18 hours Ago By Steve Bennett
For as easy as Ella Wilson makes things look on the basketball court, there was a time when it was a struggle for her just to stay out there. But with some careful steps along the way, Wilson’s ability to balance her athletic attention and medical needs helped her be one of the most consistent players in the Wyoming Valley Conference over the last four season. Wilson will close out her high school career and represent Lake-Lehman High School one final time in the Dr.
George P. Moses Senior All-Star Classic on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The game, which features the top senior basketball players from the WVC, will be held at Wilkes-Barre Area High School. The boys game follows at 8 p.m.
The game is sponsored by The Citizens’ Voice and Wyoming Valley Athletic Association. All proceeds from the game go to families in need and local charities. “I’m really excited to play in the game,” Wilson said.
“I’ve been looking forward to this from the beginning of the season. It will be fun to play with all these kids that I started playing with or against since I was younger. There are some that I didn’t get a chance to play against at all.
” A four-year starter, Wilson burst on the scene as a freshman, understanding her role as a passer and a defender. From there, her game expanded into that of a scorer, where she ended her career with 1, 573 points. This season alone she averaged 17.
2 points per game and shot 70.6% from the free throw line. “My sophomore year I started to have some big games and just kept rolling,” Wilson said.
“I like the pressure, it gives me more motivation with everyone depending on me. I usually don’t let the pressure get to me.” But it was near the end of her sophomore year in a game against Dunmore when things started to not feel right.
Wilson was struggling with her game and losing weight. She knew something was wrong. “It was everything, I was losing weight, just didn’t feel right so I went and got tested,” Wilson said.
“I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Literally over night I put on 40 pounds. I couldn’t shoot and felt like I never played in a basketball game.
My eyesight was messed up.” Players sports was difficult. Her blood sugar would go either really high or really low.
She will not take insulin before a game because activity makes the blood sugar drop faster and lower. “I got really lucky my last game of my sophomore year,” Wilson said. “My AAU season started two weeks later and I didn’t miss a thing.
” Wilson also played volleyball for the Black Knights where she was a three-time all-state selection but basketball is her true love. So much so that she will be attending Mercy University to continue her academic and athletic career where she plans to study physical therapy with the attention of being able to remain around sports. Friday night will be her final game representing Lake-Lehman in the Wyoming Valley Conference.
As a bonus, at halftime she will face off with Valley West’s Annaliese Sierra in the finals of the 3-point contest..
