Complete package: Philadelphia resident Miriam Prince’s versatile skillset helped Leake Academy to Overall championship

Published 7:07 pm Thursday, March 11, 2021

It’s easy for Leake Academy girls basketball coach Amanda Hatch to go into fan mode when sophomore Miriam Prince is having one of her better games.

Whether it’s shooting a 3 or driving to the rim, Prince’s versatility made her one of the Lady Rebels’ go-to players this past season, in which Leake Academy finished with a 37-2 record, an MAIS Class 4A state championship and an MAIS Overall Tournament championship. Prince, a Philadelphia resident, scored 700 points this year for an average of 17.9 points per contest, and Hatch said she sometimes finds herself watching as if she were in the stands instead of on the sideline.

“She’s a special player you don’t have all the time (in your coaching career),” Hatch said. “Being able to sit back and watch and enjoy her put on a show is great, and she’s also coachable and listens and does what I ask.”

Her abilities are a credit to the many hours Prince dedicates to basketball, even outside of her regular practices and games with Leake Academy. Prince sees the game as a calling, and she said she’s determined to get every ounce of ability that’s in her to show up on the court.

“I feel like God gave me the game of basketball,” Prince said. “It’s my passion; it’s what I love to do.”

That’s why Prince has proven to be so dominant despite only being a sophomore, Hatch said.

“She’s a phenomenal player, especially for such a young age,” Hatch said. “She loves the game and works at it all the time, and she plays with a passion and competitiveness. She’s a sharp shooter and an incredible ball handler, and she sees the floor well and can create not only for herself but for others, too. Over the past year, she’s also really improved her defense. She’s a complete player.”

Prince’s highlight reel on Hudl showcases her 3-point shooting ability, and Prince said she’s shot so many 3s in practices and games over the years that she’s comfortable any time she has an open look from beyond the arc.

“I want to win, and if that means I have an open shot and need to take it, I’m confident,” Prince said.

But if the shots aren’t falling, or just aren’t there at all, Prince isn’t afraid to drive to the basket either.

“She knows I have confidence in her, that she has the green light, so she’s not afraid to take the (3-point) shot,” Hatch explained. “On rare nights when she struggles from outside, she won’t force it. She can create a mid-range shot or get to the rim. She wants the 3 and will take it, but she doesn’t have to settle for it. Her offensive game is complete.”

Which shots she takes is entirely dependent on the situation, Prince said.

“Some games I’m really feeling the 3, and some games the lane is open, so I’ll finish in the lane,” Prince said. “It just has to do with reading the defense. If they back off a little, I’ll pull up, but if they’re in my face, I’ll either drive or kick it out to one of my teammates.”

Her fellow Lady Rebels are a big reason Prince doesn’t feel much pressure during games even if she’s struggling.

“Every one of my teammates is a fantastic shooter,” Prince said. “That’s the best thing in the world, because even when my shots aren’t falling, I have four other girls out there with me whose shots will fall.”

Leake Academy concluded its season Tuesday with a 39-36 win at Hartfield Academy to win the MAIS Overall Tournament. It was an experience Prince said she’ll never forget, and it was made possible by the chemistry she and her teammates had both on and off the court.

“It was a dream come true,” Prince said. “To hold that gold ball is the best feeling because you think about all those hours you put in with the team and individually, all those baselines you ran, and how it was all worth it. 

“We all get along so well outside of basketball. Those girls are my best friends and some of the best people you’ll meet. With all the trials that came our way this season, that was the glue, the factor that some other teams don’t have.”

Those trials included trying to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, which Prince admitted was difficult.

“One of the toughest things was not knowing what to tell people when they’d ask if they could come to our game — or not knowing if we’d get to finish the season,” Prince said. “In December a lot of my teammates either got the virus or got exposed, and we didn’t want to have to cancel the whole season, so worrying about that was tough.”

Now that the season is over, Prince said she’s already thinking about what parts of her game need to get better between now and next winter. One of those areas is defense, which has already become a focal point for her in the last year.

“I want to improve my mid-range game so that can be a secret weapon for me, and I want to step up more defensively,” Prince said. “They say defense wins championships, and I love offense, but I do have to agree with that statement.”