As the postseason continues in TSSAA girls basketball, Livingston Academy junior Mia Hughes said defense and trust could define how far the Lady Wildcats go.
Hughes, a forward for Livingston Academy, has carved out her role as a steady defensive presence for the Lady Wildcats during a season that has featured tough district battles against Upper Cumberland opponents.
“I’ve always felt confident with my defense,” Hughes said. “I think just getting more comfortable with the girls and trusting them has helped my defense.”
Hughes said that comfort level has grown as the season has progressed. Livingston has picked up key wins in recent weeks, including victories over Watertown and Cumberland County, showing flashes of the team that Hughes said they can consistently become.
“We played more as a team than we have all year,” Hughes said. “If we do play together, we can go far, but we have to put all the pieces together and continue focusing on defense and sharing the ball.”
Hughes said that chemistry has been just as important as execution. Hughes said the Lady Wildcats’ recent growth has come from simplifying their mindset, less pressure on perfection and more emphasis on trust.
“We were less focused on running the plays perfectly and doing everything perfectly and we just trusted each other more,” Hughes said. “If someone messes up, we need to pick each other up and continue to improve in the games and not let turnovers set us back and make us go down even more.”
Hughes and the Lady Wildcats will have another opportunity to strengthen their playoff push Friday when they face Watertown again in the first round of the region tournament. If Livingston’s defense travels and the ball continues to move, Hughes said the ceiling is high. But it will start, as it has for her all season, on the defensive end, where confidence, communication and trust meet.