girls basketball players at Good Counsel High School, where her grandfather was a coach.

“He is my biggest inspiration when it comes to basketball and I am always happy to see him in the stands at my games,” Wu said.

After admiring the players from Good Counsel, Wu started playing basketball in kindergarten. Wu lived in Vienna, but went to Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a private high school in Washington, D.C. She made it on the basketball team there in her freshman year. However, in the middle of her junior year, Wu switched schools. 

She arrived at Madison directly amid the basketball season and had to try out to secure a spot on the team. Luckily, she succeeded and quickly fit into the team’s dynamic. 

“From the moment I met the coaches and players, they made me feel part of the team,” Wu said. “I remember the first practice I went to, I arrived 10 minutes before the practice time. I was a little nervous and then I walked in, and I saw that the team was already dressed, stretched, and ready to start practice. They all laughed when they saw me walk in, and said, ‘who forgot to tell Ava that she is supposed to be here 30 minutes before practice?’ It was a good icebreaker”.

Wu didn’t know what to expect at first, but one benefit of going to Madison was that it was much closer to home. It was easier for Wu to commute and allowed her to better build relationships. As a senior this year, Wu was one of the team captains. 

“Our team this year has a cool dynamic because we have an equal amount of three of each grade,” Wu said. “It’s great because everybody can learn from each other. The upperclassmen bring the experience and are role models for all the new and younger players. The underclassmen get to use what they learned from the upperclassmen and help the new players get through what they experienced the year before. New players bring a new perspective to the team and it’s super cool to meet and make new friends.”

The team practiced Monday through Saturday, usually for two to three hours a day, and had anywhere from one to four games a week, so it was hard work.

“Being on the team requires lots of time commitment and hard work, so it’s nice to know you have teammates to back you up, and you know that they are working just as hard as you to accomplish the same goal,” Wu said. 

Especially as a senior, Wu had to manage basketball on top of college applications, school and friendships. 

“Balance is hard to find, especially in season, because everything gets so busy,” Wu said. “With college apps and preparing for senior year, it was super helpful to start early and ask others who had already been through it for advice,” 

Though her Madison story was a unique one, Wu found her footing and has led the basketball team into districts this year. She hopes to play basketball in college to continue doing the sport she loves.