Any girl that's playing basketball right now would love to be in a position where just about every college in the nation is calling and doing whatever they can to reel them in toward their university. Sometimes it's easy to overlook how much work an athlete puts in to arrive at that place. For 6' 0" tall Evina Westbrook who currently plays for South Salem High School, it started on September 2015 when it was legal for colleges to contact juniors. After midnight, she started receiving many text messages from coaches all over the nation.
If you've ever watched Evina play basketball, well, let's just say that you hope your team isn't facing her that night. She can play just about every position, one-guard, two-guard, three-guard, forward ... I think you get my drift. She's become a consistent-versatile player that transitions well on the backcourt. With size and top-notch scoring abilities I'm not surprised to see her team, the South Salem Lady Saxons, ranked so high in the state of Oregon.
Evina's parents are, James and Eva Westbrook. She has two full brothers, LJ and TKO. She also has two half brothers, Tyler and Bryce. With four brothers one can only imagine the basketball battles that went on in this family. Her brother, LJ, plays basketball for Casper College in Wyoming. Her cousin, Avry Holmes, plays basketball for Clemson in the ACC Conference. Avry is also featured in a book, The Professor Grayson Boucher Plus More NW Sports Stories.
In the beginning as a little kid, Evina started out in Albany, Oregon, and shortly after moved to Corvallis. And then for her grade-school days her family moved to the Swegle Elementary area in Salem, Oregon, followed by a move to Weddle Elementary in Keizer, Oregon. She then moved to the Hammond Elementary area in NE Salem.
An introduction to the game of basketball started by her watching her dad, James, while coaching LJ's team. She would study the game and watch the moves and plays as two teams competed against each other.
"My dad and brother definitely had something to do with it, but my true inspiration came from the game itself. I really started liking it. Just watching how players dribbled the ball and shot it -- also how players defended. I just fell in love with the whole aspect of the game and I haven't stopped -- it's a lot of fun," Evina said.
As the years went by during grade school, you would find Evina at The Hoop, a basketball facility that is also used for volleyball, skating, and many other activities. She spent many hours by herself working on her game at a very young age. When she was in the third grade she started playing for a boys traveling team called The Hoop, coached by Price Johnson. Being one of the taller kids she normally played post, or basically any position on the floor.
"I started going to the gym every day at a young age, basketball became my lifestyle. Girls normally mature faster than boys so I was always one of the taller kids," Evina said.
She attended Stephens Middle School in NE Salem, and then Houck Middle School in the north side of Salem. She's always lived in middle-income neighborhoods where things were pretty laid back and calm.
Playing with boys, Evina didn't back down from anyone and the boys didn't treat her any different -- they didn't go easy on her at all. She has one memory of a boy that was guarding her and kept pushing her. He even went on to call her an insulting name. Evina started pushing him back. As she was walking to the sideline after the altercation, the boy called her another name. She turned around and started coming at the boy. Her coach held her back and ended the altercation.
"I don't know why that stuck to my mind, but I have a fresh memory of that. I'm glad my coach held me back," Evina said with a chuckle.
Evina has a memory of people making comments to her because of her skin color and simply because she was different. Some people judged her based on what she looked like. That was tough for her but she worked through it by taking that anger out on the basketball court. Some girls would give her a hard time. They would say mean things to her like, you're a girl, you shouldn't be playing basketball with boys, you should be on the sideline.
"Those comments used to bother me, but now I don't even worry about it. I took it as something to push me harder -- to prove people wrong. In those days it would help when my coaches told me that in a game I wasn't a girl or a boy, I was a basketball player," Evina said.
The moment came when she had to transition from playing on the boys' team to a new beginning of playing on a girls' team. Evina struggled with the mindset of playing with girls. She had gotten so used to being around the boys to even establishing a comfort zone of a camaraderie.
"It was very difficult for me to make that change. I mean they were my boys and we were close -- we had each other's back. When I left the boys' team I felt like I was letting them down -- I really enjoyed being part of The Hoop team. I built friendships and learned a lot about the game of basketball," Evina said.
The idea of college scouts in the future and many other circumstances was what led Evina to make that transition to start playing with girls. She started her adventures with a travel team based out of Portland, Oregon. Team Concept was coached by Michael Abraham and a player like Evina was something any coach would want.
Evina's highlight playing with Team Concept came against the team, Fast. She scored 19 points to help her team win a big game.
Evina's blood was flowing with basketball and practices were feeding her to perfecting her skills inside the gym. As she grew older she joined an elite-all-star team called Cal Stars coached by Kelly Sopak. The experience was so fulfilling and the team bonding with talented girls from different cities was so rewarding for her.
In 2013 the moment of truth was coming and Evina would be entering South Salem High School as a freshman. She would be playing high school basketball for the first time. She would wear number 22, because her grandfather's birthday is on Sept. 22 -- significant meaning.
"I was scared and nervous. The one thing I had in the back of my mind is, I didn't want to take a senior spot on the team. I felt very uneasy about that. My mom kept telling me that it wasn't a senior spot it was anyone's spot," Evina said.
Evina knew that she had worked hard for years and that if she was chosen to be one of the starters on the varsity team, well, she deserved it just as much as any other player. Not only did she land the spot after the tryouts, but she has been a varsity starter all three years of her high school career.
Evina Westbrook #22 and her mom, Eva, celebrating a win.
The first game she ever played in high school was so meaningful and full of joy. She had the honor of representing her school in a varsity game.
"The first game I ever played with South Salem I was so nervous. I kept thinking, Oh my God this is my first game! I knew that I had earned this through my hard work year after year -- long hours in the gym. All the seniors respected me that game -- that meant a lot," Evina said.
