Coppell girls’ basketball to make its UIL state tournament debut

COPPELL, Texas — There’s a first time for everything.

The Coppell girls’ basketball team is making its UIL state tournament debut, an accomplishment almost unfathomable this time three years ago.

“Nobody knew who we were,” laughs senior Julianna LaMendola. “I can sure tell you, WFAA wasn’t coming to our practice.”

In 2019, Coppell hired Ryan Murphy to be head coach, his first head coaching gig in high school sports.

“I started with this senior class,” Murphy said. “We all started together.”

That same year, LaMendola entered Coppell High School as a freshman.

At the time, the program wasn’t in a great place.

“We were not a program that was very good,” Murphy admitted.

LaMendola added, “My freshman year, we probably had more people on the bench than in the stands.”

The Cowgirls saw steady growth from year one to two under Murphy.

Then last season in year three, Coppell broke out with a 37-2 record and a season that ended in the 6A regional quarterfinals to eventual state runner-up South Grand Prairie.

LaMendola went from zero collegiate offers to becoming a prized recruit in the country.

“After every one of these playoff games, you look out on the court and there’s a bunch of elementary school girls and middle school girls taking pictures with the varsity players,” Murphy explained.

Coppell’s success has inspired the next generation of Cowgirl basketball players.

“I had one girl come up to me and she said, ‘I want to play like you when I grow up,'” said senior Waverly Hassman. “That hit me so hard because I’ve never had someone say that to me.”

“It’s pretty awesome to inspire these little girls,” LaMendola said. “Freshman year, I didn’t think I’d be the girl to do that.”

LaMendola will play college ball at Indiana. Before she becomes a Hoosier, she hopes to become a state champion.

Coppell will face Northside Clark (San Antonio) in the 6A state semifinals on Friday, March 3 (7 p.m.) from the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“The whole community is coming,” Murphy smiled. “It’s been incredible what the girls have been able to build community-wide.”

From near-empty gyms to sell-out crowds, the Cowgirls are off to state.

And while it is their first rodeo, we’ve got a feeling it won’t be their last.