North Royalton senior forward Gabby White had no idea what was happening. The Lady Bears had just defeated Brecksville-Broadview Heights 58-40 on January 28. The players shook hands with one another and the crowd was still cheering.
When Gabby went back to the Lady Bears bench she saw signs that said, “Congratulations, Gabby on 1,000 points.”
“I finally put two-and-two together and I got pretty emotional,” said Gabby.
Gabby White became one of a handful of Lady Bear players to crack the 1,000 point mark on Saturday, January 21, when Hudson defeated North Royalton 59-50. The team decided to celebrate Gabby’s achievement at the Lady Bears next home game.
While some players keep a close eye on their personal statistics, Gabby White is not one of them. That’s why the celebration was such a surprise.
“I just want to make an impact with my team. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a statistic. That can be by leading, that can be by just being a good teammate and I try to do that every single game. I don’t care how many points I have, I care about what my teammates think of me at the end of the game.”
Those are some grown up words from a young lady still in high school.
That being said, Gabby said crossing that 1,000 point mark sank in pretty quickly.
“It’s a really nice achievement not only for me but for my teammates especially this year when they have gotten me open and set screens for me. If they didn’t work that hard to get me open I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. They’ve sacrificed a lot for me. I appreciate everything they do for the team.”
North Royalton Girls Basketball Head Coach Matt Stricker has coached Gabby all four years she has been on the Varsity team.
“She’s (Gabby) one of a kind. Every now and then in a public school you are lucky enough to be blessed to have a player with the individual talent that Gabby White has. Not only does she have the talent but she has the character that has become apparent in her senior season. She has been a crucial part of this program ever since her first game when she sank two free throws to seal the win against Archbishop Hoban to now. I was lucky enough to coach her from the beginning and watch her grow all four years.”
Next year, Gabby White will play Division One basketball at West Point. Coach Stricker thinks Gabby White will find her way into the Army starting lineup very quickly. ‘I believe she will start at point guard at West Point. I think that highly of her and her coaches at West Point think that highly of her. If you challenge her, she’ll step up to meet the challenge and won’t back down.”
While Gabby is looking forward to Division One basketball, she’s also looking forward to serving our country. “I’m very excited that I’ve been blessed to play at West Point and also in the future to serve in the Army. I leave July 3 so I’m starting to countdown the days.” Gabby hasn’t decided if her major will be political science or international relations.
As Gabby approaches her last few games in a Lady Bear uniform, she has goals that she still wants to reach. “I want to improve every single practice and every game. Not to be complacent because it can be gone in a flash. I’m so blessed to be here and to have this opportunity.”
Congratulations Gabby White on reaching 1,000 career points and Thank You for your upcoming service to our country.

By JOE JASTRZEMSKI
Contributing Writer