As the girls warmed up, whispers of a rumor spread around the team. “Is it really her?” “Wow, she is in the WNBA!” “No way!”

These rumors turned into reality when Women’s National Basketball Association player Tayler Hill introduced herself to the team. “It was definitely a surprise,” junior Jeline Claiborne said. “It was really cool.”

Hill has many ties to Minnesota girls basketball. Hill was a standout at Minneapolis South High School, where she set the all-time scoring record in Minnesota. She went on to star at Ohio State University, and was drafted fourth in the WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics for the 2012-2013 season. She just returned from playing basketball overseas in Israel.

The girls got the opportunity to hear about Hill’s career and ask her questions about life as a WNBA player. She then worked with the guards in some offensive drills.

The girls hope that Hill’s visit can get them excited for their first game that week. “I think she will lift people’s spirits and inspire us and give us a little more drive to win and push really hard,” Claiborne said. “We could be her one day, it all starts with the first game.”

The Spartans will face Cristo Rey Jesuit High School at Cristo Rey on Nov. 27 at 6:00 pm.

“I think people will work really hard. The memory of today will be pretty fresh in our minds,” Claiborne said.

This article has been revised to reflect the following update: “Ohio States” has been changed to “Ohio State University.”