Cortez Lets Contributions Do The Talking

Becca Cortz arrived at West Valley High School without fanfare. She pursues her starting Eagle basketball role in much the same way.

She isn’t a flamboyant scorer or rebounder for the playoff-bound team, just a steadying presence and team leader.

“She does everything you ask of her on and off the court,” said WV coach Mark Kuipers. “And Becca doesn’t ask for anything in return.”

Cortez is one of just three seniors on the 10-10 Eagles, who compare eerily to the 1997 squad which won state.

Both teams began heavily laden with sophomores and freshmen. They struggled through losing seasons before break-even junior years.

Kuipers maintains there are differences between the two groups. But Cortez said this team notices similarities.

“A lot of people say how the championship team did kind of like what we’re doing now,” she said. “We did OK my sophomore year and didn’t do very well last year. We’ve talked about that occasionally.”

Next Friday the Eagles face Cheney in the first round of district playoffs with a regional berth at stake.

Cortez moved here from Selah, Wash., after the sixth grade and attended Horizon Junior High. She still lives in the University High attendance area with her parents, Ricardo and Marlene, but chose to attend WV.

“I didn’t want to go to a large school,” she said. “Selah High is the same size as WV and I just wanted to stay in a small school environment.”

Kuipers remembers upon meeting her how painfully shy Cortz was.

“Becca at the time was very, very shy and very, very introverted, ” he said. “I came out of my room and we introduced ourselves. She looked straight down at the floor.”

Since then, the Eagle 6-footer has grown both socially and in basketball.

She defers to the scoring of fellow senior Vanessa Parvey, who is averaging 12.8 per game, including 26 Tuesday in an overtime win at Cheney, and juniors Amanda Holstrom and Chelsey Thomas.

But she does set goals for herself, both in baskets made and rebounds secured per game.

“I feel I can contribute in small ways,” she said.

One of those is through leadership, at the behest of Kuipers who asked his seniors to be role models for the younger players.

“I’ve been trying very hard at that,” said Cortez. “I see just myself as an example.”

Kuipers has seen it, saying her transformation as a student and young woman has been amazing. The 6-foot post player wants to attend college and study zoology. After whale watching in the San Juans during a camping trip to Friday Harbor, she became fascinated by the orcas and hopes to study them.

“It was so awesome,” she said. “I’d never seen a killer whale in the wild, only in captivity.”

Like the animal swimming free, Cortez has blossomed. Even if West Valley’s basketball season ends prematurely, she said her experiences in the program have been satisfying.

“Becca has grown up to be a mature young lady, outgoing and involved, who has a bright future,” said her coach.“If she had been at a bigger school, I don’t know if it would have worked out.”