Willa C. ’25 has spent most of her life surrounded by basketball. Inspired by her father, who served as head coach of the Lakeside girls’ basketball team for seven years, she started playing club ball at a young age — and she hasn’t looked back since. Now, after years of dedication, grit, and a love for the community and the game, Willa is headed to Cornell University this fall to play Division I basketball. Following a dominant senior season where she was named the 3A State Player of the Year, I got the chance to talk basketball, the college process, and more with her.
Recruiting for sports is an infamously difficult process — Willa said she has “spent the last four years applying to college” as opposed to the standard senior year. She noted there has been a lot of stress attached to this process, but that she also appreciated it and the opportunity to talk to different colleges and coaches. She heavily credits her coach, Mia Fisher, head basketball coach at Lakeside, for her success and for helping her navigate recruitment.
She is thrilled to be committing to Cornell, fulfilling a long-time dream of playing college basketball. She’s especially enthusiastic about Cornell’s brand-new, all-female coaching staff, which stood out to her during the recruitment process. She notes their energy, honesty, and strong vision for the program’s future. Willa loved how straightforward and passionate they were, and feels deeply aligned with their ambitious outlook. With all the new staff members bringing their own beliefs and experience with college basketball, their fresh, supportive, and committed approach strongly drew her to the university and the team.
Reflecting back on this past year of Lakeside basketball, Willa kept coming back to one word to describe the season: “rewarding.” She talks about how, throughout the season, people have underestimated the Lakeside team, and that’s been its narrative. Nevertheless, in the face of that doubt, she and her teammates remained dedicated, and she fondly recalls how much they bonded, continuously put in the work, and made sacrifices to overcome obstacles and bumps along the road. From this hard work, they made it the farthest the team has gotten in 22 years: playing in a state championship. Using this motivation and her perseverance, this win felt undeniably redeeming for the entire team, and although they didn’t win State this year Willa proudly said for as long as she’s known the team, she’s watched as they take a loss every year and then come back stronger and better the next season. She credits this growth largely to Mia Fisher, who has won Metro Coach of the year for all four years Willa has been on the team and whose extensive college-level basketball experience (something other Lakeside basketball coaches share) is a major asset. Coupled with a talented Lakeside roster for the coming years, Willa anticipates more rewarding wins in the team’s future.
Basketball is more than just a win or loss for Willa — it’s a core part of her life, a way for her to channel her competitive spirit, gain a community, and learn values. Over the years, she has gained a high level of work ethic — watching great players come before her, seeing the level of hard work they put in, learning how they became so skilled, and after, how they constantly worked to further better themselves. She has taken their mindsets and applied it to herself, never taking no for an answer and putting in maximum effort to all her games and practice. On the other hand, Willa hopes all future athletes at Lakeside will work as hard as they can but also enjoy as many aspects of the season as possible. Whether that be to never skip an opportunity for a meal with teammates, or coming in earlier to practice, she says to make the most of every moment.
One piece of advice that Willa hopes to leave behind? Bet on yourself. She wants every student to believe in their potential, chase their goals, and find joy and meaning in the journey. She emphasized how high school is fleeting, so there’s no time for regrets: everyone should go all in on their passions.
