BAKER — The last time Baker standout Madison O'Connor was on a basketball floor, she was leading the Spartans to the Class B state championship inside First Interstate Arena at MetraPark.
The now-junior guard parlayed her on-court success into a spot at the next level, as last week she announced her commitment to the Montana State women's basketball program.
let’s get it cat nation #committed #gocats💙💛 pic.twitter.com/H0uWfM6uFi
— Madison O’Connor (@Madison_OCo) November 24, 2024
"I kind of wanted to stay in state and just represent the state and friends and family. I have a lot from here and to represent all of them really means a lot," O'Connor told MTN Sports.
"Honestly, from a really young age I've wanted to play at the higher level, just because of my mom — she played there, too. I just wanted to continue her legacy and create my own. Even going to MSU I can do that."
The focus for O'Connor is in Baker, though, where the Spartans have all the makings to repeat. They lost just one senior from last year's team and feature great chemistry, but they're locking in on building the right habits throughout the season.
"Always play your hardest and give the most effort that you can and don't back down," Baker coach Jason Coulter said. "I know it kind of sounds bad at times, but if you start backing down and doing things, that's when the mistakes come. You've got to stay on them and keep going."
"We prioritize attitude and effort — A & E — so having attitude and effort, if we have that every practice we're getting one percent better per day," O'Connor said. "One percent might not seem like a lot, but at the end it is a lot with how many practices you have. So just giving that effort every single day means a ton towards the end of the season."
Sometimes that starts with your team leader, and the fact that O'Connor is one of the hardest workers makes it that much easier for everyone else to follow suit.
"It just pushes them," Coulter said. "(O'Connor) is not afraid to get on them. If they're not pushing themselves to be better, or running hard in sprints or whatever, she's right there pushing them. That's what a good leader does."
The Baker girls are led by one of the state's premier offensive talents, but they'll grind teams down on the defensive end, as well.
Coulter, O'Connor and the Spartans open their season this weekend with a tournament in Lewistown.
