Terri Bamford’s 27-year legacy as La Jolla Country Day School girls basketball coach speaks for itself.
Some 750 wins. Twenty-one Coastal League championships. Fifteen CIF division championships. Nine Southern California Regional championships. Four state championships. Women’s Basketball Coaches Association high school National Coach of the Year in 2020.
Now she can add another accolade to her resumé: being immortalized on the court that Country Day hoops are played on.
The school last month formally dedicated Terri Bamford Court at Smith Gymnasium, honoring her impressive coaching run. Former and current players joined faculty, family members and students in cheering her on.
Former players join faculty members and others at a dedication ceremony for Terri Bamford Court before La Jolla Country Day School’s girls basketball game against Torrey Pines High School. (Provided by Jeff Hutzler)
“It was really cool,” Bamford said. “They contacted a lot of the alumni, so they said they were going to have some people there. But then some of the alums reached out to me and said they were coming.”
The dedication took place before the Torreys hosted Torrey Pines High School on Dec. 12. The game held extra significance as Torrey Pines’ head coach, Alaysia Styles, is a Country Day alumna who went on to play at UC Berkeley and Syracuse University.
The crowd was a mix of people Bamford had kept in touch with regularly and others she hadn’t seen in years.
“I didn’t think I would get emotional, but I did when they announced it and I saw everybody,” Bamford said. “It was great to catch up with everybody after the game.”
The Torreys won 62-30. The victory came as a bit of a relief, as Bamford thought the dedication ceremony might distract from the game. “But it ended up good,” she said.
New flooring was installed at Smith Gymnasium over the summer. When students and faculty returned to school after summer break, Bamford got a sneak peek of what would soon be known as Terri Bamford Court.
“I was kind of in awe,” Bamford said. “Someone actually sent me a picture that I thought was a joke. I thought it was AI [that] made it and I thought ‘That’s really funny.’ But then I found out it wasn’t a joke, it was actually real.”
In addition to her on-the-court successes, Bamford has seen five of her players become McDonald’s All-Americans. A total of 50 former players went on to play college hoops, and three made it to the WNBA, according to Jeff Hutzler, Country Day’s director of athletics.
The WNBA crossovers consist of Candice Wiggins, a third overall pick in the WNBA draft and the 2008 Sixth Woman of the Year; Kelsey Plum, a first pick in the draft who broke the NCAA career scoring record at Washington and became a two-time WNBA champion; and Te-Hina Paopao, who won an NCAA title in 2024 with South Carolina.
“I’m just honored, blessed to be here this long and to have the opportunity to coach so many really great players,” Bamford said. “The players have gone on and done some really special things, so it’s clearly a tribute to them and the assistant coaches I’ve had over the years.”
La Jolla Country Day girls basketball coach Terri Bamford speaks to the team during the CIF Open Division playoffs in 2023. (File)
Those relationships are the most fulfilling aspect of what she does, she said.
“Coaching is trying to help kids fulfill their dreams, so you put a lot of energy, emotion and everything to help them achieve what they want to achieve,” Bamford said. “And when you see those dreams actually come true, it’s pretty special.”
And she’s not done yet.
“It’s a great place to work, and I’m not ready to retire yet,” Bamford said. “So I don’t think there’s a better place [to be].” ♦