BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Anna Marshall spent her summer traversing Texas as a member of the Celtics and Thunder. The circumstances were anything but glamorous, however. Her teammates weren’t Marcus Smart or Kevin Durant and she never squared off against James Harden or Tony Parker.
Instead of living an NBA dream, Marshall was part of a traveling youth league comprised of like-minded teens with a knack for hoops and the will to improve their game.
“It was just a chance to get better,” Marshall said.
The vibe during tournament games was loose and the atmosphere genial, but it was during this time that Marshall experienced what she seldom did her freshman year as a member of the Sharyland High varsity girls basketball team — playing time.
The 6-foot-1 Marshall spent much of last year on the sidelines, learning the game from the bench. As a member of the off-brand Celtics, however, she added to her hardwood repertoire in a more direct manner.
“The first game I played (in summer league), I was a starter,” Masrhall said. “I thought it was weird. But I thought, ‘I gotta do this, I gotta do good.’ And so I did, and I was a lot better than I thought I was.”
Her confidence grew along with her time on the court. Once intimidated at the prospect of competition, Marshall grew comfortable in her role as a go-to post threat and discovered her preferred play.
“My favorite post move is going left and hooking (the ball) with my right,” she said.
Another area of growth for Marshall has been her free throws. The sophomore says the charity stripe is where she gets most of her points, a reasonable claim given her disruptive presence inside.
“She’s gotten so much better so fast,” Sharyland coach Dale Whitaker said. “Her confidence level has really peaked.”
As many skills as Marshall has learned in such a short time, she possesses what is perhaps the game’s greatest uncoachable asset: size.
In a region brimming with exceptional guard play, Marshall’s height gives the Lady Rattlers an inside force few opponents possess or have the ability to guard. Marshall leads Sharyland in points per game with 10.1, in addition to 6 rebounds.
“One team held both of Anna’s arms behind her,” Whitaker said while demonstrating a pose similar to that of an arrested fugitive. “She needs to expect that teams are scheming for her. It’s a compliment that they think she’s that good that they have to plan their game around it.”
In addition to Marshall, the Lady Rattlers have a one-two post threat with junior Maddie Garza, who averages 10 points and 9 rebounds. The duo’s relationship is productive both on and off the court. Marshall says Garza “taught her a lot” during her freshman campaign.
“She still gives me a lot of advice on how to respond in a certain situation” Marshall said. “She’s helped me with my defense a lot.”
Marshall claims she still struggles with fouling, and apologizes to an opponent after making contact.
“I don’t do it on purpose,” she said.
Along with her increased playing time comes loftier expectations which are not always met. Though Marshall’s physical abilities have grown, her mental edge softens at times during a game.
“She takes everything real personal,” Whitaker said. “And if she’s not playing well, you can see it on her face and she kind of shuts down. We as a group have been telling her to let the mistakes go and just play hard, because when she plays hard, she does fabulous things.”
Despite the Lady Rattlers’ size advantage, the team has stumbled to begin District 31-5A play, dropping three straight to Edinburg Vela, Mission Veterans and Roma. The team’s record is 15-11, 2-3 in district. For a team with talent, why have the wins been so hard to come by?
“I’m not sure,” Marshall said. “We practice well and practice hard. Sometimes we start off a certain way and we can’t keep the energy up. But, when you lose, you think about what you need to work on, it’s teaching us to fix all the mistakes.”
One thing’s for certain, Sharyland’s quest for the postseason hinges on Marshall playing like she did in the offseason: care-free with confidence and charisma.