After the Coppell girls basketball team regained possession from Byron Nelson, senior point guard Macey Mercer finds herself at the top of the 3-point line after junior guard Atia Medenica passed her the ball from the key. 

With no defense pressing against her, Mercer gets her legs balanced and takes a deep breath before extending up and letting go of the ball. Mercer makes the shot to increase the Cowgirls advantage.

Mercer transferred to CHS from Hurst L.D. Bell during the Coppell basketball team’s 2021-2022 season and was deemed ineligible to play based on UIL transfer guidelines. According to section 443(c) of the Student Eligibility For UIL Contests, “A student who changes schools for athletic purposes is not eligible to compete in varsity League athletic contest(s) at the school to which he or she moves for at least one calendar year.”

“Mentality was the hardest challenge for her because it destroyed her mentally, having to sit and watch,” said Rachel Mireles, Mercer’s mother. “Her mental game was the biggest that she had to work back to. Physically she was fine, it was the mental aspect of ‘Is she still good enough to play?’ ‘Does she want to play?’ ‘Is it going to be the same?” She came back stronger so she’s definitely strong.”

The Cowgirls are a family who support each other no matter what and are always there for one another. The  players are what make the game special and it is important to learn how to grow with each other to become a better team.

“To concentrate on the support and the team and the culture was really important, if they weren’t behind her last year, it would have been a completely different story,” Mireles said. “I think the coaches and the teammates were so supportive of her that they got her through the hard times.”

Mercer brought skill and leadership to the team by holding herself accountable. She motivates the team to work hard and not allow mistakes to impede becoming a better player.

“[Mercer’s] our point guard, so she brings a calm, steady presence whenever we’re getting sped up or we’re getting a lot of pressure,” Coppell coach Ryan Murphy said. “She brings everyone down, controls the ball, gets us into offense and reduces our turnovers significantly. On top of that, she’s one the best shooters on the team, she’s a very good defender both on and off the ball and her vision really puts people in a position to score. There’s not a whole she doesn’t bring to the table.”

Mercer began to play basketball when she was 4 for the YMCA, after encouragement from her dad. She played many other sports but fell in love with basketball in particular.

“Basketball was the only sport that I actually enjoyed playing. I felt like I was better at it than any of the other sports I played when I was younger,” Mercer said. “I fell in love with basketball because it’s fast paced, there’s really no stopping [since]  you get to play defense and offense at the same time. You don’t have to pause in order to do it.”

This season, the Cowgirls currently have an overall 25-2 record and are ranked No. 4 in the Class 6A TABC state rankings. 

“We definitely want to make it to state that’s one of our main goals. I feel like it will also transform what the culture is in this program,” Mercer said.

The Cowgirls have an atmosphere where players feel comfortable and familiar with each other. The team creates bonds to work together on the court and have stronger communication.

“I feel like the culture within the varsity team is very strong,” Murphy said. “They are really close and the thing that from my end is nice to see is that they hold themselves and each other accountable and there’s no hurt feelings. [If] someone makes a mistake, they own up to it. With Mercer specifically, she’s not necessarily a vocal leader for us, she leads by example and when she does speak, [the team] really listens. They bond together and play for each other.”,

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