Meghan Carney ’19 arrived at Groton in Fourth Form and has been a fixture on the girls varsity basketball team since the beginning, both on and off the court. “Meghan can hang with everyone and makes a battle out of it,” said Coach Mrs. Spring. “She has to be tough mentally because basketball can be kind of like a wrestling match.” Off court, Meghan, though quiet, is the glue of the team. Teammate Mary Collins ’20 said she’s “always super sweet and if you’re not shooting well she’ll bring you up and give you help. The team dynamic is the best since I’ve been here and Meghan being a captain brought it all together.” 

Meghan’s basketball career started in first grade because her parents wanted her to try as many different sports as possible. Because she was tall, they decided to sign her up for basketball, which quickly became Meghan’s favorite sport and one she also excelled at. Currently, Meghan plays for the Rivals Basketball Club team during the fall and spring seasons. Because of her commitment to the sport, she recently committed to St. Michael’s College, where she will play Division II basketball. Mrs. Spring said “St. Mike’s will be a great place for her. I think it’s a great choice.”

At 6’2”, Meghan is built perfectly for basketball and she uses this height to her advantage. Meghan plays both center and forward, positions which require size and strength, and her rebounds are especially lethal –– she scored ten in the Groton-LA game.  Mrs. Spring described Meghan as a “good scorer that can run the court well. She also passes the ball well and sees the floor well and that together makes her pretty dynamic.” Megan’s height combined with her agility allow her to put the ball in the basket at any circumstance, a trait that is both valuable and scarce. Mrs. Spring said, “It’s nice to have a player that can score that well and put the team first.” With her scoring abilities, strong desire to win, and care for her team, Meghan is unstoppable on the court. Her presence will be missed.

Off court, Meghan continues to be a leader and now as a captain her impact is larger than ever. The team is a big part of her life, and she loves not only their court time together, but also the long team dinners each night. Her teammates say that they “can always count on her in games to pull through.” Additionally Mrs. Spring says that Meghan “draws the whole team in and is the glue of the team. She has a lot of respect for her teammates, and when we’re off the court, she likes to run around and play. This is probably the closest the team has been since we’ve been here, not just because of Meghan but because of the fellow sixth formers who really help.” These sentiments are echoed by new team members as well. Anna Pimentel ’21 said that Meghan made her feel “really welcome because she would approach me, talk to me, and high-five me. It may seem small but it’s those things that really count and make an impression.” Along with her team, Meghan is excited for her last season on Groton’s basketball team as she says she looks forward to spending more time with everyone and playing the game.