Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Danielle Parker
School: Canon-McMillan
Year: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Parker’s week: Parker led the Big Macs to victories over John Marshall and Upper St. Clair. Against the Rockets Monday night, Parker scored 29 points as Canon-McMillan won, 69-61.
Three days later, her 20 points lifted the Big Macs over Upper St. Clair, 58-42, in the Section 4-AAAA opener.
Though both were tough games, Parker was elated to start section play with a win over a perennial power such as the Panthers. Canon-McMillan is 5-1, including 2-0 in the section.
”It was the greatest feeling I’ve ever had. It was a team effort,” Parker said. “We went out there and we knew what we wanted to do. We worked so hard to get big wins like that and accomplishing that was an awesome feeling.”
More of the same: In the first six games of this season, Parker has scored 121 points, averaging 20.2 per game. The 5-11 forward also is a force down low, pairing with junior Rebecca Turney to form one of the top front courts in Quad-A.
What impresses Canon-McMillan head coach Frank Zebrasky the most about Parker is her versatility. She can be a defensive force in the lane or spread teams out with a soft touch from behind the arc.
”The strength of Danielle is she can morph into what she needs to do,” Zebrasky said. “If she needs to hang out on the block and block a shot, she can do that. She also has the ability to move outside and hit a three-pointer or two when necessary. If she gets to the foul line, over her career she is over 83 percent.”
It’s no surprise that Parker has been on a tear to start the season. A second-team selection on the Observer-Reporter All-District Team as a junior, Parker averaged 15.3 points per game and finished seventh among local players in scoring.
As one of only two seniors returning for Canon-McMillan, Parker wants to build off that strong season. She wants to help the Big Macs qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
In one of the toughest sections in the WPIAL, success begins with confidence.
”The competition is always going to be there so you have to perform your best every single time,” Parker said. “We understand that and we’re ready to compete against it.”
Hard work: During the offseason, the Big Macs made it a priority to get in the best shape for the season. Most players did cross fit and stressed conditioning to withstand the rigorous WPIAL basketball season.
The results are showing as Canon-McMillan is averaging 63.8 points per game, the most in WPIAL Class AAAA.
It’s the team’s work on the defensive end that has Zebrasky pleased. Between Parker, Turney and sophomore guard Cheyenne Trest, the Big Macs are not an easy opponent to score on.
”Danielle does a lot of good things. Between her and Cheyenne, those two have a great knowledge of the game of basketball and it shows on defense. They get a lot of steals.”
Though the season is less than two weeks old, Canon-McMillan is showing the potential to be the breakthrough team in the WPIAL. .
”It’s eye-opening to realize we can actually do it,” Parker said. “We know we can and we want to go further.”
Compiled by Lance Lysowski