Waubonsie Valley guard Danyella Mporokoso didn’t sneak up on any opponents this season.
But she still got the drop on them.
The 5-foot-7 Mporokoso followed a sensational freshman season with a super sophomore season, and she did it from a different position and with increased exposure and responsibility.
“She’s our point guard now,” Waubonsie Valley coach Brett Love said. “She was our shooting guard last year. So she’s learning that point of view of the game. I think at times she tried to put the team on her back and tried to take over at times, but she made a big jump in her understanding of the game.”
Indeed, Mporokoso, the 2023-24 Naperville Sun Girls Basketball Player of the Year, became more comfortable as the season progressed and the wins piled up. She led the Warriors to a school-record 32 wins and fourth place in Class 4A for the program’s first state trophy.
“I feel like I got a lot more confidence, a lot more of an ability to read situations to do more moves,” she said. “But I still need to definitely improve on shooting skills.”
That’s a scary thought for defenses that got diced in a variety of ways by Mporokoso, who averaged 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.6 steals. She was the DuPage Valley Conference player of the year and was named to both the Illinois Media Class 4A all-state second team and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A all-state second team.
Mporokoso was the unquestioned go-to scorer for the Warriors (32-5) and consistently came through in the clutch. She scored on a driving layup at the buzzer in a 62-60 win over Neuqua Valley that clinched Waubonsie Valley’s first DVC title, and she twice made shots to force overtime in the playoffs. The first was a layup with 13 seconds left in a 63-61 win over Benet in the Oswego Sectional final, and the second was a 3-pointer with seven ticks left in a 55-53 upset of Alton in the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional.
“I wouldn’t say I enjoy it, but I’ve got to get it done,” Mporokoso said of such stressful situations. “I know if it comes down to it, I’ve got to get it done, and then the end result is obviously having fun. It’s always rewarding.”
Nazareth, which beat Waubonsie Valley twice, including in the state semifinals, was one of the few teams able to somewhat contain Mporokoso.
“Our focus point was to stop Danyella because she’s awesome,” Nazareth guard Amalia Dray said. “They have a bunch of other people who hit shots, so the main thing was we wanted to stop penetration.”
Nazareth limited Mporokoso to 13 points during its 59-35 win in the regular-season finale. She had 16 points in the Warriors’ 69-44 loss in the state semifinals but drew praise from Nazareth coach Eddie Stritzel.
“She’s a monster,” Stritzel said. “She’s so talented with her jumping ability. You’re not going to hold her. We just wanted to make her work for everything she got, and I felt we did that. She’s a unique athlete.”
That is evident by the way Mporokoso and her teammates adjusted to the increased attention.
“Everyone knows who she is now, so we do have to prepare differently,” Army-bound senior Hannah Laub said. “Coach Love does a good job of getting us prepared for that.
“We work to get her open a lot, but she puts in the work to get open and still be able to score. She has stepped up, especially with us being a younger team.”
As good as this season was, the future could be even brighter for Mporokoso and the Warriors. Laub is the only rotation player who graduates.
“Danyella has improved everywhere at all levels,” Love said. “I’m expecting her to make another jump this spring and summer with her training, and she’s playing on the Midwest Elite circuit. We’re always focused on what’s next.”
What’s the next step for Mporokoso, who already has 1,226 career points?
“Her next jump needs to be her reads as a passer and making stronger passes, seeing the secondary defender coming up and creating more space to either get the pass off or a shot off,” Love said.
Mporokoso already does that fairly well. She made the pass that set up Lily Newton’s game-winning basket against Benet in the Oswego Sectional final.
“She works hard,” Love said. “Whether it’s training, practice, it’s all the same. She stays consistent. She’s up to challenges.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
