It should be another busy summer for Stockton St. Mary’s junior-to-be Aquira DeCosta playing for a USA junior national team. Photo: usab.com.
There are still a few items from girls basketball to announce and some recent developments involving all-state players. Leading off is the choice of Livermore Granada’s Sue Vi as our most inspirational player of the year. We also have more players listed who just missed making it onto the all-state underclass teams, one key transfer and our pick of the most difficult team we had to choose players from.
Note: Other than the first item covering most inspirational honors, this is a post for Gold Members only. If you’re not a member, it’s easy to sign up and you can check it out for just $9.99 for three months. For details, CLICK HERE.
Supiesi “Sue” Vi from Granada High of Livermore is one of those very rare high school girls who plays basketball and softball as her two sports. She was second team all-league in the very tough East Bay Athletic League in 2016 and last year as a junior was honorable mention all-league in softball.
What you don’t know about Sue – and why she’s been selected as the Cal-Hi Sports most inspirational player for girls hoops in the state for 2016 – is that she and her family have been dealing with many complicating factors due to Vi’s mother suffering from the effects of Amyloidosis.
Vi actually played the entire summer softball club circuit (one of her club coaches is Amador Valley’s Teresa Borchard) with her mom very sick and nearly dying. Amyloidosis is a disease related to misfolded proteins in the body that causes kidney and heart malfunction.
Sue Vi from Granada of Livermore is shown in travel ball uniform for softball. Photo: Diehards Softball.
During the basketball season, Vi’s mother had to have heart transplant surgery and was in the hospital for many months. Vi also has had to help take care of a younger brother, plus the financial burden on the family has been massive.
Despite all that, Vi had huge games for the Matadors, has just finished softball and is going to Canisius for softball.
In a CIF North Coast Section Division I first-round playoff game, Vi had a game-high 19 points in leading Granada past Liberty of Brentwood 48-46 in overtime. This included her converting two free throws in regulation to tie the game and a game-winning layup with five seconds left.
Congratulations on your accomplishments, Sue, and best wishes to the family. Look for our colleague Harold Abend to be writing a more detailed profile about Sue in an upcoming article that will be posted at Prep2Prep.com.
