By Joanna Chadwick
Paityn Fritz’s abilities on the basketball court are tough to miss.
“The first thing that people see when they watch Paityn is her ability to get position inside the paint and use her body to finish well around the rim,” coach Justin Ebert said.
But there’s so much more to Fritz’s game.
“What makes Paityn a special player is her court vision and ability to impact the game from the perimeter. Her passing and understanding of the game is at such a high level,” Ebert said.
That knowledge of basketball has come organically – both her parents coached at Salina Sacred Heart. Her dad was an All-American pitcher at Kansas Wesleyan.
“I love basketball because I have played it and watched it since I was born,” Fritz said. “Both of my parents were coaches and taught me the basketball IQ that I have.”
She’s able to recognize what’s happening with opposing defenses, and she’s always looking for her teammates after she gets the rebound.
Fritz’s offensive skills are a key to her dominance in the lane.
“Offensively, she has been one of the most accomplished players at Salina South,” Ebert said. “She is able to take over games on the offensive end and control our offensive output. Teams have to account for her in the paint, and she handles double teams and finds the open shooters.”
She wants to improve her outside shooting, though, which makes sense because Fritz never stops working to learn.
She’s a three-sport athlete, also playing softball and volleyball.
“I don’t specialize because I want to help my school teams out by playing all the sports,” she said. “Also, I have never known what sport I want to play in college, so I was keeping my options open for opportunities.
“… And I have learned more about myself through my other sports, which allows me to be sped up in a game and go back to the basics when needed.”
