FREMONT – After torching defenses to the tune of 20-plus factors in any given recreation, Shirina Shi heads again to her household’s Fremont dwelling.
There, the behind-the-scenes work continues for the American Excessive standout.
Shi’s fast-paced arsenal of sharp crossovers, knee-buckling hesitations and difficult dribbles – strikes so efficient teammates have deemed her ball dealing with mastery as “godlike” – are additional sharpened the old school manner.
The 16-year-old sophomore guard meticulously practices her strikes for round an hour within the yard on heat evenings and contained in the storage on chillier nights.
“Especially if I’m not satisfied with my performances, I will keep working,” Shi mentioned.
American’s Shirina Shi, proper, dribbles throughout observe at American Excessive Faculty in Fremont, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
That drive, together with prodigious expertise and athleticism that far outsizes her 5-foot-3 body, has helped Shi garner curiosity from faculties and lead a resurgent Eagles group that has desires of profitable this system’s first North Coast Part title.
Shi scored 35 factors in wins over Half Moon Bay and Mission San Jose and 20 or extra factors in all however three of her video games to date.
At 15-4, American has already surpassed final season’s win whole thanks largely to Shi’s fearless play, a resolve cast on the courts at close by Northgate Park as a younger baby.
Her grandfather, whom Shi mentioned was additionally a gifted basketball participant again in his youth, would take his granddaughter to the native park and have her be taught by taking part in towards the boys.
“I was always the fastest … and the smallest,” Shi remembered. “I obviously was not the best, but I learned to play like I wanted to play.”
The love of the sport was additional nurtured by her dad and mom, Amy Zhang and Charles Shi, as their daughter turned obsessive about getting baskets.
Her relentless type, outlined by a endless blitz of crossovers and frenetic dribble-drives searching for layups amongst a lot taller gamers, has translated from the park to the highschool courtroom.
Shi instantly turned American’s high scorer as a freshman after lighting up the AAU circuit as a middle-schooler.
“I’ve known her since fifth grade, so there’s nothing she’s done that is surprising,” teammate Leann Wang mentioned.
American’s Shirina Shi, far left, dribbles throughout observe at American Excessive Faculty in Fremont, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Shi is the newest in an extended line of prolific bucket-getters who’ve performed beneath longtime coach Keith Ramee. It’s an inventory that features former faculty gamers Chiara Brown and Dawson Bell.
Ramee sees Shi, who additionally has a 4.0 GPA, becoming a member of them within the faculty ranks upon graduating from American.
Watching Shi carve up defenses, it’s straightforward to see why.
She’s snug ending across the rim with each arms and has a compact taking pictures type that may be unleashed off the dribble or catch if given even the slightest sliver of house.
“If I attack the gaps, that can create more opportunities for my teammates,” Shi mentioned.
That playmaking eye has turned her into the unquestioned ground common for the Eagles. She is requested to stability her scoring bursts with executing the sort of passing reads that faculty groups will want her to make on the subsequent degree.
The blossoming curiosity from faculties – UC Santa Cruz and Cal State Monterey, amongst them – is one thing Shi is grateful for and motivated by.
“You have so much more weight on you, and more expectations,” Shi mentioned. “Just because you have those offers, that doesn’t mean you can work less. If anything, you have to work harder.”
It’s no shock that the Bay Space native patterns her recreation after Stephen Curry, though because the WNBA prepares to enter the area, Shi’s additionally began to pay attention to that league’s greatest star.
“Caitlin Clark, with her three-point range and how she’s changed the game, how she’s changed women’s basketball, I just love her game,” Shi mentioned.
Shi’s teammates, who embody fellow captains Sahana Pamarthy and Wang, dub her because the funniest individual on the group, liable to interrupt into random dances and get off witty one-liners to maintain the temper gentle in observe.
On the courtroom is a special matter.
“She takes things very seriously and she wants to win, and a lot of us back her up,” Pamarthy mentioned. “We all piggyback off of Shirina’s energy.”
American’s Shirina Shi takes a shot throughout observe at American Excessive Faculty in Fremont, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
That power doesn’t simply translate on the offensive facet of the ball for Shi, who is way from a one-dimensional gunner.
Shi has turn out to be an enthusiastic – if nonetheless bettering – stopper on the perimeter after being picked on defensively as a freshman.
“Everyone thinks she’s just a great scorer, but I think she’s a great all-around player who will get even better over the next two years,” Ramee mentioned.
Regardless that Shi has the expertise to play at a extra established highschool basketball powerhouse, she’s very happy to placed on the Eagles jersey.
“Staying home, and representing them, is a big thing for me,” Shi mentioned.
If Shi continues to enhance, the scholarship presents might proceed to roll in no matter the place she’s taking part in her highschool hoops.
However faculty continues to be years away.
Proper now, Shi is concentrated on serving to the Eagles prepare for what could possibly be a deep postseason run.
And with a high-scoring expertise like Shi main the best way, something is feasible.
American’s Shirina Shi throughout observe at American Excessive Faculty in Fremont, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Initially Printed: February 1, 2025 at 8:05 AM PST
