Molly Brodsky is a major force on the local and state girls lacrosse scene.

With stellar stick skills and loads of experience on her side, the class of 2022 Mercer Island High School graduate notched the school’s athlete of the year honor and was named most valuable player after leading the Islanders to the state title with a 15-3 victory over Issaquah.

The smooth-playing midfielder is solid on the draw, scores goals, sets her teammates up to blast balls into the back of the net and more.

While introducing Brodsky, 18, as the school’s athlete of the year at a recent ceremony, head coach Lyndsey Gillis noted, in part: “It has been such an incredible privilege to coach you; being witness to your work ethic, passion for the game and dedication to your teammates, all the while displaying the most humble of attitudes.”

During her high school career, Brodsky helped her teams win a pair of state crowns and has racked up a plethora of all-conference and all-state honors. She attained all-American status last year and this year’s awards will be announced on July 1.

Brodsky first put her lacrosse stick into action as a first-grader when her older sister, Katie, and father, John, pointed her toward the playing field where she’s resided for more than a decade. She quit for one year, but gave the sport another shot and has never looked back. Over the years, she’s honed her skills for the Mercer Island Lacrosse Club and the Seattle Starz club squad.

“It’s just something about being able to play with a team and the chemistry. I love my team from Mercer Island. Everyone on the team is just super fun and it’s very entertaining, the practices, so that got me coming back every year,” said Brodsky, who tallied five goals, three draw controls and three caused turnovers in the 2022 state final.

After experiencing a “reality check” with a loss to Woodinville to start the season, Brodsky said Gillis got the team focused during practices and the wins started piling up.

“Our team chemistry was a big part of that. We had a lot of team bonding and we really, really wanted to put in the work to win that state title,” she said.

Brodsky played three seasons for the high school squad (her sophomore season was canceled due to COVID) and amassed 92 goals, 24 assists, 80 ground balls, 144 draw controls and 58 caused turnovers during games against Washington squads. Her teams lost just one match, compiling a 42-1 record during those seasons.

To reap that immense amount of success, Brodsky said the Islanders had to be constantly working together up and down the field. They marked plenty of notches in the victory column and developed close friendships along the way.

Next up, the squad will play at the Girls High School Lacrosse National Championship tournament starting on June 29 at FSA Sports in Farmington, Connecticut. The invitation-only tournament will feature the top-rated national programs.

On the school front, Brodsky — who carried a 3.81 grade-point average in high school — will be attending the University of Washington in the fall and take a year off from lacrosse. She has not yet decided on a major, but will most likely choose between the communications and psychology fields. She may re-engage with lacrosse on a club team during her sophomore year.

The Reporter asked Brodsky a series of questions to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life:

If you could go to dinner with one person, who would that be?

Kevin Hart.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

I like “The Hangover.”

What’s your dream vacation spot?

Greece.

What’s your go-to snack or meal before games?

I usually like having a protein bar and then an energy drink, which is usually a Celsius. I don’t usually like playing with a lot of food in my stomach before.

What’s a skill that you would like to learn?

I think it would be really fun to learn how to skateboard.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

When people chew really loud.

What’s your favorite restaurant on Mercer Island?

Pagliacci.

If you’re having a rough day, what’s the best way to break out of it to put it into a positive situation?

I usually go to the gym or will go on a run or a walk outside and just listen to music just to get off of social media.

What type of music do you listen to?

I listen to either country or hip-hop kind of top hits that are playing.

What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?

My mom always says this: Treat others how you want to be treated. I really follow that because I really don’t like when people are rude to others and then expect to be treated better than how they’re treating others.