Noblesville senior C.C. Quigley said that a strong bond and team chemistry should help the Millers this season. (Julie Brown/File photo)
By QUINN MATTHEWS
quinn@readthereporter.com
The Noblesville girls basketball team opens the 2025-2026 season this weekend against Avon, and they’re entering with a familiar mindset that has brought them previous success.
Under longtime head coach Donna Buckley, Noblesville has built its team’s foundation on culture, growth, and a philosophy that guided them to a Class 4A state championship in 2022. The philosophy that continues to guide them to this day is something beyond what’s on the scoreboard.
“We don’t talk about winning and losing ever, we always talk about getting better,” said Buckley.
After many key players graduated from last season’s roster, Noblesville is now relying on its younger lineup to take charge and grow along with the girls who have been on the team for multiple seasons.
“This year’s group is a little bit young compared to what we have been in the past,” said Buckley. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores that are going to play a big role, but we still have a good group of juniors and seniors to build around.”
Coach Buckley is putting a lot of trust in their younger players including sophomores Maia Blower, a skilled point guard, and Aleah Magee, who will be getting a lot of playing time to show her skills. Junior Ellie Motz will be a starting player along with the seniors and Buckley is confident they are all able to rise to the challenge and grow as a team.
“Those young kids want to be good and want to work hard, so being young it’s not a huge issue. We have great older kids that lead well, and our young kids definitely want to be led,” said Buckley.
Even with the team looking a little different when it comes to age, seniors C.C. Quigley and Ally Hutchinson will lead the underclassmen with them to success, and their path to success remains simple.
“We’re just trying to get better every day, I don’t necessarily have goals for games. Our goal is every single day get better and be fundamentally sound, and if you do those things typically things work out pretty well for you,” said Buckley.
To succeed on the court, the girls rely on their strong team chemistry, which is a strength for them on and off the court.
“We do a lot of team bonding throughout the season. We do a lot of activities and team dinners and enjoy spending time with each other. We go get food after games and we even decorate pumpkins,” said Quigley.
The camaraderie that they have built, and will continue to grow, will be key to their success on the court.
“We all move the ball really well and have a strong team bond and all enjoy hanging out with each other,” said Quigley. “I expect us to do well this season, we’re young but we have a great team chemistry and I think that will help us when the tournament comes.”
As Noblesville is eager to kick off the new season and see where the Millers’ hard work will take them, Coach Buckley is just as eager to see these players’ journey unfold.
“Every year is a fun and new challenge,” said Buckley. “I love seeing it all play out, that’s the reward and why I’m still doing it all these years; is to see what every team’s journey looks like at the end. I love watching these kids grow up on and off the floor.”
