Senior Avery Archer takes a deep breath, lines up her shot, and swoosh! Another orange ball soars through the basket. It isn’t long before—whoosh! Another ball’s in the air and swish! It’s through the net. Bang! The next ball bounces off the rim of the basket. Unstirred, Avery picks up another ball and lines up her shot again. This is just another day of practice for Avery, who is known in the team for her unmatched work ethic. After years on the court and hundreds of thousands of practice shots, senior Avery Archer has recently signed with St. Mary’s to play women’s basketball in the upcoming 2026-2027 season.

“I first realized that basketball was becoming more than just a fun sport for me in my eighth-grade year,” Avery said. “I met with this really great coach—who is actually still my coach now—and she made me fall in love with the game even more. She was always there for me, and it made me push to be a better player and person overall.”

Throughout their time working together, girls’ basketball coach Treasure Jackson has watched Avery grow exponentially as a player and a leader.

“I would say what sets Avery apart from other athletes I’ve coached is her work ethic,” Jackson said. “She’s always in the gym, and she’s always wanting to get up extra shots. She’s putting up about a thousand extra shots a week, which is incredible for a high school athlete.”

Avery has been on the varsity team all four years of high school and lettered in the sport.

“Being a four-year varsity athlete at Bryan High feels really good,” Avery said. “I don’t really think about it too much, but when I’m reminded, it makes me happy, and it makes me smile. I know I’ve made my family proud.”

Jackson said that seeing Avery consistently show up and work hard, even when she doesn’t want to, has had an impact on the younger players.

“I think the program’s most going to miss Avery being that physical leader; the lead-by-example person,” Jackson said. “She’s always doing the right thing. She makes the right grades, she’s always doing the right thing on the floor, and she knows what’s going on.”

Teammate junior Mikayia Marshall said that Avery always reaches out to her teammates after a game, picking them up when they are down and bringing the energy.

“She’s just a good leader,” Mikayia said. “She always hypes us up when we’re low.”

Mikayia said Avery’s leadership extends beyond words, showing through her effort and persistence on the court.

“By watching Avery play, younger players can learn that even if you’re having a bad game, don’t give up,” Mikayia said. “Just keep going, keep shooting. Do what you need to do.”

Avery said that many of the returning players have been on the team for a year or more, which gives them a special bond, and that their friendships off the court help coordination on the court.

“I would say every single teammate I’ve had in high school,” Avery said. “Whether they graduated or are still here, they’ve all had a huge impact on me. They show up to practice with me every day, they’ve seen me at my worst and my best, and they never complain.”

Jackson said that Avery’s coachability will help her succeed at a college level.

“You could tell the kid anything that you want her to do, and she’s going to go out there and try her best to do it,” Jackson said. “Her freshman year, coming into Bryan High, I made her learn to shoot with her left hand. She just said, ‘I got you, coach,’ and went out there and started practicing shooting shots with her left hand. I think that’s definitely going to be the number one thing that embodies what she is going to college—how coachable she is.”

Avery said the recruiting process was a little stressful at first, but as soon as she visited St. Mary’s, it felt like home, and the stress eased.

“The coaches, the team, even the professors I met—it just felt right,” Avery said. “The conversations over the phone with all three coaches I talked to at St. Mary’s also felt welcoming. I knew it was the place I’d want to be.”

Jackson said that the coaches are one of the key factors that make St. Mary’s a great fit for Avery.

“They’re really cool and really care about their athletes,” Jackson said. “I’ve contacted them, back and forth, and they’re always asking about Avery’s games. They’re always following all of our scores and her stats and stuff, so they really care about her, and they kind of coach like I do. They’re young, and they’re cool, and they’re fun, so I think that’s going to be a great opportunity for her to just step into.”

Avery said that, despite how basketball has pushed her, it has made her a better person and leader overall.

“Some of the toughest challenges I’ve faced over these four years have probably been the early mornings and late nights of constantly being in the gym putting up about a thousand shots a week,” Avery said. “It can get really hard and tiring, but it was all worth it in the end.”

     Along with the physical demands of the sport, Avery said basketball has shaped her mental approach.

     “Before every single game, I pray,” Avery said. “That eases my brain during the game. When it’s getting hard, I take a deep breath, and it calms me down. Or my coach will talk to me and get me out of my head when I’m doing bad or having a bad mental.”

Avery said that her coach has had the biggest impact on her basketball journey.

“She has been there for me literally since middle school,” Avery said. “She’s grown me a lot as a player on and off the court. I would also say my family. My parents are always taking me places and traveling all over the world to get me seen by colleges. It makes me happy to know I have the support system I need.”

Avery hopes that younger players learn from watching her that even if they have a bad shooting game, they can still contribute on the court.

“If your shot is off, you can still go to the basket and score,” Avery said. “You can get rebounds, play really good defense, and even if everything is off, just be a really good teammate. Cheer your team on even when you’re down, because you don’t want to bring them down with you.”

Avery said that, even though it will be hard, one of the things she’s most looking forward to in college is the possibility of making it to the NCAA Championship Game.

“The moment I officially signed felt amazing,” Avery said. “It made me really happy to see that after everything that has happened in my career—with injuries and hard mental battles—it really does pay off. It showed me you shouldn’t ever give up when hard things happen to you.”