Prep basketball preview: Towering desire fills Rams

If the Wilson High School girls were to take their basketball team to the small screen, they already have a name in mind.

Just call it “Fear Factor: Tacoma.”

The Rams’ combination of speed, experience and height may make opponents nervous as they work toward their goal of a second consecutive 3A state tournament berth after finishing 17-9 last season.

“We think there’s a fear factor in that we’re tall and can run the court, as well,” junior point guard Kaysha Fox said. “A lot of people know who we are as a team.”

Added Nina Caldwell, a senior forward: “We work well together. This is our year.”

In addition to returning five starters, four of whom are taller than 5-foot-9, Wilson adds the Swiss duo of senior Valentina Skaica and junior Valery Vangen. The exchange students are 5-foot-8 and 6-foot-4, respectively.

“Either you want to play us,” Caldwell said “or you don’t want to bring it up.”

Caldwell, who has committed to play next year at Central Washington, said the Rams are prepared to show everyone how Wilson basketball is played on the state’s biggest stage: the Tacoma Dome, where the state playoffs will be held in March. Last season, the Rams fell to Lakeside of Seattle in the second round.

“All of our minds are at the Dome,” she said. “The placement may be different (than last year), but getting there is half the experience.”

Fox agreed.

“Being one game away from being inside the Dome – that’s heartache. We knew we should have been there.”

Now in her fourth season at Wilson, coach Michelle Birge, who previously spent three years as an assistant at Foss, had never taken a team to the state tournament until last year. But playing at regional sites didn’t feel like the real deal, she said. The Rams only made it as far as Auburn High School.

“I would rather have the girls play in the Dome,” she said. “I had that when I was playing at Foss.”

And she fully expects them to realize that goal.

“In my (coaching career), this group is the best I have seen in terms of talent and cohesiveness,” she said. “I’ve coached more skilled players, but never like this formation playing together.”

Birge said that after falling short in their aspirations last year, this team is more cautious. She encourages her players to be “humble and hungry.”

“While they’re thrilled with the success they have had, they know they have to put in the hard work.”

That’s the easy part, said Fox and Caldwell, who claim to never take days off; their focus is on teamwork. Both players said that the team’s chemistry is one of its biggest assets – and potential detriment.

“Sometimes,” Fox said, “you’re around each other so long that it’s family-like, and then there’s arguing.”

Caldwell agreed, adding, “The only thing that could get in our way won’t be a team, but ourselves.”

But Birge said that this year’s players have a better understanding of each other and that they are willing to do the necessary things to make it to the top.

“I think when you sacrifice ‘you’ for ‘us’, that helps dramatically,” she said. “You’re worried about the score, not your score; the game, not your game.”

While Fox said the Rams are most looking forward to facing Narrows 3A foes Capital and Timberline, Birge said her most anticipated matchups will come later.

“We’re anxious to get through our league, get to districts and then state,” she said, remembering a 62-43 loss to Prairie of Vancouver at the 2011 bi-district tournament.

“I think we’re going to do some things that shock and do some things people will remember for a long time,” she said. “It’s been a long time – 15 years since we really went to state.”

The players are adamant that it’s not going to be another 15.

“The seniors want it bad,” Caldwell said. “We all want it bad.”

“We did a lot of work in the offseason both as a team and individually to get better,” said Fox.