The class of 2023 went through some challenges in their high school careers. In addition to distance learning in 2020, this year’s senior class of student athletes had most of their sophomore seasons taken away from them by the pandemic. During their junior seasons, they competed while wearing masks.
The seniors on the state champion Oakland Tech Lady Bulldogs basketball team dealt with all of that, yet never lost a single playoff game in their high school careers. In their first year, the pandemic denied them the chance to play in the state title game after they won the NorCal championship. When sports fully resumed in their junior year, they won that state title. In their senior season, they won another state championship, the fifth state championship win by a Tech girls team.
At the recent City of Champions parade organized by the City, Oakland Voices asked the Oakland Tech seniors about why they chose to attend Oakland Tech. We also asked what, other than winning a state championship, they were most proud of about their time as a Bulldog. (Read our interviews with the Oakland High boys basketball team seniors).
Jada Williams, Oakland Tech Guard
Why Jada chose Tech:
“I’ve been playing with Coach Leroy since the third grade. Coach Leroy was really one of the biggest reasons I went to Tech. My parents went to a private school and their school got shut down. They went to St. Elizabeth, so I couldn’t go there.”
What Jada is most proud of:
“What I’m most proud of is my work ethic. Before I came to Tech, I just played basketball, but coming here seeing that there’s people faster than you, there’s always people stronger than you, you have to work harder. It just made me more confident enough to go against people who are older than me and stronger than me. I’m just very proud of how I overcame most obstacles. At the beginning of the year, I really didn’t play that much. I wanted to quit, but I just kept pushing and going through the process, and I’m here where I am now.”
Nia Hunter, Oakland Tech Guard
Why Nia chose Tech:
“My sister went there, and also the coach at Tech coached my AAU team, and I wanted to play for him.”
What Nia is most proud of:
“Honestly, my girls. Making history with my girls is everything to me. Amazing moment, very memorable.”
Jala Williams, Oakland Tech Guard
Why Jala chose Tech:
“I chose Oakland Tech because academic-wise, and for sports, they were good, and my coach here has been coaching me since the fifth grade.”
What Jala is most proud of:
“Being able to build a bond with the seniors and the freshman, and being able to play with them and just have this experience.”
Mari Somvichian, Oakland Tech Guard
Why Mari chose Tech:
“In 8th grade, there were a lot of options for me, I could have gone to a private school, I could have gone to one of those big powerhouses, but I chose to stay local, and go a couple of blocks to the left to my local public school, and I think I made the right decision. I would never do it another way. If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same exact thing.”
What Mari is most proud of:
“I’m most proud of the fact that we represented ourselves in a good way on and off the court. In four years, none of us were ever ineligible. In four years, we never got into a fight. We never argued with our teammates. We have had some disagreements, but it never got blown up into something bigger. I think the main thing is, yes we won, but the culture was a winning culture as well.”
Erin Sellers, Oakland Tech Guard
Why Erin chose Tech:
“Because of the people that were going there with me. I grew up with a group of girls that I used to play against in AAU, so I had the opportunity to play with them and we had a great outcome.”
What Erin is most proud of:
“The mark that I made, the name that I made for myself. I feel like I couldn’t have written a better story.”
Sophia Askew-Goncalves, Oakland Tech Forward
Why Sophia chose Tech:
“Well, out of all the Oakland public schools, it’s the best one. If you’re gonna go to an Oakland public school, why not go to the best one?”
What Sophia is most proud of:
“I’m most proud of my progress. Coming in as a freshman, I wasn’t very good and I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders ’cause I had to pick up the slack from Steph (Stephanie Okowi) leaving ’cause she graduated. It put a lot of pressure on my shoulders to get better, but I was able to get better, and be the leader and the post-player that my team needed me to be.”
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This is the first in a two-part series on the graduating seniors of Oakland’s state champion basketball teams. Part two will feature the boys of the Oakland High Wildcats.
Tony Daquipa is a dad, essential bureaucrat, photographer, urban cyclist, union thug, wannabe stonemason, karaoke diva, grumpy old man, storyteller, and preserver of history.
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