Dribbling to the Dream
In the 2022-23 girls basketball season, senior Jadyn Lee broke three school records, becoming the all-time leader in steals, field goals and overall points in the girls varsity basketball program. On Dec. 13, 2022, Lee moved to the top of the career scoring list, scoring 33 points in a victory over West Torrance High School. Following the conclusion of the season, Lee now has 1,936 career points, surpassing the previous record of 1,513 held by the current girls’ varsity basketball coach, Natalie Kelly, who played from 1995-99. On Jan. 17, in the final Bay League match against crosstown rivals Palos Verdes High School, Lee broke the record for most steals in program history, with 266. In addition, Lee holds the record for the most field goals, any basket that is scored other than a free throw, scoring a total of 737. Kelly expresses how fulfilling it was to watch Lee break so many records and coach her for the past four years.
“I am super proud of Jaydn for everything that she has accomplished in the four years she spent on the team,” Kelly said. “Jadyn is a leader for our team and she sets an example for the others with her work ethic and determination. It has been a privilege for the team to have someone like her in our program to uphold the values of our school’s basketball program.”
Over the course of this past season, the team struggled due to many players getting injured. Four players suffered season-ending injuries, forcing Kelly to play several freshmen in crucial games. Despite these obstacles, Lee and the team had some important victories which allowed them to build their confidence. On Nov. 23, Lee was named the Daily Breeze Girl Athlete of the Week for her noteworthy performance in the St. Mary Tip-Off Classic tournament, where she scored 97 points throughout the four games of the tournament. The team also traveled to San Diego in December to participate in the San Diego Southern California Holiday Prep Classic tournament where they placed third overall. Once again, Lee was the top scorer from the Peninsula team, contributing a total of 104 points across four games and was named to the All-Tournament team. This was a special achievement as team coaches could only select one player to be recognized with this post-tournament honor. Varsity girls basketball player and junior Brindha Srivatsav expresses how special Lee was for their team and the impact she made.
“Jadyn is such an amazing player because she always cares about the betterment of the whole team,” Srivatsav said. “She is encouraging, even if the team makes mistakes, and has helped so many of our teammates get better. Jadyn is the glue that holds this team together and she has given me a lot of confidence to get better at basketball.”
Lee achieved much throughout her four years with the varsity team: notably, in her junior season, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) named her as one of eight players in the Division I All-CIF Southern Section 1st Team. Furthermore, the team won the Bay League title in Lee’s freshman, sophomore and junior seasons, with Lee being named the team’s Most Valuable Player by Kelly in her sophomore and junior seasons. The team had previously never won three Bay League titles in a row since 1990. Lee’s most memorable game of her career was the finals of the CIF Southern California Regionals in 2020, the furthest the team went in the tournament in her four years, where Lee scored 10 points and Peninsula fell short to Paloma Valley. Concluding her senior season, Lee is now in the top 10 of all the girls varsity basketball program’s individual records, a feat very few players have achieved. Using her basketball skills and accomplishments throughout her career, Lee will attend Pomona College and continue to play basketball there. Lee shares how special and valuable it was to be a part of the girls basketball program.“Being a part of this team in a high-energy environment and supportive community is something that I will never forget,” Lee said. “I always reminded myself that high school sports are only for four years, so I knew I needed to make the most of it and gave my best effort. It is really rewarding to break these records because all the hard work that I put into basketball paid off and I made a positive impact on the team.”
