The WACO Warriors are hoping that the momentum that they built at the end of the previous girls’ basketball season carries into this coming one.

WACO won seven of its final nine games last year to finish with a 13-10 record, but there will be a number of graduates to replace, including all-conference forward Emma Wagler, last season’s leading scorer and rebounder who averaged a double-double of over 12 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Among many new faces will also be one of last season’s breakout stars in Brenna Graber. The sophomore guard had an excellent debut season, recording better than nine-and-a-half points and 2.5 steals a game.

Senior forward Ella Huisenga is a returning starter for the Warriors who put up over seven points and 6.5 rebounds per contest and will be one of the team’s leaders. Head coach Lisa Graber tells KCII Sports that she hopes to instill the same level of commitment in her players that last season’s team had.

“They had given us a great example of how to work in the offseason,” Graber says, “so the group we have coming in this year, they [are] showing up and being consistent, and that has paid off for us, I think, in this last summer offseason and through the fall.”

WACO’s first game of a new girls’ basketball season will be November 26th at Wapello.