Playing in the GVC (Greater Valley Conference), Evina has racked up the all-conference awards, all-tournament team awards, and many more. Now in her junior year she is lighting it up helping her team stay up high in the state rankings. And of course, another conference title this year to add to her collection of accomplishments. If it was up to me, I'd give her the vote for Player of the Year.
Evina speaks highly of her team and how well they support each other. Three top players that are making it happen for South Salem are Evina Westbrook, Dani Harley, and Jordan Woodvine. But the entire team has a role contributing in many ways.
"My team is so supportive of me. We feed off of each other. We have team dinners and we hang out together off the court. We like to laugh ... even with the coaches, Nick McWilliams and Trevor Bodine. We're goofy at times and like to dance and make videos," Evina said.
Evina's player-coach relationship with Head Coach Nick McWilliams is working out great. He trusts her with some decisions whether it be defense or offense. She also gets along great with Trevor.
"I have a great relationship with my coaches. I'm closest to Dani Harley and Simone Leaks. They're my best friends and they have my back. We do many things together that are not basketball related -- we have a lot of fun together. Jordan Woodvine has a different mindset. Sometimes we have to bring her back ... she'll try to do her own thing at times. We check her and make it about the team. She's a great person and a big part of our success. My teammates never get jealous of me, they are mostly very happy for me and I like that about them," Evina said.
A highlight that Evina remembers at the Fitzgerald Tournament in December 2015 at Spokane, Washington, was one for the books. They were playing Lewis and Clark High School and they were trailing by 29 points. Evina took over in the second half and brought South Salem back. She scored 32 points and claimed the big win.
"That game I got on fire because I really wanted the win. The first shot I took from the corner was wet! My teammates kept getting me the ball and I just kept shooting and making everything," Evina said.
Evina #22 with her teammates after the comeback win at the Fitzgerald Tourney.
Evina's biggest highlight in high school has to be the 2015 OSAA 6A State Championship Title captured in Portland, Oregon. Evina was an all-state selection and played a major role in that road to the state title game. Katie McWilliams, who now plays for Oregon State was her teammate that year.
Evina at church with her dad, James and brother TKO after the State Title game.
Evina admits that it's a tremendous challenge keeping up with the grades in school and finding a balance with school work, practices, and games. It's a tough thing for a young kid in high school -- she's managed very well. Evina is holding a 3.4 GPA which is remarkable despite the many activities on and off the court she juggles.
"I study best when I study with my mom. I do most of my homework at school I really don't like to take any home. It's my life and I will be in college some day. This is a great way to prepare -- I think school is very important," Evina said.
Along the way this young lady has had a few mentors that have helped her with many things. I'll name a few, her mom Eva Westbrook, brother LJ, cousin Avry Holmes, Price Johnson, Michael Abraham, and Kelly Sopak.
In her junior year, Evina has experienced the recruiting world, something that took her by surprise. College coaches can legally talk to athletes their junior year in September at midnight. So at midnight, Evina received 10 text messages and then a few minutes later she received 20 text messages.
"It was insane right at midnight. And then starting at 8:00 am I received phone calls all morning. All from colleges around the country. I feel really blessed, I know there are thousands of girls that would want to be in my position right now," Evina said.
Presently I'll list some the colleges that are after Evina -- there's way too many to list but her mom speaks of the letter stacks she has at home. Very interested are Louisville; Maryland; Duke; South Carolina; Notre Dame; Baylor; Tennessee; Kentucky; Ohio State; Oregon State, Oregon, and the rest of the PAC-12 Colleges. The letters, texts, and phone calls keep coming.
Evina is undecided and has been traveling on the weekends with her mom. They are visiting several colleges. An athlete gets five official paid visits, Evina and her mom are paying their own way for now to visit more than just five. They want to narrow it down to 10 by this summer. She doesn't show favor toward the East or West but it's important that she's happy with the program and that it's the right fit for her.
"I'm so thankful for my mom. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. She's my best friend and my buddy. She has sacrificed so much for me. I know that I'm her only girl and that one day I'll leave home, but I prefer not to talk about that right now. It will happen though and she'll be okay with it," Evina said.
Where do the years go? And how fast time flies when you're having fun with all of the excitement. It's so important to understand how much parents support athletes like Evina. I had a chance to talk to Eva Westbrook, her mom.
"I feel like she deserves what she's getting. I feel so blessed to be her mom. Watching her in a game is so much fun. She spent all her summers in the gym while other girls went to swimming parties or other events. I watched her work hard and sometimes to the point that she almost hyperventilated and I had to rush her to the hospital. She was doing too much wanting to get better. Some people have said, she's so lucky. Luck has nothing to do with it. She has worked so hard to put herself in this position. My husband James and I are so very proud of Evina," her mom said.
You can find Evina coaching an inner-city youth basketball team on the weekends in Portland. She'll also traveling to Seattle, Washington to coach there as well.
Evina Westbrook is a junior, and she has already set a mark at South Salem High School -- one that many people will remember when she's gone to play at a Division I College.
Evina, What's your favorite subject in school?
English
Favorite pro basketball team?
LA Lakers
Do you have a short-term goal?
Win the OSAA 2016 State Championship
Do you have a long-term Goal?
Make the U18 USA Olympic Team and represent the USA. I would also like to win a national title at least one year with the college team I play with. I'd like to play in the WNBA and later become a broadcaster for ESPN.
What advice can you give a young basketball player?
Play basketball because you love it. Some parents make their kids play basketball. If you don't like it you shouldn't be playing. Put the time in to get better. Go to the gym by yourself and work. Watch players that have basketball knowledge and learn.