Junior Breanna Lindert and her Washington High School basketball teammates have been playing together practically their whole lives. She considers herself blessed to play with her fellow Warriors.

“Most of us girls have played together since elementary and even in summer ball, AAU tournaments, and I feel like us playing together for so long helps us be able to communicate and understand each other better. We are all there for each other. We have a new junior this year, Shelbie Caveness, and she fits in with us perfectly, all of this makes us one close family.”

Lindert averaged 12.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore. She was named conference MVP after leading Washington to a 27-2 record and 3A state championship game appearance.

“It meant a l ot to me and I was so proud of my team I would have never gotten MVP if they weren’t on the court with me,” Lindert said. “We also would not have been able to be so successful without everyone on the team putting in hard work and believing in each other.”

Lindert was 8 years old the first time she picked up a basketball.

“My dad introduced it to me because I loved running so he thought it would be the perfect sport,” Lindert said. 

The journey hasn’t been without its setbacks. She was sidelined with a hip injury her seventh and eighth grade years, then broke her wrist freshman year.

“I had to sit back and watch my teammates play the game that we all love, but I also learned to be a better teammate, and I also learned how valuable my time was on the court with each and every one of them, so I do my best on the court for them because I never know when they can get hurt or I could get hurt,” Lindert said.

Lindert and her teammates only have one goal in sight this year: bringing the 3A state championship back to Washington.

“Right now, in this moment, we are still growing as a team as we have a lot of young girls on our team, and we work hard every day, but at the end of the day a state championship is every team’s goal.”