“She’s a Bucket”

You know you’re good at basketball when you have the nickname Hattie Buckets.  Hattie McGraw has been playing varsity basketball since freshman year.  She has been in the starting lineup since sophomore year.

“Hattie is very intense, a great shooter, and a very good defensive player.  She loves basketball,” Coach Andreassi said.

McGraw is always working to be better.  Last year, she set a goal for herself to make 35,000 shots over the course of the summer.  She achieved it by making 500 a day.

“Nobody loves the game more than her,” Andreassi said.

Although she loves the game now, she didn’t always.  McGraw’s older sister, Mackenzie, and their dad were the ones who got her into it.

“I remember bringing home papers about basketball from school.  When my dad saw them, he told us we had to try it.  Hattie immediately said no.  She was not happy,” Mackenzie said.

Hattie admitted she didn’t have any desire to play basketball at first.

“My parents forced me to play and I cried all night,” Hattie said.

Thankfully, she did continue to play because this season, she and her team won the section and competed for the WPIAL and State title.  The team had not won the section in 50 years.  With three returning varsity starters, the team was predicted to have a good season.

“I thought we would win the section because last year, we beat every team.  I thought we’d at least make it to the semifinals of WPIAL’s because we’re a better team this year,” Hattie said. “The playoff experience was filled with ups and downs.”

The team was disappointed to lose in the WPIAL title game, but excited to compete in the state playoffs.  Hattie attributes the team’s closeness to their success.

“Growing up, we all played together, so we felt comfortable playing with each other from the start,” she said.

During her time playing basketball, Hattie has developed a pregame routine that has stuck with her since middle school.

“I pray during the national anthem to help calm my nerves.  It started in 6th grade, and I’ve done it since then,” she said.

In addition to basketball, Hattie also excels in school.  Her favorite subject is math because she is good at it.  When she grows up, Hattie wants to be an actuary.  An actuary is a person who works with numbers in an insurance company.

“In the future, I see Hattie being very successful and having a well planned life,” freshman Karlee Buterbaugh said.  “I admire her faith, determination, and positive attitude.”

Andreassi agrees with Buterbaugh on their thoughts of Hattie’s future.

“I see Hattie playing basketball in college and being a very successful ‘pro in life’,” Andreassi said.  “If Hattie doesn’t make it, then we’re all in trouble.”

As far as advice for upcoming basketball players goes, Hattie says to “play with confidence and don’t be nervous.  Looking back on my freshman year, I didn’t have anything to be nervous about.”