Despite many athletes’ decisions to not play girl’s basketball this season due to COVID-19 concerns, head coach Kylance Malveaux has assembled a full team that is 3-2, with eight more games to play.

The Diamond Bar High School team started outdoor workouts in November. Just a few weeks ago, the Lady Brahmas were able to go back into the gym, with certain restrictions.

“I allow the girls to take more frequent water breaks due to the masks restricting their breathing when running.  We understand the necessity to wear masks to prevent the risk of exposure to the virus,” Malveaux said via email.

In addition, each player and staff must take a weekly Covid test that yields a negative result in order to practice or play for that week. The players are required to be seated six feet  apart with masks on while on the sideline; once they enter the game they have the option to remove their masks.  However, it is not uncommon for a few players to still wear their masks while competing. 

The team practices every weekday for two hours. Because the team now consists of just 12 girls, some players who were previously on JV were moved to varsity to fill an empty position.

“We started practicing about three weeks ago and we are all just very thankful to be back. As of now we are just using games as a learning resource to prepare us for league,” sophomore Avril Ho said via Instagram.

On April 6, the girls had their first game in over a year against Valencia High School, losing 54-48. Senior Shanise Ho scored an impressive 16 points in the game. 

“I thought team chemistry was definitely there, and I was impressed with the communication we had on defense and offense,” senior Chelsea Wu said. 

She said that the team is still figuring out their “identity,” but overall, she is proud of the energy and intensity that they brought to Valencia.

The Lady Brahmas brought home their first victory on April 14 against Fullerton with a dominating 43-17 win. Ho, the highest scorer that day, got 13 points and junior Gizelle Lien brought down 12 rebounds.

They won again on April 21 with a close 38-37 against Hacienda Heights. The team played well together in the first half but then fell off in the second half, barely taking the win by 1 point as Wu was able to play an excellent defense.

On April 23, the team had their most dominant game yet with a 53-14 win against South Hills High School. Morgan Seshiki and Kailey Taing scored the majority of the points in this game.

“We have only been practicing for a few weeks, and the league begins soon. I am excited and optimistic to bring home many wins this season, which will encourage our younger players and give us seniors a memorable final season,” Wu said.’

The Lady Brahmas will play their sixth game of the season, a conference game, against Walnut High School today.