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Davis aims to be the next big thing SCHEDULE

March 28, 2009 1:17 am

BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

When Marquel Davis was 7 years old, she told her mother she wanted to play in the WNBA.

The lofty goal wasn't exactly a surprise to Renee Davis. When Marquel played in the Catholic Youth Organization in Washington, she was always the top player on her team.

But even though Renee Davis never doubted, it was just this year that she realized that her daughter's potential to reach the highest level is real.

The Stafford High School junior point guard guided the Indians to Commonwealth District regular-season and tournament titles. She was named the district's co-player of the year after she became the first player in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone as a junior.

Davis orally committed to the University of Pittsburgh last month. She has also been named The Free Lance-Star's girls basketball player of the year.

"I'm in awe of it, to be perfectly honest," Renee Davis said of Marquel's success. "It's something she's worked for and dreamed of all her life. She said she wants to go to the WNBA, and to kind of see that path coming to fruition you're like, 'Wow. This is really happening.'"

Marquel said there's plenty of work ahead if she wants to accomplish her goals. That's why she has dedicated herself to basketball.

She joined the Fairfax Stars elite AAU team in 2008. When she was younger, she marveled at WNBA stars Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes. Now she watches players her age and attempts to pick up the nuances of their games.

"Everybody I see, I try to model myself after," Marquel said. "If I see a good shooter, I'm like, 'I want my shot to be like hers.' If I see somebody really good at driving the lane, I'm like, 'I want to get to the lane like that.'"

Marquel has also found another way to gain an edge on her female counterparts: She plays with the guys at the YMCA in Stafford County on a regular basis, which she said has made her a tougher competitor.

"It makes me better because they hold no sympathy," Marquel said. "If you're on the court and you're a girl playing with them, you have to show that you can play with them."

Marquel has shown just that.

But more importantly to Stafford head coach Julie Hinckley, she has shown she can handle any girl in the Fredericksburg area.

Davis averaged 16.2 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Indians this past season. She was named first-team all-Northwest Region and she can become the school's all-time leading scorer--for boys or girls--next season with 390 points.

Hinckley said Davis' scoring ability was a key, but she also improved her teammates' capabilities.

"She absolutely makes people better," Hinckley said. "She draws a lot of attention for her ability to drive to the hoop, and then the defense draws to her and she's able to get her teammates the basketball."

That resulted in a successful season for the Indians, who were pushed in the district by preseason favorite Riverbend and up-and-coming Mountain View.

Davis said she was a bit surprised by how well the team performed, but Hinckley wasn't.

She knew Davis was a unique player and that 6-foot-3 All-Area center Marina Fox (15 points, 11 rebounds) would pose problems for opponents inside.

The Indians will be tested without Fox next year, but Hinckley said they're up for the challenge.

Davis certainly should be. With a scholarship in hand, she can concentrate solely on the Indians before she starts her career at Pittsburgh.

"I wish I could play basketball to that level to get a scholarship," Renee Davis said. "I'm still paying on my student loans. You usually don't know the person that's doing something like this, so for that person to be a part of me, I can't help but be in awe of that."

Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com