As a sophomore on Sedona Red Rock High School’s basketball team, Nyah Valdez was not only one of the top players but also a team captain — a role that more often than not is held by older players.
With only one senior on a roster otherwise made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores, some of the leadership responsibilities were naturally going to fall on the shoulders of younger players. But people who have worked with Valdez note that her maturity would make her a strong captain even on older teams.
“She’s really intelligent,” SRRHS coach Kirk Westervelt said of Valdez. “She’s highly skilled and can dissect a game quickly and intelligently.”
“As a sophomore, she listens well, is a deep thinker, has a maturity beyond her years and processes ideas or questions before responding,” added Paul Pavlich, Valdez’s Spanish teach-er. “She is kind to those around her, engaged and tolerant of others. She is always respectful and leads by example on and off the floor.”
As outside shooters are sometimes prone to do, Valdez experienced something of a shooting slump roughly halfway through the last basketball season. But as the season grew deeper, Valdez began to rediscover her shot. In the season’s final six games, Valdez was always her team’s leading or second leading scorer.
She had 27 points in the final regular season game [making a career-high seven three-pointers], 15 in Sedona’s play-in game victory and 20 in the team’s Round of 16 loss. Westervelt noted that even during Valdez’s struggles, the team’s confidence in her remained high.
“I kept on her and told her, ‘you have the green light all the time,’” he said. “I remember watching Kobe [Bryant] in Phoenix once. He was like 0-for-15 in the first half then had 30 in the second half. It’s kind of the same thing with Nyah. She didn’t let it get in her head. We believed in her and she kept on shooting.”
Given her prowess as a long-distance shooter, it’s not surprising that the player that Valdez models her game after the most is Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. But it isn’t only Curry’s shooting skills that Valdez follows.
“He is a good role model and he makes me laugh,” Valdez said. “I watched the Curry MasterClass videos and I’ve incorporated many of his moves and shooting style into my game.”
Away from basketball, Valdez spends a lot of time in the gym. She also comes from a family of mountain bikers and last year began to compete in that sport, as well.
While Valdez is new to the mountain biking, especially compared to her family, she’s taken a quick shine to it. While racing for the Sedona Mountain Bike School Team, Valdez finished fifth in the girls JV2 division for the season that wrapped up in November.
“I’m relatively new to mountain biking — it doesn’t always feel like it because the rest of my family has been racing for a long time,” she said. “Last year was my first year racing and I was pleasantly surprised with how fun it was and my results. I enjoyed the team camaraderie and the camping experience. I’m excited for next year.”
Away from sports, Valdez also excels in school. Pavlich recalled a video project he assigned for his Spanish class, which could have been “daunting” to some. But Valdez’s project was ultimately shown to the faculty as an example of what “going above and beyond” is.
“She can be quiet and is a very observant learner, but when she is asked to step up either on the basketball floor or in the classroom, she is instantly willing and able to contribute and set the bar for those around her,” Pavlich said. “Nyah leads by example and work ethic, all done with a contagious smile. Most importantly she is an amazing human being and people want to be around her.”
