The ASIJ Varsity Girls Basketball Team has had an outstanding season, winning the Kanto Plains Classic tournament, remaining undefeated throughout Kanto Plain regular season play, and achieving strong success at a thrilling Far East tournament in Okinawa.

Much of the team’s success comes from strong senior leadership. Isabel Tsuchida (’26) and Gwen Tsai (’26) have played in the program for two years, while Alice Philips (’26) and Ava Piscopo (’26) have been on varsity for four years. This experience allowed the team to start the season in top form, focusing on refining execution and learning new plays rather than developing team synergy and reviewing fundamentals.

The Kanto Plains Classic win marks a drastic turnaround for ASIJ girls’ basketball, as Coach Kuykendall cannot even recall the last time the team won the tournament. Having finished last in the tournament as freshmen, Ava and Alice were especially overjoyed to lead the team to first place four years later.

When asked what led the team to success at Kanto, Coach Kuykendall offered one word: “defense.” The squad plays a fast-paced, aggressive style with heavy pressing and trapping to create turnovers. Even if the offense struggles, their defense can prevent the opposing team from scoring. In their 29-15 semi-final win against CAJ, the team faced an early deficit but quickly shut down CAJ’s offense through defensive communication and effort. And in the final versus Kadena, our Mustangs fought hard to secure a 29-26 victory, led by Alice—named Player of the Tournament—whose defense set the tone throughout.

Moving on to their second and final tournament of the year—Far East—the girls took to Kubasaki High School in Okinawa for a trip filled with both fun memories and court competition. They took the runner-up spot, losing 25-21 against the Humphreys Blackhawks in the tournament’s final. The match was marked by fierce competition between the Tournament MVP, Mikayla Thomas, and All-Tournament Players Alice and Chrissy Miller (’29). Despite Alice and Chrissy’s strong offensive efforts, the Blackhawks rallied behind Mikayla to achieve their first-ever Far East girls title.

Looking ahead to next year, the team will face challenges. They will lose four senior leaders, including leading scorer Alice Phillips. However, Coach Kuykendall remains optimistic about the program’s future, citing a strong JV team and skilled underclassmen like Chrissy, who are ready to step up.