The Clinton Lady Dark Horses are coming fresh off a state championship win this past season, a title that rising senior Alex Canady played a large role in obtaining. She is preparing to lead the Horses this year in a hopeful repeat.
Canady played well in last year’s 2A state championship game and all of last season leading up to that title, putting up big numbers all year alongside senior leader Mikayla Boykin. She ended the game with 15 points, four rebounds and a steal to help her team end the year with a title.
It wasn’t just in the title game were she played well, but her entire career for the Horses. Over 32 games with the Horses, Canady has averaged 18.4 points per game, to go with 2.3 assists, 6 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 0.3 blocks, numbers she seeks to maintain going into the upcoming season as she will be one of the team’s leaders.
Canady has already won numerous awards as well including Athlete of the Week, Most Outstanding Player, All-Region, All-District, All-County and All-Conference, and hit the 1,000-point benchmark.
With impressive numbers in her sophomore and junior seasons, the keys to the Horses point guard/shooting guard hybrid’s success for playing at such a level are simple.
“You just really need to practice. I practice really every week and I’m constantly trying to develop my skills,” said Canady. “Also, you need to play against better higher level players as much as possible, but in the end it’s always about practicing and putting in the work.”
When any team wins a title an unavoidable target is placed on that teams back as everyone will be gunning for that team the following season. With Canady leading the team this season a huge responsibility is placed on her shoulders, something she’s well aware of and already prepared for.
“I’ll just have to take charge because this will be my team this year,”remarked Canady. “The main thing we’ll have to focus on this year is ,Playing Together, we can’t be playing as individual players but as a team.” “Just as importantly we can’t let the fact that we won the championship go to our heads and make us play cocky, we also can’t let what anyone says about us get to our heads it’s all about trusting ourselves and playing together.”
Schools such as Campbell, ECU and Methodist are among those who have showed interest in recruiting her, though she’s keeping her options open as far as her college basketball destination. Her educational dream is pretty set in stone.
“I have no clue where I want to go yet, but I do know that I want to get my nursing degree and work in the ER,” said Canady.
