By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Jordan Rudd always has been a playmaker. But this season her leadership has elevated her team to new heights.
The junior point guard has taken her game up another notch, leading the Lady Chargers in most statistics, and she has her team headed to the postseason once more. Rudd has shown leadership qualities since she arrived as a freshman, but this season the team seems to be heading in a better direction because of her guidance.
“I think she has always asserted confidence and leadership,” Brownsville Veterans coach Valentin Paz said. “This year she’s come out and set the pace with her play.”
Rudd agreed. She said she has matured as a player and in turn become a better leader for her squad, but they make it easy.
“I’ve tried not to get frustrated and show my team my emotions,” Rudd said. “They’re easy to lead, they’re all on the same page. They don’t have that me, me, me mentality. They’re all great and all do what they can to help us win.”
One of the best examples of her leadership was earlier this season against state-ranked Harlingen High. Rudd gave everything she had on the court, playing through back spasms that were treated by an athletic trainer during every timeout. She led her team in scoring, but the Lady Chargers fell just short in overtime. The team never gave up because of Rudd’s dedication.
Rudd felt that last season she was frustrated if she didn’t play up to her own high expectations. This season she is having more fun.
“I matured basketball-wise. I’m not going to have a perfect game, no one is, I finally got that through my thick skull,” she said. “I’m my hardest critic. I think that’s what happened last year, I pushed my expectations way too high and I got frustrated if I didn’t meet them. This year I’m going with the flow and letting my game come to me.
“I think my confidence level (is higher). I feel more comfortable.”
Rudd has averaged 15.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 steals, and (a Valley-leading) 4.7 assists per game this season.
Those numbers didn’t improve overnight. Rudd worked hard in the offseason to raise each part of her game.
“During the summer I knew what I needed to work on,” she said. “I challenged myself to become that complete player. I really worked on different aspects of my game.”
Rudd went to several basketball camps during the summer to help her improve her skills. But Paz thinks Rudd needs a different kind of motivation to improve even further.
“You have to train to beat yourself, to improve yourself,” he said of a similar training style that some of the top NBA players use. “Whatever you’ve done is done. There is still a lot of room for her to grow.”
Rudd has led Brownsville Veterans to second place in the District 32-6A standings behind Harlingen High, which gave the Lady Chargers their only district loss. The junior has helped her team earn a spot in the postseason, but she wants something more, a district title. And that opportunity is right around the corner, as the rematch with the Lady Cardinals is scheduled for Tuesday.
The Lady Chargers’ coach said his team follows Rudd’s direction on both sides of the ball.
“I’ve told her to be assertive. On defense and on offense, you set the tone for us,” Paz said. “If you’re aggressive, everyone follows suit. Her assertiveness to take over is why the girls follow her.”
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.