High School Girls Team of the Week: Mt. Assisi

The Chicago Sky named the Mt. Assisi Academy (Lemont) Girls Basketball team the High School Girls Team of the Week for the week of Nov. 17 for its excellence on and off the basketball court.

The Eagles finished the 2009-10 season with an 11-7 record and were 5-2 in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC). Theyll open their 2010-11 season tomorrow, Nov. 18 at Josephinium.

The Eagles were forced to overcome hardship to be as successful as they were in 2009-10. Head Coach Mark Murphy, who had been previously diagnosed with cancer, took a sharp turn for the worse midway through the year and underwent intense treatments throughout the remainder the season. Following the season Murphy left the program and has not returned. Murphys health decline hit the girls and the program hard. But they both bounced back.

This had a big impact on the team, said current Eagles varsity Head Coach Juan Mendoza. These girls keep the program going through their commitment, dedication, work ethic and competitiveness.

One of the athletes went above and beyond to show her support for her sick coach. Clare Kelly grew her hair out and eventually donated her pony tail to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, a foundation that distributes real-hair wigs and extensions through the American Cancer Societys network, to honor Coach Murphy.

Kelly will be back in 2010-11 to help lead the Eagles back to the top of the GCAC. Mt. Assisi Academy is located at 12860 Main Street in Lemont, IL.

The Mt. Assisi Girls Basketball Team will be provided a complimentary Team Night Out ticket package to a 2011 Sky regular season home game at Allstate Arena, where they will have the opportunity to watch the worlds best female basketball players. They will meet and talk to Sky players and coaches before the game and be honored on the Sky court during the game. They will also have the Sky experience brought to one of their home games.

The Sky will be recognizing one High School Girls basketball team each week throughout the 2010-11 basketball season as part of its High School Girls Team of the Week program. The Sky is now accepting nominations from parents, coaches, faculty members and players. To submit a nomination form electronically click here. Access the form in PDF format here . The nomination form can also be requested by mail. Forms should be mailed to Chicago Sky, Attn: Community Relations, 20 W. Kinzie, Suite 1010, Chicago, IL 60654 or faxed to the Sky office at 312.828.9979.

Click here for previous winners.