“Katie is a strong leader of our team that makes everyone better. Her determination and dedication motivate the team to work harder. She knows how to rally us together and gives confidence to go perform.”
This is what sophomore Ella Wade had to say about her teammate Katie Thiers, a four-year varsity basketball player for Roosevelt and a two-year captain.
Thiers has been playing basketball for as long as she could remember. She stated two reasons as to why she loved the game and has dedicated so much of her time to it. First, she says “I just love the camaraderie. It’s a really good community.” She also mentioned her love of the adrenaline that comes with the sport, “there’s nothing that can compare to a 2 point game.”
Not only is Thiers an outstanding leader on the basketball court, having been voted captain as a junior last season, but she is also involved with the Roosevelt community in other areas. Thiers is an active member of Sportsboosters and is a spirit coordinator on ASR. There is no doubt that she will be leaving some big shoes to fill next year.
After high school, Thiers will continue her basketball career at Princeton, the 2019 Ivy League champions. When asked what she is most excited about, she says, “I’m excited just for the atmosphere, college basketball is another level.”
Thiers committed to Princeton this past summer after the Tigers record-breaking 26-0 season. When she was being recruited, Thiers said that Princeton “felt like the best of both worlds” in terms of their strength in academics and athletics.
In her past three years at Roosevelt, Thiers and the Girls’ Basketball Team have had a record of 39-36. One of her favorite moments was during her sophomore year when the Riders made it to the state tournament. Particularly their game against Peninsula which they won by just a few points. “It was a really close game,” says Thiers.
One piece of advice that Thiers would give to those looking to play sports in college is to “stay dedicated [and] work hard. You’re not always gonna wanna go out and do it but that’s what makes you better.”
While COVID has delayed their season, the girl’s team has been practicing on and off since the summer. At first, they played on outdoor courts, until Governor Jay Inslee said that basketball could be played indoors. All practices follow strict guidelines such as limited capacity and wearing masks for the duration of play.
The varsity girls basketball season started on April 19 along with all the other Season Two sports. The team won their first game against Lakeside, 46-42. Their season will consist of 8 games against Lincoln, Cleveland, Bishop Blanchet, Ballard, Rainier Beach, Seattle Prep, Ingraham, and Nathan Hale.
While fans will most likely not be able to support the Riders in person during the season, there will be a live stream of games that are available on the RHS Sports Schedule and Information page or the Roosevelt High School Athletics YouTube account to support the Riders. Follow their Instagram page @rhs_gbball to stay up to date on the team’s 2021 season.
