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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hoover’s Aniya Hubbard (5) shoots the ball guarded by Spain Park’s Alanah Pooler (50) and Camille Chase (24) in a game at Spain Park High School on Dec. 15.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hoover’s Reniya Kelly (10) dribbles the ball toward the goal guarded by Spain Park’s Camille Chase (24) in a game at Spain Park High School on Dec. 15.
There didn’t seem to be anything different about this fall to the floor. Aniya Hubbard is accustomed to hitting the deck a few times a game due to her aggressive style of play on the basketball court.
She normally hops up in a second. But not this time.
“At first, I didn’t think too much about it, because normally when I hurt myself or fall, I just bounce right back up,” said Hubbard, now a junior at Hoover High School.
Hubbard’s 2019-20 season came to an end in the Class 7A Northeast Regional final, as she suffered a knee injury that would sideline her for the remainder of the Lady Bucs’ playoff run.
Hoover went on to win that game and the state semifinal, but the Lady Bucs fell to Spain Park in the state championship game. Hoover lost just three games all season, two of them to its cross town rival.
“I was devastated because Aniya usually just gets up,” sophomore guard Reniya Kelly said. “It was devastating, but at the same time, I wanted to win for my teammate, for her. For us not to win was heartbreaking.”
Hubbard and Kelly joined the Hoover varsity squad in 2018-19, a season that saw the Lady Bucs go 34-1 and win the 7A state title. But they were unable to repeat the feat last season, due in part to not having one of their top players available in Hubbard.
It certainly was not easy for Hubbard to sit and watch helplessly as the Lady Bucs left the BJCC with a runner-up trophy in March.
“It was really hard. I’m a ‘ball is life’ type of person,” Hubbard said. “Watching other people do stuff is hard because I want to be out there, helping and contributing to the team and being a part of the glory and excitement that they have.”
Hubbard said she felt bad for not being there at the end to help her team but was determined to rehabilitate her knee and return stronger than ever this season. She said she is back to full health, but she still has the occasional mental hurdles that come with recovering from a knee injury.
This season, the duo of Hubbard and Kelly are back together and performing at an extremely high level.
“They have a very special bond,” Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson said. “They joined the team together, one as an eighth grader and one as a ninth grader. They have exceeded expectations for what I think people probably expected from them, since they’re so young.”
Johnson said Hubbard and Kelly are the two best players in the state but likely won’t get the deserved recognition due to being on the same team.
“They’re unselfish, which is something I love about them. While they’re both here, chances are both of them will average less points than somebody who is on a team with people who aren’t to their level,” Johnson said.
On the court, Kelly can score from all levels of the floor, particularly with her outside shot. Hubbard is considered more of a slasher, as she looks to attack the basket at every opportunity.
“Aniya brings a spark to my game,” Kelly said.
Hubbard also used the word spark to describe the effect playing with Kelly has on her.
“We were born to play with each other,” Hubbard said.
Both players are aware they are capable of putting up gaudy statistics night in and night out, but they understand the bigger picture.
“I don’t care about scoring, even though I want to score at the same time,” Kelly said. “I could average 25 [points per game]. That’s possible, but if my teammates are open, then why not pass it to them and give them a chance to score?”
That comment is not to be mistaken for a lack of passion, however. Kelly and Hubbard hold each other accountable at every turn and have the desire to edge the other like close friends.
“We’re both very competitive; we always want to beat each other, but we’re on the same team,” Hubbard said.
Both Kelly and Hubbard have surpassed 1,000 career points this season.
The Lady Bucs have two seniors this season, with Rachel Hager and Jada Knight doing their part to become more vocal leaders for a team looking to recapture the accolades that come with winning a state title. Johnson asserts those two, along with Hubbard and Kelly, do all the talking needed for the team.
For Hoover to get back to that point, its two best players will need to be at their best. Their coach believes when that happens, there is not much that can stop them.
“Both could go down as some of the best players to ever play at Hoover High School, which is huge because we’ve had a lot of great players here,” Johnson said. “The bond that they have with each other is something that you don’t normally see between players that are so good.”