By FRED KRONER
Oakwood’s Addie Wright has been playing basketball since kindergarten, but it wasn’t until she was in sixth-grade that she realized where the game might take her.
“The junior high coach reached out to me and a couple other girls to ask us to play up,” Wright said. “That year I started on the seventh- and eighth- grade teams.”
That season was a preview for what was to come.
The 6-foot Wright has emerged as one of the top players for the Oakwood High School team and will have the chance to play basketball in the future.
Wright has committed to Quincy College.
Another early turning point took place when Wright was in sixth-grade.
“We had an away game at Paris,” she said. “After the eighth-grade game, the head coach talked to me about playing basketball in the summer.
“Of course, I was all in, and so were my parents.”
Wright has been a member of different travel teams. She played for Indiana Flight 2022 and Indiana Havoc 17-and-under Gold.
Through the years, she demonstrated that she can’t be stereotyped as a post player because of her height.
“When I was little, coaches tended to stick me in as a center,” Wright said, “but as I have developed, I think the position that fits me a little better now is a power forward and that’s what I like to play.”
Last winter, she showed her perimeter game by connecting on three-point attempts in six different games.
Wright started her senior year with a 16-point performance at Arcola and is averaging 11.8 points per game for the 5-3 Comets after a 21-point outburst on Monday (Dec. 5) at Bismarck.
She is closing in on 1,000 career points and has 842 points entering the Comets’ Wednesday (Dec. 7) game at Armstrong-Potomac.
Wright demonstrated her potential as a freshman, scoring 16 points in her sixth varsity game.
As both a sophomore and a junior, she was a first-team selection to the all-Vermilion Valley Conference team as well as the all-Vermilion County team. She had high games of at least 24 points both seasons.
Oakwood coach Stephanie Marsh expects Wright to contribute at Quincy College.
“I think Quincy will be a good fit for her,” Marsh said. “I think the college level will be a big step for her, but I don’t think it’s anything she can’t handle.
“She adapts well, and I think she will find her place there. Addie has come a long way since her freshman year.”
Besides her on-court roles, Wright has developed into a team leader.
“She is definitely more of a quiet type, but has really come to be a good leader for us the past few years,” Marsh said. “Part of that comes with time, age, and maturity so she will have to go through that all again as she goes into her freshman year next year.
“I also think her having to be a leader here at Oakwood will help her confidence going into Quincy.”
Despite her commitment to basketball and her success in the sport, Wright was wondering what opportunities she would have at the next level.
“Starting last summer, I had zero offers and only one college talking to me,” Wright said. “I was working very hard that summer and in June we signed up for a lot of D2 college camps – because that’s the level I wanted to compete at – and Quincy happened to be one of the schools we went to.”
She was struggling mentally, but didn’t let that affect her play.
“I was a little discouraged because I didn’t have any offers and when we went to Quincy, I was nervous, but I went out and played my game,” Wright said. “Coach (Kaci) Bailey asked me to stay after camp to talk.
“She told me she loved my game and asked for my travel schedule.”
An event in Kentucky (Run4Roses) helped Wright get on the radar for multiple coaches.
“That’s really when my options started opening,” Wright said. “When I went on campus (at Quincy), it just felt like home.
“Everyone was so kind and helpful. I just knew it was the right fit.”
Before committing, Wright also visited McKendree, Missouri S&T and Parkland. She wound up with three offers.
“I feel like everyone has their ups and downs,” Wright said. “I definitely had my fair share of downs, but I really feel that God gave me this gift for a reason, and I always stuck with it.”
Though Wright had no doubts about which college she wanted to attend, making the announcement took some time.
“I was a little nervous about committing just because I don’t like to say no to people,” she said. “But I knew that Quincy was the place for me, so I decided to just rip off the band-aid.”
Her signing ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 12.
Wright, who has dyslexia and will need a 504 plan at college, felt that Quincy was a good fit for her personal needs as well the place to pursue her basketball dreams.
“Quincy would give me the help I needed,” Wright said. “The players and the coaches were just so welcoming.
“Coach Bailey is really nice, but she also wants to win and will push me how I need to be to be successful.”
The recruitment trail itself was draining and required self-initiative.
“The recruiting process was very stressful just because I had no interest for such a long time,” Wright said. “I had to make highlight videos and send them out to schools.
“And sending them my schedule and emailing over and over. We made more videos and emailed out to so many people. It didn’t feel like we were doing anything, like we were standing still, but that’s how the world was at that point (during the height of COVID-19).”
In retrospect, she is glad she didn’t get discouraged.
“When I was younger it was always a goal to play in college,” she said. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was in kindergarten, and I just thought that I would always be playing. I really don’t remember when the goal developed; ever since I can remember.
“There were a couple points in my journey when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play in college, but I always come back.
“Basketball has always been my favorite sport. I wouldn’t say basketball is my primary focus. My relationship with God is my primary focus. He gave me the strength and ability to play and without him I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”
Marsh said that Wright’s basketball experience will be beneficial.
“I would say another strength she has is just being knowledgeable about the game,” Marsh said. “Addie has played a lot of basketball, so she definitely understands the game and can adapt quicker than some players, which again will help her at the next level.
“She is a strong post player and I think she will continue to improve going forward.”
Wright will be patient as she moves on to the collegiate game.
“My freshman year, I see myself just working as hard as I can so I can get some minutes,” she said. “I don’t expect to get too many minutes, but I fully intend to give it all I got at practice every day.
“Coaches have said they are impressed by my defense, rebounding and passing. The only things (to focus on) would be to just get my body ready for college competition, being more strong and dominant in the post and working on my speed and strength so I can be ready for the difference in competition.”
Wright is undecided about a major, but is considering several possibilities.
“I love to help people and I’m thinking about many different things,” she said, “high school science teacher, physical therapist, social worker, or a therapist are a few things I’ve been thinking about.”
Besides adjusting to a new school, a new set of teammates and a new coach next year, Wright will have to deal with being about 215 miles away from home.
“I feel like the transition will be a little tough, but for me 3 ½ hours isn’t that long of a drive and if I really need something or, in the off season, want to see my family I can make a day or a weekend trip,” said Wright, the youngest of four children. “I’m pretty close with my family. They’ll come to my games and come to visit me when they can, so that’ll make the transition easier.
“Plus, my coaches and teammates will definitely be comforting to me. I’m not worried about not finding a group of people.”
