This season, the Trinity girls basketball team is blending the present with the future.
The present belongs to senior guard Lauren Lee, and the future points to freshman forward Makiyah Williams. Lee and Williams helped the Blazers knock off New Trier 61-50 on Saturday in another sign that the River Forest program is on solid footing this season and for years to come.
The 5-foot-11 Lee — whom coach Mike Valente described as “the absolute coach’s dream” — is the heart of a deep unit that returned four starters from last season, including fellow four-year player Alex Fanning. Lee can play at every position and sometimes even serves as a point guard and post player in the same game.
She’s also a key defensive stopper and the leader responsible for helping Williams and sophomores Zyerra Stafford and Dayjah Chmielewski develop their game at the varsity level.
“A lot of (my) focus is on that,” Lee said of leading. “We’re going to be leaving and we want to leave a good legacy behind. Makiyah, Zee and Dayjah, they’re going to be the next top players on this team. We want to be sure that they’re ready.”
Williams, a 6-foot forward, has stepped into the spotlight much faster than Valente thought she would. The coach had high expectations for Williams — who comes from St. Malachy School and the Chicago Hoops Express AAU program — but he did not expect her to lead the team in scoring and blocks after 18 games.
“(Williams) hasn’t even scratched the surface of her potential,” Valente said. “She’s loaded with talent. She’s a quiet girl — I think she said five sentences total over the summer to me, no joke — and just getting her legs under her. When she starts figuring all of this out, she’s going to be something very special.”
Her youth hasn’t been a hindrance either.
“As a freshman, you expect to get huge swings of inconsistency,” Valente added. “The goal for us to to smooth that out, get more consistency. She’s been tremendous.”
Lee, a UC-Santa Barbara recruit, recalled what it was like to be a freshman on varsity. Lee noted the additional challenge of fitting in socially, so she focuses on communicating with the younger players on the court.
“When she has something to say, I allow her to say it,” Valente said of Lee. “She doesn’t get on them, she explains it. The girls want to make Lauren happy, just a coach on the floor.”
The Blazers (13-5) have handled their tough schedule admirably, especially considering that the team is still in flux with several young contributors. Lee and her fellow upperclassmen will continue to help the younger players adjust as the postseason approaches.
And Williams will continue refining her game and defining the future of Blazers basketball.
“The older girls, the captains, Lauren, they’ve helped a lot,” Williams said. “The captains are great, it’s very good leadership. I look up to Lauren.
“And honestly,” she added with a laugh, “I really want that jump shot that she’s got.”
Rich Mayor is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
