As Co-Captain of the Andover Girls Basketball team, Sophie Dandawa ’25, a four-year Senior on the team, is eager to lead her teammates with energy, enthusiasm, and a focus on building unity both on and off the court. Alongside Co-Captains Emerson Buckley ’25 and Ava Davey ’25, Dandawa aims to create an environment where every player feels supported, motivated, and connected.
Despite playing basketball for less time than some of her teammates, Dandawa’s passion for the game and her commitment to improvement have made her an integral leader of the team.
“I’m really excited to lead this team with Emerson and Ava. We’ve been together for four years, and having the opportunity to help lead our team is just amazing. We want to create a fun, friendly, and energetic environment, and I’m excited to see where we can take the team this season,” said Dandawa.
Jules Stevenson ’28 noted that Dandawa brought energy to the team throughout the entirety of the team’s first game. She explained how an encouraging speech helped the team persevere through the whole game and secure the win.
“On and off the bench, we just had energy throughout the whole game which helped us win. The Captains really helped us bring the energy. They delivered a good speech to hype us up in the beginning and we just carried it on throughout the game,” said Stevenson.
The season started with a 30-point win over the Pomfret School, a promising victory for the year ahead. Although Dandawa was unable to play due to a hamstring injury, she was still a major factor in the team’s success. From the sidelines, Dandawa cheered on her teammates, thrilled to see their hard work and preparation pay off.
There were a lot of nerves going into that game with four new players on the team, but seeing everything come together was awesome. We’ve put in a lot of work during the offseason and before Thanksgiving break, and it was amazing to see that pay off in our first game,” Dandawa said.
One of Dandawa’s key focuses as a Co-Captain is fostering cohesion among the players. With several new faces on the team this year, it’s vital for the group to bond quickly and develop strong communication both on and off the court. In addition to regular team practices, the team has started holding weekly family dinners, a tradition that has helped bring everyone closer.
“We do a lot of fun things outside of practice, like dinners after games and practices, that really helps build team unity. We’re all in this together, and we want to make sure everyone feels excited and supported,” said Dandawa.
Having been friends with Dandawa since middle school, Buckley talked about how their relationship has not changed throughout the years. Recalling their time playing soccer in middle school, Buckley commented on how Dandawa’s energetic attitude has made her daily life more fun.
“Something special about Sophie and I is that we’re also really close friends outside of basketball. Sophie and I actually played club soccer together when we were in middle school. Fifth, sixth, and seventh grade, but what’s been the most memorable or the special moments we’ve shared together, just anything that we do. Basketball is always so fun. Like, the bus trips to away games or team dinners after practice. Sophie just makes all the normal daily activities so much more fun,” said Buckley.
Buckley also described Dandawa’s ability to bring the team together. Through mundane tasks such as ‘shoot arounds’ or hanging out in the locker room after practice, Dandawa is still able to cater to everyone on the team and emphasize their importance to the team.
“We have girls that obviously are Freshmen, Lowers, and Uppers. She’s really good at making sure she’s obviously including everyone, but also making them feel like they serve an important role on this team no matter what because obviously they all do. I honestly think she’s like a big sister to a lot of the girls because of just the really close relationships she builds with each one of them,” said Buckley.
Dandawa’s dedication to defense is one of the qualities that sets her apart as a player. The tenacity such a role entails reflects Dandawa’s character in adapting to pressure and staying resilient. Although she recognizes that there are areas of her game she can continue to improve, particularly in terms of her offensive skills and shot confidence, her defensive intensity is something she takes pride in.
“I’ve always loved playing defense. I enjoy raising the intensity, getting steals, and putting pressure on the ball. I’ve worked a lot on my defense over the years, and that’s one of my strengths,” said Dandawa.
