O-R Athlete of the Week: Olivia Woods, Washington
Name: Olivia Woods
School: Washington
Grade: Junior
Sport: Basketball
Woods’ week: There was some confusion on when it occurred, but there’s no doubt that Woods has reached her goal of 1,000 points for her career.
When it actually happened was during her final basket in a game Jan. 30 against Seton LaSalle, but because of a slight miscalculation it was thought that she had 999 points.
But after some checking it was confirmed that indeed that basket against the Rebels put her at the 1,000-point plateau.
She followed by finishing her season with a game-high 21 points in a loss to McGuffey last Monday and 23 more in a 63-30 win over Monessen in a nonsection game Saturday.
Regardless of how or when it happened, it was a big milestone for Woods.
“It’s always been my goal to hit it,” Woods said. “I’m surprised I got it in my junior year. That’s a big thing. A lot of players get 1,000 their senior year, so I’m happy about that.”
Woods was honored prior to Saturday’s game with Monessen. She’s the first Wash High girls player to hit 1,000 points since Carley Allen in 2019.
“I got a ball from my coach and we took a picture,” Woods said. “They had a whole bunch of balloons on the court.”
Hooper from the start: Basketball has pretty much been a part of Woods’ entire life. She said she started when she was in kindergarten, but played up on the third grade team as the point guard.
Her older brother Isaiah was a major influence. Isaiah graduated from Wash High last year and was on the boys basketball team.
“I always played up,” Woods said. “In fourth grade, I started practicing with my brother’s team a little bit. That kind of got me tough at an early age.”
Hoping for a big senior year: After winning a section title in her freshman and sophomore years, Woods was disappointed that the Prexies missed the postseason this year. She’s aiming for a return to the top in her final season.
“My goal is to over the summer help get my teammates to train more with our coach, Josh Wise,” Woods said. “I want us to be section champions again like we were my freshman and sophomore years. Another goal is to get to 1,500 points. I know I have to push myself to get there.”
Medical field: College is still over a year away for Woods, but she has an eye for the future. She’s planning to study in the medical field.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and right now I’m taking classes like AP Chemistry and Anatomy,” Woods said. “My mom is in the medical field, so I look up to her for that.”
Artist’s touch: Woods plays basketball pretty much year-round, including for a couple AAU teams, so she doesn’t have a ton of time for hobbies. But one thing she likes to do for relaxation is color drawings and listen to music.
“I’ll color anything really,” Woods said. “It’s something I like to do to get my mind off things.”
Compiled by Jerin Steele