Isabella Lagarto, William Albury

What to expect from the Miami Palmetto Senior High’s girls basketball team this 2023-2024 season?: Hard work, dedication and victory. Last season, the team ended as District Runner-Ups and looks to conclude this season as Champions.

“Last year, we came in as District Champion runner-ups, we lost to Miami High. Although we played a good game and worked our hardest, there were things that we could have improved on, and that’s what we’ve been working on this year. We have been practicing non-stop to make sure that we are ready for this year’s season,” Coach Donnavin Martin said. 

The Lady Panthers have been practicing continuously and working on techniques such as running to improve their stamina, free-throws and layups. Along with that, the team has worked toward strengthening all their weaknesses to ensure that they can proceed with victory this upcoming season. 

“We have been running a lot to keep our stamina up. As one of the captains, I feel like my main job is to try to motivate the girls and keep [their] spirits up. We’re making sure to work on our physicality in the gym and working on our overall strength,” Captain and senior Sami Anes said.

This year, three captains lead the team: Anes, Kailey Gonzalez-Quevedo and Annalise Lindsay. They have been working extremely hard to keep the team’s spirits up and make sure that the team bonds in and out of practice for the best performance when gameday comes. 

“Last year was my first year on the team, and I just loved it. The girls have such a bond, and it feels like a sisterhood. They took me in right away, and we just connected as a team. I feel like this year as captain I get to make sure that the new girls get to feel the same way that I felt when I first joined,” Anes said. 

With all the hard work that the Lady Panthers are putting in before the season begins, they hope to have a successful and prosperous season.