'The Heart and Soul of the Backcourt'

In her freshman year, Alex Long was thrust into the starting lineup.

At the time, Flint Hill School had junior Maggie Connealy set to start at point guard. But a sprained ankle just before the start of the season forced Coach Jody Patrick to put in Connealy's freshman counterpart.

Turns out, Long could handle the pressure, with Patrick noticing no drop off in the quality of play or leadership when Long stepped in.

She has evolved into one of the best shooters in the school's history, netting her 1,000th point earlier this month. Long is the second Flint Hill player to ever hit the milestone.

"Since her freshman year, Alex has been the heart and soul of the backcourt," Patrick said. "She's stepped up in so many ways, and the team really looks to her."

Now Long is a seasoned senior, already signed to play Division I basketball with Davidson College, who is tasked with leading a young team after graduation left the Huskies without many of the standouts who led them to the state finals last season.

She has transitioned into a leadership role seamlessly, Patrick said.

"She's been so even-keeled about everything, even when the pressure is on," Patrick said. "She's a quiet leader, leads by example. But I'll tell ya, when she does talk, people listen."

Before Long started her freshman year of high school, she and her family made the tough decision to transfer from Potomac School to archrival Flint Hill School.

Long, her family and the Flint Hill basketball community could not be happier with the decision.

"The chemistry of the team and the great coaching staff here is really what drew me to Flint Hill," said Long, who stands at 5-foot-9. "I'm really glad I did."

Having had such a good experience with her teammates and coaches in high school, Long made it a priority to find a college where she felt comfortable in a similar way. Davidson met her requirements, Long said.

"The coaching staff, which was really important to me when I was looking at colleges, they were very up front with me and serious," the 17-year-old said. "I really liked what they showed me and had to offer me so it looked like it was the best fit for me."

Long has been passionate about basketball since she started in second grade. She became more serious about the sport after joining AAU in the fourth grade, and it's likely it'll remain an important part of her for the rest of her life.

"It's always been my passion to play. The game in general and working on a team is just fun," Long said. "It's not an individual sport, you really have your team behind you and I really like that chemistry."