Who’s the toughest star you’ve coached against?
In The Oklahoman’s previous high school basketball survey, coaches looked toward the future and named the best players they expect to face this season.
For this survey, they reflected on the past.
Who is the toughest player you have ever coached against, and why?
The Oklahoman posed this question to girls basketball coaches across the Oklahoma City metro area and granted them anonymity to respond.
Here are their answers:
Danielle Gant, Putnam West class of 2005
“She was big. She had good length. She was explosive. She could shoot the 3 and she could get to the rim, and defensively, she was intimidating.”
Chelsea Dungee, Sapulpa class of 2016
“Her size at the point guard position made her very difficult to defend.”
Jaden Hobbs, Alva class of 2016
“She refused to lose. Such a competitor and could score at will.”
Kelbie Washington, Norman class of 2021
“Best on ball defender I have ever seen. She impacted the game with her defensive play.”
Laci Steele, Edmond North class of 2023
“She was just solid, a competitor. She does everything quietly, and so it was just one of those things (where) you thought you were doing a good job, and then you look up at the end of the game, and she had 25 points against you.”
“She was always calm, cool and collected. And even on a night you thought, ‘We are doing a good job holding her under her average,’ you’d check any of the
other stats and she was all over the place. She made a difference with her discipline to constantly be straight up in the paint without fouling, forcing you to dodge her. And she could find any board to put back up if she wasn’t making the points herself from the field.”
Elle Papahronis, Edmond North class of 2023
“I would have to say over the last year or so, some of the Edmond North kids like Elle Papahronis and Laci Steele. Elle Papharonis has always been pretty tough. Her sister Toni, a couple years ago, and Laci Steele, obviously, was a solid kid.”
Parker Stevenson, Bethel class of 2023
“She could pull up and shoot from anywhere, get to the rim whenever she wanted. She may have dropped 40 on us.”
Elise Hill, Tulsa Holland Hall class of 2023
“She just dominated as a senior last year on the court.”
Sania Richardson, Grind Prep (formerly Ada) class of 2025
“She can do a little bit of everything. She was quick, she was tough and just as an individual player, I would say she was the toughest one.”