By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Jordan Rudd continued to shine on the court this season.
The senior point guard led the Lady Chargers to a school-record 30 wins, a District 32-5A title (which included an unbeaten 14-0 record) and once again to the area round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
And for the second straight year, Rudd has been named The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro MVP.
“It feels great, I’m really excited and I feel accomplished,” she said. “It makes me happy and blessed that all my hard work and dedication has paid off and working out for me.”
The senior point guard averaged 18.8 points, 7.6 assists, 7.1 steals, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game as she continued to equal or raise every statistic in her already impressive all-around game. Rudd finished her career with 1,768 points scored, 825 rebounds, 542 assists, 233 blocks and 585 steals to help the Lady Chargers win 109 games, including four playoff games in four years.
Brownsville Veterans coach Valentin Paz told Rudd in an email before the season about what she has meant to the program, including things he remembered and plays that she had made that stood out over the past three years. The one aspect that ranked highest was what she did for her teammates.
“I just read a quote from Bill Russell: ‘It wasn’t about stats, it was about making my teammates better,’” Paz said. “That’s what I told her, you’re legacy is set, you have to let it set up for the rest of program. The way you elevate your teammates and the younger kids, that’s what is going to keep us going in the future. I challenged her to do that and she has.”
The team’s success this season stemmed from a great mix of veteran and younger players, each knowing the role they needed to play.
“This squad was one of the best I’ve played on,” Rudd said. “Everyone worked together really well and that showed on the court and in our success. We all learn from each other, we respect each other that helps. There’s no selfishness or jealously and it showed.”
Rudd mixed well with District 32-5A and All-Metro Newcomer of the Year, Lizzie Garza, who was in the starting lineup from the beginning of the season. That confidence showed and Garza continued to improve throughout the season.
It was a similar experience Rudd had as a freshman playing with a senior-laden team. And each year Rudd experienced a dynamic mix of older and younger players that always found a way to work together and find success. In the end, it seemed as though the point guard was the catalyst in getting her teammates to play at such a high level.
“Jordan is the straw that stirs the drink,” Paz said. “Are we going to miss her? Definitely. She’s laid down the foundation for the program. We’re not here to be good, we’re here to be great and she’s set that bar high.”
Rudd’s focus now moves to the next level and deciding where she wants to continue her basketball career.
Even with a strong work ethic through and through, Rudd isn’t the player she wants to be just yet. But the drive to be will always push her to be, if that’s attainable in her own mind.
“I’m never going to be satisfied with anything I do,” she said. “Throughout the years I’ve dedicating my game to reaching all aspects of it and trying to get each statistic better and better. Being an all-around player has always been my goal and I’m never going stop trying to reach that goal.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.