Stepping onto the court as a freshman, Quinn Maldonado ‘28 has quickly made a name for herself as a powerful player. Maldonado is a new member of the women’s basketball team and has already begun to receive recognition for the talent she brings to the court by her teammates and others.
“Quinn really brings hard work and a lot of passion for basketball,” said Varsity Women’s Basketball captain Hannah Behringer ‘25. “She really cares about the game and I think that we should be inspired by her love for basketball.”
With a 6-7 season, the team has already surpassed the number of wins achieved from last season. Additionally, they won two conference games. In the past two years, they hadn’t won any.
“I knew that we had a lot of good kids coming into the program before the season started,” said Women’s Varsity Head Coach Taylor Parker. “I knew automatically that we were going to improve this year and have more talent on the team, and so far, that’s been proven true.”
Maldonado’s dedication to the sport and her team has made her a key player. She sets the tone with her work ethic and pushes herself, as well as her teammates, to work hard.
“Quinn wants herself and the people around her to improve,” said Parker. “She wants the team to be able to eventually have a winning record and play in the postseason.”
The determination Maldonado has as a player is a characteristic that her coach recognizes as a key trait in skilled athletes.
“While coaching Quinn, I learn something new about myself and about her as the season goes on,” said Parker. “Something about Quinn is that she hates to lose more than she loves to win which is something that I felt as a player.”
This competitive spirit is something that Maldonado has felt since she was young, whether she was playing soccer, basketball, or any other sport.
“What got me into basketball was my love to win,” Maldonado said. “I always say it might not have been basketball in another life, but I’ve always loved to win.”
Maldonado has been playing basketball for over seven years. Currently, she is part of the Amateur Athletic Union or AAU Basketball team, in addition to the Greenhills Varsity team.
“On my club team, my focus is to improve,” said Maldonado. “I’m always chasing the top girls in my club. I’m chasing them in sprints, literally, and I’m trying to be as good as them in drills. I watch their games and I just try to copy them. I always notice how hard they work outside of practice and I try to internalize that.”
The emphasis on fun while playing for the Greenhills team was a surprise to Maldonado. She quickly adapted to the differences between the dynamics of her AAU club team and the Greenhills team.
“Going into the season, I had expected that everyone on the team was gonna be super serious, super focused on basketball and we would take things super seriously,” said Maldonado. “But as the season went on, I’ve noticed that we do a lot better when we have fun with each other.”
Behringer agrees that although they do work hard at games and practice, the team also tries to balance fun on the court.
“I think that we are a better team with her,” said Behringer. “And I think that we can grow with her just like she can grow with us.”
Even the best athletes often still have more to learn, whether it’s from their coach or even their teammates.
“I used to be super strict about my pre-game rituals,” said Maldonado. “I didn’t have any fun, I didn’t listen to music, and I didn’t hang out with anyone before games. I was super stoic. But if I hang out with my teammates before and we’re laughing, or just joking and watching reels on the bus, then I definitely feel calmer and I can do better in the game.”
Success is never overnight. One must dedicate time and effort into any activity if they wish to improve, which is something Maldonado does consistently with her basketball training.
“I spend an hour on my own every day playing basketball and then we have two hours of practice after school,” said Maldonado. “And then I go home and lift on my own for an hour, stretch for 30 minutes every day, and then I wake up and do it again.”
Maldonado was named one of the Top Ann Arbor-area girls basketball players to watch for 2024-25 season as well as MLive Athlete of the Week the week of Jan. 20. She plans to continue to improve as a player and teammate.
“My goal for every season is to add to the placard on the wall in the gym,” said Maldonado. “This year I would like to be even with our wins and losses and focus on having fun.”
