Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Trisha Wase

Barry Faulkner

Estancia High point guard Trisha Wase, not yet finished with her

sophomore season, has already earned an invitation to join the pantheon

of Newport-Mesa girls basketball.

Whether or not she manages an RSVP, however, only time will tell.

“If she wants to be a Division I (college) player, she can be,”

Estancia Coach Paul Kirby said. “She can shoot from outside, dribble,

pass, rebound and defend -- pretty much everything you need.”

One need only look at Wase’s dominant performances last week to

confirm her coach’s praise.

In a come-from-behind 44-43 Pacific Coast League win over Corona del

Mar, Jan. 29, she collected 21 points (on 9-of-13 shooting from the

field), three three-pointers, two assists, one steal and one rebound. She

scored 11 of the Eagles’ 18 second-half points and broke down the Sea

Kings’ defense to set up the winning three-point play by teammate Tisha

Gray with 15 seconds left.

Two nights later, at crosstown rival Costa Mesa, Wase, known by her

teammates as “Dita,” amassed 26 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a

50-33 triumph that clinched a season sweep of Mesa and, with it, the

perpetual Lady Bell trophy.

Earlier this season against Laguna Beach, she posted 25 points, 21

steals and 10 rebounds to obtain the coveted triple-double.

Some believe she could be the most talented player ever at Estancia

and, perhaps, the most talented guard in Newport-Mesa District history by

the time she’s through.

“She makes me a lot better coach when she’s playing the way she’s

playing right now,” said Kirby, who has continually encouraged her to

expect more from herself, as well as commit more time to her game.

“Early this season, she was scoring seven points, eight points, nine

points, four points and I told her she should be getting at least 15

points every game,” Kirby recalled. “She has obviously worked on her game

to get to the point it’s at now, but she has not been a gym rat. Her game

could be scary if she worked harder. Hopefully, she figures that out.”

With the 23 points she scored in Tuesday’s victory over Laguna Beach,

Wase is averaging 12.4 points per game this season. But, she is producing

17 ppg in league. In her last six games, which have included the only

four 20-plus point outings of her young career, she has averaged 19.8

ppg.

Last season, she averaged just 8.9 points en route to first-team

All-PCL recognition.

And while she admitted last week she has begun asserting herself more

offensively, basically taking over when the Eagles’ offense struggles,

scoring is not the best part of her game.

Blessed with quickness, strength and a free-flowing knowledge of the

game that helps her anticipate passes, she is a defensive demon,

particularly with on-ball pressure in the Eagles’ full-court press.

When the Eagles have the ball, her court vision makes her a dangerous

passer. Her precision feeds have helped Gray and Xochitl Byfield become

consistent offense weapons. Many times, Wase makes opposing coaches pay

for pressing full court, circumventing all defenders by launching

length-of-the-court passes over them, which teammates convert into

layups.

Her dribbling skills frequently allow her to break down half-court

defenses. And, as she’s shown more lately, including five three-pointers

against Mesa, she can make defenders pay when they sag off on the

perimeter.

“When we played CdM last week, I felt like I had to take over the game

(offensively),” said Wase, who is much more at ease with a defender in

front of her than a note pad-toting reporter. “I found a way and it was

enough for us to pull that game out.”

With Wase at the controls, the Eagles (15-10, 8-1 in league) may pull

out a share of the school’s first Pacific Coast League crown since 1991.

The Eagles enter tonight’s regular-season finale against visiting

University needing a victory to join the Trojans atop the final PCL

standings.

Wase is also eager for redemption against Uni. In the Trojans’ 43-41

win Jan. 22, Wase sat the first 10:23 as penalty for having missed

practice the day before. She also spent time on the bench with foul

trouble and fouled out with 4:27 left. She still managed 11 points, eight steals, three rebounds and two assists.