Sydney Heyn (12) has played basketball all her life, and through her journey on varsity basketball, she has developed into a leading scorer, bringing her current average up to 15 points per game, and making her a vital player on the team. With her scoring prowess, she has progressed towards some milestones only the highest scoring players achieve.
Leading up to winter break, Heyn realized that she was very close to achieving the 1000-point mark in her Westview career. Before the game against Acalanes, Dec. 27, Heyn was 17 points away from 1000 points. She has been averaging 15 points per game this season, so it was possible for her to hit the mark on that day. However, she came up short, scoring eight points. Nevertheless, Heyn kept her head up and looked forward to the game against Cardinal Newman on Dec. 28, which would also be her birthday. The crowd was packed with many of her close friends and family which Heyn was very thankful for.
Midway through the game, Heyn drove to the basket, spun back, and hit a fade shot. Heyn became the ninth player in Westview history to score 1,000 Varsity points. Though she didn’t realize it at the moment, a timeout was called. During the timeout, she was commended with many cheers, hugs, and the announcer congratulated Heyn on the speaker.
“All my team was cheering for me,” Heyn said. “My coach was cheering for me. They were all standing up huddling around me and then the announcer went on the speaker and announced that I hit that shot.”
Even though they didn’t win the game, 72-39, Heyn and her teammates still celebrated her achievement with dinner and a small party for both her birthday and the achievement. She also had another achievement in the same game, as it was her 100th varsity game in her Westview career: she was the fourth player in Westview basketball history to do so.
Over these past four years, Heyn has been able to refine her scoring abilities, especially from the 3 point line. This allows her to score more points shooting at a high volume with efficiency. She is currently shooting 43 percent from 3-point range.
Her strategy for shooting so well has been creating contact with the defenders before the ball is in her hands to create space and allow her to get an open look. She also runs around a lot off the ball so the defender gets tired and begins to stop following her. Her team also runs many plays to make it easier for her and the other players to get shots, such as screens (a teammate blocking off a defender to create space) on and off the ball.
“It’s all about the work you do when you don’t have the ball,” Heyn said.
After developing a very consistent shot, she has also worked hard on her game on the ball, improving her handle in her Amateur Athletic Union Basketball (AAU) season and other important aspects of being a big guard. These skills she has improved upon have led her to get a few offers to progress and play basketball in college.
Heyn said that she is excited to experience the next level of basketball and continue her journey in the sport.
“My coaches are so supportive and my teammates are the best part,” Heyn said. “I’ve also been able to play with my sister and we have had two really good years playing together. I’m going to miss it for sure.”
