From Jan. 20-21, Sidwell hosted the second annual GEICO Girls Basketball Invitational, a selective mid-season tournament for nationally-ranked high school girls’ basketball teams. After taking home the Invitational last year against No. 1 DeSoto High School while playing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sidwell was ready to run it back this year.

The tournament drew talent from around the nation. No. 2 Sidwell’s competitors included No. 5 La Jolla Country Day School from California, No. 14 Conway High School from Arkansas and No. 19 Webb School from Tennessee. La Jolla fell short to Webb during the first round, and Sidwell won their first-round game against Conway. According to ScoreBook Live, Kendall Dudley and Leah Harmon rallied for 30 of the team’s 66 points.

The team’s final game against the Webb School was a nail-biter. Senior Khia Miller led the team with 12 points, and Leah Harmon followed closely behind with 11.

The victory was attributed to a buzzer-beater from senior and Duke University commit Jadyn Donovan. After receiving a pass from Harmon, Donovan successfully laid the ball up to secure the Quakers the invitational title.

With the final score being 52-50 in favor of the Quakers, confetti, celebration and GEICO-sponsored merchandise followed.

Significant preparation from Sidwell ensured the event was a success. The tournament boasted live ESPN coverage, bringing media teams, cameras and all sorts of equipment into the Athletic Center. With the games played on ESPN, the opportunity for players to be seen by coaches and fans across the country aided massively in recruitment.

In an interview published on Sidwell’s website, assistant Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach and Senior IT Support Specialist Keegan Bowen shared that Sidwell is the only high school in Washington to host an ESPN event of this scale.

ESPN is the country’s leading sports news channel, and its presence at Sidwell helped magnify the team’s tournament win. With thousands of subscribers tuning into ESPN+ to watch the game, Sidwell’s Girls’ Basketball Team’s success reached viewers across the country.

“I have no words to express my gratitude to the entire Quaker community,” Dudley said in an interview from the Sidwell website. Dudley further thanked “the administration for allowing us to host a nationally televised event” and the student section for their support throughout the tournament.