Although Coppell senior guard Isabella Spiller has been through tremendous adversity, her dream of playing basketball rages on.
Now a varsity starter and one of the leaders on the Cowgirls basketball squad, Spiller was one of the main components in the team’s success a year prior, and is now a centerpiece.
“I feel glad that the coaching staff and my teammates trust me to this extent,” Spiller said. “They trust me to lead the team and that’s what I strive to do every day of the week.”
Spiller’s dream to play basketball started when she was a mere toddler. She would watch her older brothers Liam and Christian Spiller play and learn from them. She would go to their games to watch, learn and fool around while her dad, Matt Spiller, was coaching their team.
“I always used to be with them and play around after practices and games,” Ella said. “They would help me with the fundamentals and I became pretty good.”
Starting in kindergarten, Ella joined an all-boys first grade team and immediately started dominating. Although she was playing with supreme talent, she would always hear fans and opposing teams parents make negative remarks about a girl playing on the team.
“I could always hear them in the stands and on the sidelines,” Ella said. “At first, it was demoralizing, but I blocked them out and used their negativity to motivate me.”
She played in the boys league until seventh grade, when she transitioned to middle school sports. Her seventh grade campaign at Coppell Middle School East was very successful, winning a district championship. However, towards the end of eighth grade, doctors discovered an extra bone in her foot and immediate surgery was the only way to correct it.
“There always was a little pain,” Ella said. “It then got so bad that the doctors had to perform surgery to remove the bone.”
Wearing a boot for eight months definitely had an effect on Spiller’s strength and the road to recovery was a long one. Although she was coming off surgery, Coppell coach Ryan Murphy believed in her talent, energy and gave her a spot on varsity.
“When I came here [five years ago], I wanted to change the dynamic and the culture of our team,” Murphy said. “Ella was one of those players that I have been watching for a long time and she would hustle.”
Coming back up slowly, Ella was starting to finally get back in her groove when she fractured her fibula sophomore year and was out yet again for an extended amount of time.
“It was very upsetting because I had just missed basically a full season,” Ella said. “I knew that I needed to come back strong from the injury and bounce back.”
Entering junior year, Ella was fully healthy and ready to roll. With many notable seniors, she played alongside them, giving the team a great helping hand in the deep playoff push they had.
“She was a clear starter on our team,” Murphy said. “Her energy, her tenacity on both sides of the ball and the fact that we run the ball through her and put her on their best player is the reason she’s our best.”
With the team looking to make a significant run this year as well, it will rely on the skill and the talent of Ella.
“I am truly grateful for my dad and the coaches who believed in me even when I was injured,” Ella said. “Even though I have been hit hard with injuries, I feel more confident than ever to play for the team and to help set up a legacy for the underclassmen.”
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