Whether it’s on offense or defense, senior Cassidy Bundy wants to make a difference wherever she roams on the court.
The three-year varsity Mercer Island High School basketball player has positioned herself as one of the Islander leaders this season. She first stepped onto the court in the program as a third-grader and now stands 5-foot-9 in her post spot for the local squad, which was 3-2 overall at press time.
Bundy said the well-conditioned team displays quickness and physicality when the ball is tipped into play. Some of the Islanders also compete on the soccer and lacrosse pitches, so they’re naturally fast, she added about the small squad that needs to utilize its speed against its taller foes.
“I think we have a lot of potential. We’re very young. We just got to get used to the pressure, get used to the fans and kind of get out of our head in a sense,” said Bundy, who praised the team’s two stellar freshmen, Anna Mock and Aaliyah Khan.
Along with mixing it up with their opponents, Bundy said the Islanders put maximum thought into all aspects of their game. It’s a fun atmosphere when everything is clicking with the team — which is captained by seniors Gabby Lumaco and Lauren Monahan and junior Caitlin Monahan — added Bundy, who will pick up her lacrosse stick come springtime.
Bundy’s love for lacrosse developed about seven years ago.
“My friend asked me to join and I said, ‘Sure,’ since I didn’t want to go to after-school daycare in fifth grade. It was like anything to get me out of that,” she said.
The Reporter asked Bundy 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?
Janet Jackson, just ‘cause she’s fun and I grew up on her music. My dad wouldn’t let me listen to anyone who was current other than Beyonce growing up, so it was Jackson 5, Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston growing up, and Beyonce.
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever received?
Just being more aware of everybody’s side of the story just before you jump on it (and correcting misinformation).
What’s a hidden talent that you have that people wouldn’t know about?
I would say that I’m really good at reading people. Even if I haven’t met a person before, I’m a very good judge of character.
What’s a skill that you’d like to learn?
To cook. I’m not very good at it. I can get by, I can make a few things, but I don’t want to be eating the same five things for the rest of my life. With directions, I can do it, but I can’t just pull something out of the top of my head.
What’s kind of a daily motto that you go by?
Put your 100 percent effort into everything. Obviously every day’s going to change — sometimes you’re going to have a good day and sometimes you’ll have a bad day — but as long as you’re putting 100 percent effort in.
Is there something that you’re afraid of that you’d like to conquer?
My hesitancy. Sometimes, I hesitate just when I’m confronting people or whatever the case may be. Sometimes, I hesitate and I like second guessing myself, like, ‘Do I confront this person about this?’ and sometimes I just need to put it out of the way.
