Last summer Wyoming East guard Maddie Clark proudly proclaimed her goals for her junior season.
She wanted to win her second state championship and earn Class AA first-team all-state captain honors.
She knocked both out in March, joining a small group of upperclassmen that became the first in program history to win two titles.
As a rising senior and de facto leader following the graduation of four seniors, she has a fresh set of goals in mind as she works in the offseason.
“I want to grow our team chemistry,” Clark said. “We only have three seniors so I want us to be able to play together and play fast. I want to win some awards and just get better.”
During the summer period Clark has done just that, taking the reins for the Lady Warriors. For a team that’s replacing three starters, all help is welcome. But it’s a position she experienced first hand. As a freshman she was a key rotation player and immediately made the jump to the team’s best as a sophomore after injuries necessitated such.
Having been in the exact role many of her younger teammates are in now, she’s hoping to impart her wisdom.
“I really just want to be there for the younger girls and help them learn and get better,” Clark said. “I want to be able to lead the team on the court, and off the court.”
The personnel changes have also forced a change for Clark.
While East has primarily utilized a lineup of guards and forwards, the coming season will likely see the utilization of centers in accordance with the roster construction. As such she’s had to learn how to play a different style based on the lineups trotted out but the chemistry that’s already been established on and off the court has helped.
“I think we have a lot of chemistry together,” Clark said. “We all get along really well and and everybody likes each other. Nobody’s selfish. We’re learning right now how to play together and play fast because we do have younger people. Me and Cadee (Blackburn) are the only two starters left so people are rotating into that spot. We’re learning how to play with our bigs too because we normally have all guards.”
Outside of the team, Clark has utilized the offseason, working on her own game. Her success as a jump shooter in the state tournament instilled a confidence she previously lacked, allowing her to work more on the skill aspects of her game to couple with her athleticism.
“My midrange jump shot has gotten a lot better than it was last year,” Clark said. “I kind of picked it up in the state championship game and started shooting better but over the summer I’ve been working on it and it looks a lot better than it did last year.”
