Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
DHS alumna Abbott expects expanded role next season
Whitman College senior Sydney Abbott (No. 12) goes for a rebound against George Fox University. Abbott and the Blues won the Northwest Conference title this year before falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
WALLA WALLA-The Whitman College Blues' women's basketball team isn't a stranger to the Division III NCAA Tournament, but for Whitworth transfer and Davenport High School Class of 2018 graduate Sydney Abbott, making the postseason accomplished a goal that had been halted due to COVID-19 cancellations.
Abbott transferred to Whitman for the 2020-21 season as a junior, but the postseason was cancelled.
This year, the team lost one game in the regular season before an undefeated run through conference play secured WC's spot in the NCAA Tournament behind the strong play of All-American fifth-year senior Kaylie McCracken, who averaged 17.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
"We had an older upperclassman group that led to us being undefeated in conference," Abbott said. "We set goals before the season that we wanted to make it to the Tournament...we wanted to do big things."
Abbott, for her part, was second on the team in assists and had the most steals. Her proudest accomplishment was the teams' Northwest Conference title, clinched with a 76-57 win over Pacific (Oregon) Feb. 26. Abbott had a season-high 23 points in that game on 8-of-12 shooting.
"This was my first time making it to the conference tournament, so it was really fun playing teams for the third time," Abbott said. "It was just a different level of competitiveness."
WC advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament with a first-round victory over Whittier before falling to Trinity (Texas) in the second round.
McCracken and the rest of the super senior class will graduate, so Abbott expects an enhanced role heading into her final season next year as a fifth-year.
"We also have a lot of players off the bench that will be really good," Abbott said. "Hopefully we can make it to the conference championship again."
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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