DIVISION III HONORS: Chandler earns girls MVP award
Needles girls basketball coach Manuel Calderon knew well before the start of Senior Night against Lincoln County that Abby Chandler was geared up.
“From the moment the girls started getting dressed in the locker room, you could just see the fire in her eyes,” Calderon said. “She just wasn’t going to be denied.”
In a microcosm of her senior season, Chandler came well prepared, scoring 13 points to help the Mustangs grab a 34-33 overtime victory.
“She’s always had the willingness to compete in anything she does,” Calderon said. “Her thirst for wanting to do her best and for her teammates to do their best—just her overall leadership, that was her most progressive part.”
The 5-foot-8-inch point guard powered the Mustangs (18-8) to the Division III Southern League semifinal. Chandler averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds and three steals during the league season.
For her efforts, coaches named Chandler the league’s Most Valuable Player.
“For the guard position, she wasn’t afraid to mix it up and rebound,” Calderon said. “She’s very aggressive to the basket. It’s like having a third coach on the floor.”
Calderon said Chandler implemented her athleticism and intelligence on the court to pilot Needles on both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
“She wasn’t a natural point guard,” Calderon said. “But with her athletic ability and her ability to adjust to any situation, she was able to play that position for us.”
Chandler’s vocal leadership developed in her senior season and Calderon said she blossomed into a rock her teammates could rely upon.
“Abby was one of those girls starting at a very young age — she just took a leadership role,” Calderon said. “She’s a very great leader on the floor, off the floor and in school. She’s very inspirational to her teammates. She gives 110 percent with whatever she does.”
Chandler, who was the Class 2A Co-MVP in softball last season, is considering South Dakota and Montana for college.
Calvary Chapel’s Phallen Nelson, Chloe Hammond and Lianne Reyes were named to the league’s first team. They were joined by Lincoln County’s Kourtney Gloeckner, Mountain View’s Kiley Murphy and Lake Mead’s Taylor Badua-Kono.