Aubrey Canth entered this season as a role player on the Hand girls’ basketball team. Now, Head Coach Tim Tredwell is realizing that Aubrey can provide much more than a quick spark off the bench.

Aubrey is a junior who suits up at the guard position for Hand girls’ hoops. The Tigers were shorthanded during the holiday break, but Aubrey stepped in and capitalized on her playing time by making some crucial contributions for Coach Tredwell’s club.

“Aubrey has really taken advantage of her opportunities this season. She’s a smart and active defensive player and efficient on the offensive end,” says Tredwell. “Aubrey’s done an outstanding job of understanding the assignment and staying within herself. My confidence in her grows every day. If she keeps playing the way she’s capable of playing, she will be a big part of our team’s success going forward.”

Aubrey has been playing basketball since she was in 3rd grade. Aubrey started out playing soccer, but then her friends convinced her to join a recreational basketball team with them, and she’s been on the court ever since.

“All of my soccer friends were going to start playing, so I asked my parents if I could, too,” Aubrey says. “My favorite part of playing is definitely my teammates, who I have grown up and spent so much time with over the years. It’s one of the sports with lower numbers and, for that reason, I’ve only become closer with my team.”

Hand is off to a 4-1 start this season, and Aubrey has contributed to that success by displaying a nice scoring touch on the floor. Thus far, the junior guard is shooting 37.5 from 3-point range and 46.2 percent overall from the field for the Tigers. Aubrey has great hopes for her team and wants to help Hand go on another deep postseason run this winter.

“Expectations for this program have been very high for a very long time, and this group specifically has everything we need to exceed them and more,” says Aubrey. “We have all the tools to do extremely well this season and, if we keep working hard and, most importantly, work together, there are big things coming. We’ve started out the season strong and have quickly realized what we are capable of and, so far, it has been so much fun.”

Aubrey has shared several notable moments with her teammates through the years. Some of Aubrey’s favorite memories have come while celebrating alongside her fellow Tigers following a big victory, but in the end, she appreciates every aspect of the journey.

“I have had so many great experiences and memories from my youth through high school,” Aubrey says. “In the long run, each and every moment I’ve spent smiling and laughing with my teammates and friends are some pretty great memories that the sport has given me.”

Aubrey also appreciates that she’s had the opportunity to work with Coach Tredwell since her freshman season. Aubrey believes that the efforts of Tredwell are one of the biggest reasons why Hand has seen so much success in recent years.

“I am so grateful to be coached by someone as passionate about this team as Coach Tredwell. Our team chemistry starts with him,” says Aubrey. “He comes to practice every day with a positive attitude and a certain energy that shows how much he wants to be there. His commitment to this program just recently brought him his well-deserved 200th win, and I am so fortunate to be a part of it.”

Aubrey says that a lack of confidence on the court has been detrimental to her at times throughout her basketball career. However, Aubrey worked on building her confidence during the recent offseason, and now she’s starting to hit her stride with the Tigers.

“Aside from working out on my own outside of practice on shooting, finishing, and strength, what I have found that I need to work on most is getting out of my own head and playing with confidence,” Aubrey says. “That’s what I’ve been focusing more on recently.”