Last season was full of highs for Sequoyah girls basketball. Not only did they make the State Tournament, but they played in the final game of the season.
However, that was last season, and the Lady Indians are well aware of that fact heading into the 2025-’26 season. The trip to the State Championship can be a building block for the team, but they also know this is a new team, and the only guarantees in life are death and taxes.
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“Last year’s season was great, but that was last year,” SHS coach Justin Brown said. “Our group understands that past success guarantees nothing. This year, our mentality has to be different because this year brings a different challenge. Last season gave them confidence, but it also showed them how hard it is to get to the State Tournament and even more so the championship game.”
SHS finished last season with a 20-6 record, two wins in the State Tournament, and is only losing a pair of seniors — Rylee Bush and Rayna Falcon. Led by a deep roster, the Lady Indians fell to an experienced Alva in the State Title game.
While this is a different team from last season, they do have the same strength: elite bench depth. Last season, the Lady Indians’ lineup was 10-15 players deep on any given day.
“Our strength this season is going to be our depth on the bench,” Brown said. “Much like last year, we are going to play a lot of kids. Not many teams can play nine or 10 kids. That allows us to play at a faster pace and keep the pressure on teams by keeping fresh bodies on the floor.”
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Out of the depth of names, a lot are going to have an impact this season. In the Lady Indians’ run to the State Tournament, now-sophomores Benni Lamb and JuJu Davenport played big roles.
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Sequoyah’s Prairie Holmes looks to make a pass during the 2025 State Tournament.
Emma Culie returns to the roster as one of the top scorers for her senior season. Culie will combine with Prairie Holmes as two go-to scoring threats.
With most of the roster back, adjusting to the season has been easy for Brown and the Lady Indians.
“They’ve been really good,” Brown said. “Having most of our roster back has made things in practice easier. We were able to get up to speed pretty quickly. Practice has been really competitive, which is exactly what we want. Having a deep bench helps us do more in practice.”
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Through the preseason, the Lady Indians played in some scrimmages to get ready for the season. In the early goings, SHS is dealing with some injuries, but this also gives the bench a chance for early reps.
“We’ve been a little banged up early, but the scrimmages were really helpful,” Brown said. “It gave us a chance to get some of our underclassmen some reps. They also allowed us to see where we’re at and what we need to clean up.”
The Lady Indians officially open the season Tuesday, Nov. 9, at home vs. Wagoner.
