If there’s one thing Prep can count on each year, it’s the continued dominance of our varsity girls’ basketball team. And after a truncated 2020-2021 season, along with a disappointing second-place title in the 2021-22 season, the Wolves are finally back to full strength with experienced veterans, fresh faces, and a whole lot of winning.

Led by captains Ashley Chea ‘23 and Izzie Chan ‘24, the Wolves are making it known that they’re back on top. They’re undefeated in league, having beaten defending champs Providence 66-27 and 53-36, respectively, and crushing all other teams by a margin as high as 60 points. The team has also proven they have what it takes to make a deep playoff run in several out-of-league matchups, including an 18-point win against the higher ranked Notre Dame. In fact, this entire season the Wolves held a phenomenal record of 25-2, the two losses being to tough Division 1 Rosary Academy and Division 2 Village Christian teams (Prep Girls Basketball plays Division 3). By anyone’s standards, the regular season has been a success.

More than that, a little history was made this year. First was the celebration of co-head coaches Jayme Kiyomura-Chan and Kevin Kiyomura surpassing 200 career wins. Starting in 2013, the cousin duo has been essential to the development of the girls’ basketball program that the San Gabriel Valley knows today. Over the course of a decade, they’ve held a league record of 101-8 (including a 72-game streak) and an overall record of 223-50. Under their leadership, the Wolves have gone to at least the quarterfinals in eight in ten seasons, including a 2016 CIF-SS championship, the first ever for our program. 

Second in the history books was star player Ashley Chea ‘23 becoming a member of the 1,000 points (technically, 1,100+) club in early December. More impressively, as Coach Jayme cited in her dedication, Chea managed to break the point barrier in a very lopsided career; her freshman year was overshadowed by older, now-D1 college players; her sophomore year was cut short by both Covid and an injury; and her junior season was the first real time she got to see the court. After this season, Chea will join alumni Kaitlyn Chen ‘20 at Princeton, the top team in the Ivy League.

Time will tell what the playoffs have in store for the Wolves. But one thing’s for certain: this season has been everything Prep could hope for.