Under Hall of Fame coach Sue Phillips, Mitty beat anyone in its way to rise to No. 1 in the country. But there was no storybook finish for the Monarchs as they lost in the Open Division state title game.
The Archbishop Mitty girls basketball team soared to No. 1 in the national rankings in December after beating the previous top team, Long Island Lutheran, at a high-profile tournament in Arizona.
The Monarchs stayed No. 1 for two-plus months as Hall of Fame coach Sue Phillips led the San Jose private school to one blowout victory after another on its way to league, section and regional championships.
Phillips granted Bay Area News Group photographer Shae Hammond behind-the-scenes access to her team from February through the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division state championship game on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The access provided glimpses of the team’s workouts, games, Phillips’ locker-room talks and lighter moments away from the gymnasium. The season ended with a crushing loss to Etiwanda in the Open Division state final.
But the run to the title game was one heck of a ride, as Hammond’s photos illustrate.
Here are her photos:
Jordan Bowar plays basketball at teammate Caleigh Clarke’s house in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Mitty teammates play basketball outside laugh after practice at Clarke’s home in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Abi James and Jordan Bowar watch college basketball at teammate, Caleigh Clarke’s home in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Coach Sue Phillips rides a scooter in the locker room before the Archbishop Mitty girls basketball team plays against St. Ignatius in the Central Coast Section girls Open Division championship at Leavey Center at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty's Morgan Cheli (33) high fives a teammate while riding on the bus to the Central Coast Section girls Open Division championship at Leavey Center at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty's Jordan Bowar (3) and Archbishop Mitty's McKenna Woliczko (20) laugh before riding on the bus to the Central Coast Section girls Open Division championship at Leavey Center at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty's Tee Mccarthy (35) rests her head on the shoulder of Archbishop Mitty's Belle Bramer (23) after winning against Clovis West in the CIF NorCal Open Division championship at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Coach Sue Phillips talks to Archbishop Mitty’s girls basketball team after winning a game against Archbishop Riordan 86-28 at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty's McKenna Woliczko, center, sits next to Caleigh Clarke in the locker room before playing against St. Ignatius in the Central Coast Section girls Open Division championship at Leavey Center at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty's Jordan Bowar (3) and Archbishop Mitty's Niyati Bangalore(5) practice at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
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