PW senior Taylor O’Brien became the first player in Plymouth Whitemarsh history – male or female to reach the 2,000-point milestone.
“Stop Taylor O’Brien.”
It’s a three-word mandate that pretty much sums up the game plan of opposing coaches heading into contests against Plymouth Whitemarsh the past three-plus years. Executing that game plan is another story entirely.
In Saturday’s District One 6A playback game against Abington, O’Brien surpassed the 2,000-point mark – the first player, male or female, in Plymouth Whitemarsh history to attain that elusive goal.
Making the accomplishment even more remarkable is the fact that she did it in 102 games – the second thousand in 44 games after reaching the 1,000-point plateau in January of 2017.
“It just amazing to me because every team comes out with the sole thought of stopping Taylor O’Brien,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “It’s such a special accomplishment, and it’s something no one will ever be able to take away from her.
“To score 2,000 – so few people have done that in a high school career and in so few games, and to score 2000 in 102 games, that’s pretty easy math. That’s 20 points a game for your high school career. It’s really exciting.”
O’Brien entered Saturday’s district playoff game needing 21 points. She scored the historic basket on a left-handed floater late in the fourth quarter.
“I honestly was not thinking about it during the game,” O’Brien said. “I wanted to win the game and that was it. If it came, it came.
“I was more expecting to get it the next game. I just wanted my team to win. I wasn’t worried about getting it. When it happened at the very end, I was like, ‘Wow’ and I was relieved and grateful, but I was kind of sad too because we didn’t win the game.”
O’Brien was quick to deflect credit for the historic accomplishment to her teammates.
“It’s all of us working together,” she said. “It takes everybody on the team to do something this amazing.
“All the girls have been so great this year and so supportive of everything that we’re doing. We just want to go as far as we can, and this is like steam going into states.”
According to Dougherty, O’Brien, who is averaging 23.5 points a game this year, has evolved as a player.
“Taylor just improved in so many areas of her game in four years of high school,” the Colonials’ coach said. “When she came to us as a freshman, she was just this elite athlete.
“Her sophomore year she was special at driving to the basket constantly. You think about her freshman and sophomore years, and she only made a total of 20 three-point shots.”
As a junior, O’Brien connected on 37 shots from beyond the arc. This year she has 50 and can burn opposing defenses from just about anywhere on the court. She connects on 80 percent of her shots from the foul line.
“Taylor makes everyone around her better, which has led to the team’s success,” Dougherty said. “When you talk about a once-in-a-lifetime player, this is the difference between a good high school career and a legendary high school career – the kids that elevate their game in the biggest moments but also are the complete package.
“When you look at a kid like Eric Dixon from Abington – he’s 6-8, he’s that physical specimen, but he can go out and shoot the three and beat you off the dribble and obviously beat you in the post. Taylor is that same kind of player. She’s got that elite first-step speed, that Division I speed to beat you off the dribble. She’s developed a pull-up three-point jump shot, she has the ability to finish with her right hand and create offense from defense.”
Just as she makes putting the ball in the basket look easy, the PW senior – who excelled for a volleyball team that won back-to-back league conference titles - does the same in track. Last year, she finished second in the state in high jump with a leap of 5-5 at the PIAA 3A meet. She also was a medalist in the 300m hurdles.
“I was thinking about doing both in college for a while, but I think I’m just going to stick with basketball,” said O’Brien, who has committed to continue her basketball career at Bucknell University. “I always thought about doing high jump because it’s not really a huge time commitment, but doing two sports and school – I’m so grateful just to be going for basketball.”
This spring will be her final go-round for track and once again has her sights set high, but for now, O’Brien’s focus is on finishing out her final high school season strong.
“I don’t want it to end,” she said. “Everybody on the team is like a family now. We’ve been so close for so long, and it makes me so sad that we have to go our separate ways.
“We’re all going to different colleges, we’re all doing different things. It stinks that we can’t have more time together.”
During O’Brien’s four-year high school career – which isn’t over yet – the Colonials have a 77-25 record and were back-to-back undefeated SOL American Conference champions.
For the second time in as many years, O’Brien is a finalist for the PA Gatorade Player of the Year. She was just named the Markwood Club’s Player of the Year (suburban). After earning second team honors as a freshman, O’Brien has earned first team all-league honors in each of the last three years. Last year, she was a first team all-state selection.
When the stakes are high, O’Brien elevates her game and has averaged 24 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 14 playoff games. She has over 500 career rebounds, 300 career steals and 250 career assists.
All of those accomplishments – although nice – are secondary to O’Brien, who will always choose to talk about her team instead of herself.
“The girls have been like a second family to me,” she said. “Just their support is surreal. Everybody is so nice to each other, and everybody is supporting one another. Even when Fort (Lauren Fortescue) got her thousand points – that was one of the best days ever for all of us.”
A three-year captain, O’Brien is an undisputed leader of her Colonial squad.
“Last year and this year, she’s become more of a vocal leader within the team,” Dougherty said. “She’s just incredible, she’s absolutely incredible. This is a really special accomplishment. Now we have our eyes set on states.”
The Colonials will take on District 2 runner-up Central York in a PIAA 6A Tournament opening round game at Northern York High School.
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