She quickly glances up at the stands, spotting her parents cheering wildly. Distancing herself from her opponents, she braces herself to catch a pass. Deftly dribbling the ball across the court, she locks her eyes onto the white rectangle drawn on the backboard. Pivoting, she extends her arm towards the hoop to sink yet another 3-pointer as the crowd erupts into cheers. This is Brynne Hennessy ’21’s third 3-pointer, putting her at 20 points scored against Bordentown on February 28.

Hennessy started playing basketball in sixth grade after making the middle school team as one of two sixth graders. However, Hennessy’s passion for playing sports began much earlier than middle school. Growing up, she was surrounded by the influence of an athletic family. Her father, Steve Hennessy, is a gym teacher at Johnson Park Elementary School and an assistant coach for the PHS Boy’s Basketball team, her mother is a personal trainer, and her brother played football at PHS. Encouraged to stay active and play recreational sports throughout her childhood, Brynne soon realized that basketball was her passion.

“I think my parents just decided I should try out basketball, why not? And then I ended up liking it, a lot more than the other sports that I played,” Hennessy said.

Although basketball is not the only sport she has played, it is the one she enjoys the most because of the engagement and freedom she feels on court. Taking this passion into high school, Hennessy joined the PHS girls basketball team. Since her first game, she has worked consistently to improve her execution, while putting the relationship of the team first. Through her passion for the sport and emphasis on the importance of teamwork, Hennessy has earned the spot of captain for all four years: two years as the JV captain and two years as the Varsity captain. 

With many of the team members being freshmen this year, Hennessy, as team captain, assumed the responsibility of keeping the team organized and motivated. Embodying her team’s motto, Hennessy has emphasized the importance of communication for a new team. 

“We [have a motto] called PEACH: Positivity, Enthusiasm, Aggressiveness, Communication, Hard work... Right now, I think what’s most important is the C in Communication [because] I want to make sure that we’re all understanding each other,” said Hennessy.

Along with emphasizing teamwork, Hennessy brings her personality and motivational energy to every game and practice. Head Coach David Kosa attests to Hennessy’s ability to keep the energy of the team high during tough moments.

“When we get into the gym, [Brynne] is always... positive [and] always joking around. It really creates a fun atmosphere. So on those tough days where, you know, we might come in early in the morning on a Saturday or we [have] just come off of a tough game, her vibrant personality really picks up the team,” Kosa said. 

Like in any sport, injuries are almost unavoidable. Hennessy suffered a number of concussions, with her most serious one being in January 2020. At times, injuries like these have made Hennessy question whether to continue basketball because of how demanding the comeback process is. However, she found the motivation to keep playing from her teammates.

“I remember I couldn’t shoot free throws. I was trying to shoot them and before [my injury] I was at eight or 10. But when I came back, I just could not make any,” said Hennessy. “But my teammates really helped me with my confidence. I would never want to let them down.”

Despite concussions that took her out of school and basketball for months, Hennessy returned to the court determined to make good decisions and stay focused. With this positive attitude, Hennessy soon returned to peak performance.

“I was the leading scorer last year by average, [even though] I had to miss nine whole games due to a concussion,” Hennessy said.

Returning to the team this year, Hennessy is looking forward to creating friendships with her new teammates and building bonds. Within her role as captain, she prioritizes the importance of confidence and hard work.

“I think a lot of times, high school students doubt their capabilities. And I know high school is obviously a very stressful time, but just by having faith in yourself, you can do pretty much anything that you put your mind to,” Hennessy said.