Crouch’s Work Ethic, Constant Drive Leads Lady Bees In Undefeated Start

Story by Kailee Means

Upperman Junior Brooklyn Crouch has been a key cog to the Lady Bees’ system for the last two-plus seasons, and her command of the offense is a major reason why the team is 14-0.

This success is nothing new for her. Crouch made the All-State team her freshman year, has been a starter for the past three years and was awarded the District Defensive Player of the Year Award last year. If you ask Head Coach Dana McWilliams, she’ll tell you that Crouch’s consistent work ethic and constant improvement go hand-in-hand in her development.

“One thing Brooklyn doesn’t do is worry about the past,” McWilliams said. “She just tries to make her game better and better, and I think her offensive game is way better this year.”

One thing that McWilliams and Crouch have been working on for the past two years is how she runs the team, as that is the main responsibility of the lead guard.

“She is a great athlete and a great basketball player, but we want to make her a great point guard,” McWilliams said. “We are doing some things about thinking the game a little bit better, putting your team in the right position and taking charge out there.”

While sometimes it may seem like McWilliams is tough on Crouch, it is because of the bond they have and the amount of trust between the two.

“My point guard is always the person that I am the hardest on, but that is the person that I usually trust the most out there,” McWilliams said. “It is not about challenging her because she just soaks up all the information that you can give her.” 

When it comes to Crouch and her team, chemistry and positivity are what they’ve built their success on.

“They are always keeping my head up, and I try to do the same with them,” Crouch said. “That keeps my energy positive.”

If you ask anyone around the program, the ending of the 2019-20 season left a lot of unfinished business on the table for the Lady Bees, and Crouch says their biggest goal is to make it back to Murfreesboro.

“Since we got cut short last year at the State Tournament, that’s our main motivation,” Crouch said. “(We want to) make it back to where we were and finish even better.”