Have fun and play basketball.

That is Deanna Brant’s motto for the season.

Brant is stepping up to role of girls’ basketball head coach this year.

After a few years of coaching middle school girls’ basketball, Brant takes on the task of the varsity girls’ team.

Brant is perfect for the job since she grew up playing basketball on Lopez until her senior year of high school when she played for Cleveland High School in Seattle.

The life lessons she wants the girls to walk away with this year are “Teamwork, commitment, determination, patience, how to set and achieve goals, how to both win and lose with grace and humility,” she said.

Last year, the Lobos ended the season with a strong finish of 9 wins and 10 losses. Those wins were not an easy task to accomplish with a small team, but the girls were determined to play well.

“They played with a very small group of girls, often finishing games with less than five players on the court,” said Brant. “They played hard and had a good season.”

This year’s team has a mix of ages. The lineup features seniors Bree Swanson and Riley Magnuson, juniors Emalie Hobi and Sophie Burton, freshmen Jana Gruenwald and Anah-Kate Drahn and eighth-grader Zoe Reinmuth.

Brant is confident that this year’s team will be dedicated to the sport, but she also hopes they can enjoy themselves.

“Our numbers are small, but the Lady Lobos are strong basketball players,” said Brant. “They work hard and play as a team and they have a lot of fun in the process.”