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:
Archbishop Mitty’s Belle Bramer works out in the school’s weight room in San Jose on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. A chain is used to add extra weight. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty’s Jordan Bowar, Caleigh Clarke, and Abi James laugh while hanging out after practice at Clarke’s home in San Jose on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
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)
Archbishop Mitty’s girls basketball players watch a video of their next opponent at the school in San Jose on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty coach Sue Phillips talks to the team during a NorCal Open Division semifinal game against visiting Folsom on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Morgan Cheli (33) and Belle Bramer (23) hold up the first-place plaque after defeating visiting Clovis West in the CIF NorCal Open Division final on Tuesday, March 5, 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 girls basketball team stands for the national anthem on Feb. 19, 2024, in the school’s gym, which has numerous championship banners hanging from the rafters. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty’s McKenna Woliczko listens in on a team huddle during the CIF NorCal Open Division championship at the school’s gym in San Jose on Tuesday, March 5, 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)
Archbishop Mitty’s McKenna Woliczko, center, stretches while an athletic trainer wraps a teammate’s foot before the Monarchs played Etiwanda in the CIF Open Division state championship game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty’s Belle Bramer (23) yells with emotion against Etiwanda during the CIF Open Division state championship game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty’s Belle Bramer, middle, fights for the ball against Etiwanda’s Grace Knox (23) during the first half of the CIF Open Division state championship at Golden 1 Center Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty’s Morgan Cheli (33) drives to the basket against Etiwanda’s Aliyahna Morris (25) during the first half of the CIF Open Division state championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty’s McKenna Woliczko (20) yells with emotion against Etiwanda during the second half of the CIF Open Division state championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Mitty’s Tee McCarthy (35), left, and Emma Cook, right, get emotional after losing to Etiwanda in the CIF Open Division state championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
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