Daily Pilot High School Female Athlete of the Week: No stage too big for Frankie
Huntington Beach High’s Frankie Wade-Sanchez is young and bold.
She always has been.
Growing up, she watched her older brother, Zachary, train as a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He is a football player at Murray State now, but what Wade-Sanchez remembers most about those interactions is his love for the game.
A curious mind compelled Wade-Sanchez to ask the boys to let her play, and from that point forward, the rest is history. She grinned as she recalled her start in basketball, which began with a pick-up game at the Boys & Girls Club in the second grade.
“I wanted to play with him,” she said. “Once I started, I was like, ‘Hey, I really like this.’ I was also taller than all the boys when I was playing. I was better than them.”
“I definitely love this game, and my brother showed me really good work ethic. That rubbed off on me in how I train and how I get prepared.”
It has been a special season for Wade-Sanchez, who signed with Concordia University during the early period. Having the big decision out of the way has allowed her to keep her focus on her senior season.
Wade-Sanchez is one of six seniors who would like nothing more than to make their final season memorable. Just last week, the Oilers (16-7, 6-1) took a huge step toward accomplishing that goal.
On Monday, Jan. 23, the 5-foot-10 small forward scored 20 points with eight rebounds in a 48-46 victory at Los Alamitos.
The teams had met twice prior this season, with the Griffins (17-6, 6-1) winning both. At the time of the Oilers’ victory, Los Alamitos had appeared on the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division watch list.
“I think it just showed all of us that, ‘Wow, we can actually compete with these teams,’” Wade-Sanchez said of what the win over the Griffins signified. “I think that it gave us a lot of confidence.”
“After the loss against them the first time [in the South Coast Classic final], especially for the seniors, we really wanted to win so bad. It definitely carried over for how we played. I really, truly believe that every single one of my teammates gave 110% effort on the court.”
The forward has not backed away from the spotlight when the games have mattered most. She is averaging 22.1 points and 10 rebounds in seven Sunset League games.
Wade-Sanchez can score in a variety of ways, but she has played a more bruising style of basketball during league. She has stepped inside the three-point line to provide added physicality for the Oilers.
“My favorite thing to do is driving to the basket and just finding gaps,” she said. “With that comes a lot of physical contact and landing super hard.”
Nagging injuries have not deterred her from seeking out the contact. Wade-Sanchez says that she has experienced a hyperextended knee and strained upper calves on both knees.
She said she has no interest in a lighter workload, even if the Oilers could afford to do so.
“Definitely not,” she said. “I don’t think that we would be where we are now without the work that goes into it. I think that’s just something that I always have in my head.
“Whether it’s doing a really hard workout, or a tough practice, knowing that it’s always for the bigger picture.”
As her first foray into the sport suggests, there is nothing shy about Wade-Sanchez. Her vibrant and engaging personality helps to build relationships and team chemistry.
The role of bringing the younger players along is one that Wade-Sanchez takes very seriously.
“I definitely love being able to mentor younger players,” she said. “I feel like I’ve always been that to people. I’ve embraced that, and it makes me feel like I have to always be my best.”
Senior shooting guard Kaylyn Nakaji and Wade-Sanchez were part of an Oilers team that went 10-0 in league their freshmen year. The two met in eighth grade when they were part of the Huntington Beach Waves club team.
Nakaji said that the two of them have become like sisters, and they fight like them, too.
What she admires most about Wade-Sanchez is two-fold. She appreciates her vocal leadership and her ability to make something out of nothing.
“Whether it comes from a play where she gets to the basket, she leads by example in so many ways,” Nakaji said. “She literally can take anyone. Plays like that really ignite the team and get us going.”
Together, the duo often double as pranksters to keep things light-hearted at practice. It was the same when they were freshmen. Oilers Coach Russell McClurg has seen fit to give them nicknames such as “The Odd Couple” and “Yin and Yang.”
“Sometimes, I think they’re getting on each other, but they’re really not,” McClurg said. “I’ll be like, ‘Kaylyn, knock it off,’ and Frankie will be like, ‘Yeah, Kaylyn!’”
“They’ve got a little bit of a joke going on when they catch me off guard.”
McClurg says the two players have bonded over the years and they have a unique and special connection. He hopes that the friendship lasts a lifetime.
The interviews for this story were conducted separately during a Huntington Beach practice, and Nakaji was asked if this was the longest that her and Wade-Sanchez had been apart in a basketball gym since the eighth grade.
Laughing, she said, “Actually, yes, probably.”
Frankie Wade-Sanchez
Born: Dec. 14, 1998
Hometown: Newport Beach
Height: 5 feet 10
Weight: 155 pounds
Sport: Basketball
Year: Senior
Coach: Russell McClurg
Favorite Food: French toast
Favorite Movie: “13 Going On 30”
Favorite Athletic Moment: On the hardwood, last week’s victory at Los Alamitos to grab a share of first place in the Sunset League. Off the court, it’s making her commitment to Concordia University.
Week in Review: Wade-Sanchez had 20 points and eight rebounds in the Oilers’ 48-46 win over the Griffins on Jan. 23. The senior scored half her points in the fourth quarter.
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
