By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Tahlia Walton, a former University of Washington standout and 2016 WNBA draft pick by the Los Angeles Sparks, is leading the Seattle Prep girls varsity basketball team through a season defined by transformation and tenacity. As head coach, Walton has embraced the challenge of mentoring a young and reshaped roster after the graduation of six seniors.
Despite the team’s growing pains, Walton has instilled a high-tempo, guard-focused playing style that has the team in a position to make a run in the state playoffs.
“We are still kind of establishing who we want to be in the playoffs and in the postseason. We are pretty guard heavy, so we try to play at a faster pace, and I think that is working for us,” said Walton. “We have a lot of different skill sets, so finding ways to put that all together has been both challenging and rewarding at the same time and I am excited to see what this group can do these next few weeks.”
Walton describes herself as a “tough” coach and says that it stems from her belief in the impact basketball can have on young women. She coaches with intensity not only to develop players on the court, but to prepare them for challenges they will face in life both on and off the court.
“I think a couple words that you always hear about me is toughness, whether that’s mentally, physically, or emotionally. I’m big on accountability and ultimately showing every day that you are doing the work,” said Walton. “I understand the game at a different level, and I am just helping the girls learn those life lessons through this game and using basketball as a vehicle to get them to whatever is next for them.”
“Even if the goal isn’t college basketball, that is okay, let’s help you prepare for life after high school and life after sports,” Walton added.
Drawing on her own college experience, Walton says it was those lessons that have influenced her philosophy when it comes to coaching.
“In college we were told to control the controllables, and I think that is so much bigger than basketball alone. It is just a day-to-day thing, that is what we need to prioritize and how we can prepare,” said Walton. “I just try to make sure that they understand that if something is in your control, you want to make sure you are making the most of it because there are going to be a lot of things in this lifetime that happen that aren’t in your control.”
Recently, Walton reunited with her former University of Washington teammates for a ten-year reunion. Although Kelsey Plum was unable to attend, a video message she shared with Walton and the team made her begin to reflect on that period of her life and how those experiences helped shape her into the coach she is today.
“We always believed in ourselves, and our coaches believed in us and that is the same message that I preach to our girls. All you need is right here and the coaching staff, anything outside of that is not controllable, so it’s not up to us,” Walton said. “I really try to hammer on the point that these are your sisters, this is your family, and to invest in this and let’s just see what happens. Continue to show up for each other, the game, yourself, and for family.”
Walton places high value on player development, particularly during the formative high school years. She takes a holistic approach that prioritizes emotional growth alongside athletic improvement.
“One of my goals is to help our girls prevent the feeling of regret in the future because that is a terrible feeling, so I am trying to get them to understand that they need to do something today that their future self will thank them for,” Walton said. “Whether that is next week or eight years down the road. But development to me is not just about on the court, and it is more so emotional than physical at this age with teenage girls.”
In recent weeks, the emotional demands of coaching have become more apparent for Walton, who balances her role with a full-time day job.
“This is a very timely topic. Coaching can really feel like a timeless and challenging job at times because you are dealing with different emotions, upbringings, and personalities all at once. I have a 9-5-day job, and then after that I am committing that time to other people and their kids,” said Walton. “But a big reason I keep going is because even if my girls don’t hear me right now, I hope that me and my coaching staff are planting and watering those seeds in them to help them grow over time.”
“Seeing that moment in them when the light turns on and everything clicks, or you can see someone find that confidence again, I think about those moments and always remind myself to keep going,” continued Walton. “I know that God has called me to do this work, so I know that he will also provide these trends to get through all the ups and downs that come with it.”
As the team reaches the final stretch of the season and prepares to enter the playoffs this week, Walton said she is most proud of her players’ resilience throughout the year.
“I think that there was a lot of bumps in the road, and when you have a record like ours it sometimes is hard to always see the light at the end of the tunnel. But they continue to show up even on days maybe where they didn’t want to. I am not an easy coach, I have high standards and sometimes that can be a lot for the girls,” Walton said. “But they continue to show up, be resilient, and I am really proud of the toughness that they have developed over these last few months and I am excited to see what we can do these last few weeks.”