Alexis Worrell, a senior guard for the Cascades women’s basketball team, has been a key leader both on and off the court. Alongside best friend Victoria Jacobse, the Doja Cat to Worrells’ Saweetie, the dynamic divas played their last home game together on Feb. 19, and leave behind the legacy of a championship-contending team bonded together by friendship, emotional support, and pure skill.
How does your team strategize when opposing teams go on scoring runs, to bounce back, dig in, and come up with the win?
I think it’s been a theme for us to take things play-by-play.
We saw that against UVic last weekend when we were down by 17 [points]. Early on in the season, we would have tried to get back right away and would have kind of gone into this scary panic mode. I think we’ve learned as a team we have to and can chip away, taking it one play and one possession at a time.
That’s a good mindset going into playoffs and playing against teams from the other divisions who are higher seeds like you. Are there other strategies that you and the team can think of and work on to prepare more?
I think that just the idea of focusing on us has been super important for our team. We obviously scout out the other team intensely throughout the week, but then when it comes to game day, we’re more worried about how we get better and what we can do.
And I think that’s going to be the same thing in the playoffs. We got to worry about us and if everybody brings their 100 per cent, not the other team.
Speaking of “us,” this is the last home game of the season with Victoria [Jacobse] whom you’ve been playing with since the beginning of your varsity career, and you have a close bond with that shows both on and off the court. What emotions are you feeling when you realize this?
I mean, we’ve been through everything together, the ups and the downs. We came in together in our first year, and we were pretty close right off the bat. I think we’ve just always had each other’s backs throughout our entire careers. It’s pretty emotional thinking about everything we’ve been through together. I’m extremely grateful to have her in my life, and so proud of it and the player that she’s turned into.
With your experience as teammates and team leaders, what do you take away from knowing that your legacy is forming such a close team and seeing where that bond and strength has taken you to where the team is now?
I think it’s awesome. I mean, we’ve had some really good leaders before us and they showed us the way – how we need to act and what we need to do.
I think that Vic and I also just kind of have that mindset. We know what people need to hear and when they need to hear it. For every team I’ve ever played on, this is as close to family as you’re going to get. You know that no matter who is on the court, everybody has your back and everybody’s supporting you in every way.
For our team, we’re not necessarily the quickest or the most athletic or the tallest or whatever it is, but I think we make up for it because everyone is playing for each other rather than for themselves.
I know that you were born in Costa Rica; how did you find that has helped you with teaching the other students who come from other countries and who are making UFV a new home? Looking back, what advice would you give to a nervous first-year coming on to the team?
The main thing is trust, I think; trust in the system and the people around you. I think the biggest thing when you come in is you start questioning, “am I even supposed to be here?” Coach Al has always done a really good job of reminding the team, “there are 13 of you and there are 13 of you here for a reason. I picked every single one of you to be here.”
And I think just understanding that and leaning on everybody as a support system. Once a week, we have alumni and former players that come and help us at practice. Just having so many people to support you was such a big thing for first-year me. So, I would say to any first-years, always lean on and trust the support.
Since you are graduating this year, what are your goals, aspirations, or ideas for life on the outside?
Honestly, that is a great question. I don’t fully know what I want to do yet. As a varsity athlete, you spend so much time [in the sport], like our entire summer is taken up and the entire [academic] year. That’s something that’s been going on since club basketball in high school.
So, I’m looking forward to a summer where I’m actually taking a step back and taking a break and enjoying a little bit of time for myself and figuring out what the future holds.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Image: Gibi Sainz / UFV Athletics
Teryn Midzain is an English Major with ambitious goals to write movies and a full-time nerd, whose personality and eccentrics run on high-octane like the cars he loves. More importantly, Teryn loves sports [Formula One], and doesn’t care who knows. When not creating and running deadly schemes in his D&D sessions, Teryn tries to reach the core of what makes the romantic and dramatic World of Sports, the characters and people that make the events so spectacular.