Birmingham adjusting to new role as 'team to beat' in L.A. City Section girls basketball

No longer underdogs, the experienced Patriots are aiming for their second Open Division title in three seasons

When Birmingham defeated fellow LACS contender Palisades 68-37 on Dec. 21 in Nevada, the win clinched a prestigious Tarkanian Classic championship – and more.

For the first time in program history, Birmingham is now the top-ranked girls basketball team in the L.A. City Section during a juncture of the regular season.

That's not one would expect for a team just two seasons removed from winning an Open Division title. But it's true.

For one, true that the Patriots are considered the early title favorite within coaching and scouting circles. Despite reigning champion Westchester, reigning semifinalist King/Drew, and resurgent Hamilton all posing major threats to the throne, Birmingham is alone atop the pack after Westchester was upset by Hamilton in early December.

"They're the team to beat in the City," said one Open Division head coach over winter break. 

"When you look at what they're doing... and Westchester [losing to Hamilton], they're definitely the team to beat. Westchester hasn't [reached full strength] yet, but Birmingham is the top team right now."

"Birmingham is the clear favorite," said another rival assistant coach in October. "Or Westchester, obviously. But Birmingham is who I'm most worried about."

Photo by Lance Smith

And secondly, true that it's the program's first time getting the "team to beat" label.

"UNDERDOG" RUN IN 2022

The highest section ranking Birminhgam previously achieved was No. 2, where it spent chunks of time during the 2021-22 regular season. That year, it went on to earn the second overall seed and break through for its first Open Division championship.

Birmingham wins its first Open Division title in 2022 / Photo by Lance Smith

But West Valley League foe Granada Hills Charter – the eventual top seed – edged them out in both conference meetings, and was always ranked ahead until getting upset by Westchester in the semifinals. There was never a moment until the final buzzer sounded against Westchester that the Patriots got much buzz as a championship team. 

Despite handing two-time reigning Open Division champion Palisades its first in-section loss since 2018-2019 in November, the Patriots hardly received any respect as a legitimate contender that year. That fact motivated them all season long, and in some ways, it still motivates them to this day. As head coach Victor Koopongsakorn reiterated shortly after they won it all, the Patriots never considered themselves underdogs or worried about those who said they had no chance – they just used those things as fuel. 

Entering the previous season, their 2020-21 team was touted as their strongest yet. And it lived up to the hype, raising the bar by winning a West Valley League title, earning the No. 2 seed, and making the Open Division semifinals. But when the Patriots fell to Hamilton and graduated a tremendous senior class, they were widely written off from continuing their ascent in the years to come.

Many expected Birmingham to take a step back even before they lost two starters to injuries before the next season began. One was Sammy Velasquez, who'd averaged 10 PPG as a freshman, and the other was a senior guard who provided much-needed three-point shooting. And they were especially overlooked after those injuries, despite having one of the best returning players in the City in Janna Holley.

If that was supposed to be their only year of possible contention, the Patriots clearly didn't get the message. To enable their 2021-22 championship run, Holley had a senior campaign for the books, and Birmingham mustered a consistent supporting cast on the fly.

Most of the players who stepped up were underclassmen. DeeDee Berry, a long two-way wing who'd played sparingly the prior season, broke out as a dependable second option and was named All-City as a sophomore. Lili Martinez emerged as one of the section's better posts down the stretch of her freshman year. And Natalie Lopez, who'd just won a CIF-SS 2AA title as a reserve point guard for Alemany as a freshman, made a crucial impact on both sides of the ball upon becoming eligible at midseason.

LOOKING THE PART OF THE FRONTRUNNER

Two years later, those cornerstones are still around, and Birmingham has a more highly-touted roster with a handful of tactical advantages over its championship squad. Velasquez is better than ever in her second year back from injury, and Berry, Lopez, and Martinez are all still Patriots as well. All four players are averaging over nine points per game while contributing in other ways. And Birmingham is deep with many other legitimate impact players.

Ayja Washington has been a defensive stalwart starting at power forward. Wing Annette Jones has been one of Birmingham's best players in numerous big matchups. Guard/forward Andrea Arosemena is one of the section's better or best freshmen, and can already play three positions on both ends. And sophomore point guard Kamora Coleman, who'd been getting reps on junior varsity due to the team's backcourt depth, was impressive and productive in limited minutes during Birmingham's tour de force in the Tarkanian's Sapphire Division. 

And then there are a pair of big sophomore additions in the transfer realm – big in both senses of the word.

Aniya Johnson (Chaminade) has instantly been one of the LACS' top rebounders (7.2 RPG), and provides interior size that Birmingham hasn't had at 6-0 with a strong build. And Zoee Mitchell, who averaged 9.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game on 58-percent shooting at Heritage Christian, hadn't even become eligible yet as of their Tarkanian Classic title.

"It's great to see how the roles have changed since [the seniors] were sophomores," said Koopongsakorn, who recently picked up his 200th career win in his 10th season.

"Then, they were more like support pieces, just trying to get the hang of playoff basketball and championship basketball. [That year] they really stepped up. DeeDee was All-City as a sophomore. Nat made some huge plays at the end of the championship game, and Lili too, who was a freshman. Now they're seniors and Lili is a junior, and their roles have changed, leading the team and bringing the new [underclassmen] along."

Koopongsakorn added in December that Velasquez, now more than two years removed from the injury, has regained all of her athleticism and then some. To wit, a college coach scouting at the H.O.P.E. Showcase in October – when Birmingham played State Open Division champion Etiwanda closely for a half – remarked that Velasquez was one of the quickest players she saw that day across eight games.

"Sammy is geared up, ready to go," said Koopongsakorn.

She's averaging 10.8 points, 2.9 assists, and a team-high 3.8 steals per game. Velasquez, Berry (11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 steals), and Lopez (9.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.9 steals) give Birmingham a trio of legitimate Player of the Year candidates, any one of whom could take on a larger offensive load if needed.

With all the pieces in place, Birmingham has had one of its strongest non-league showings ever, took its first ever airplane ride to a winter tournament in Florida, and has an upcoming non-league game against perennial national title contender Sierra Canyon.

So now that the Patriots are a can't-miss LACS contender, can they still maintain the edge that defined their rise and championship run?

KEEPING THE CHIP ON THE SHOULDER

While Birmingham has been near the top of the radar for most City Section coaches and scouts since the end of last season, the program still hasn't received as much buzz from the outside world as one would expect for a team that'll likely be contending for Open Division championships for years to come.

Will that help Birmingham keep its edge in the midst of increased critical acclaim?

"Yeah it does," said Koopongsakorn. 

"We've got to play with a chip on our shoulder. To still be the dark horse coming into it... we like that role. But eventually, we're going to have to get used to playing the role of the lead dog. People are going to be chasing after us and gearing up for us, giving us their best game."

"We're gonna keep talking about just improving every day," he continued. 

"Just by putting in the work, hopefully they can feel confident in what we can do, and not let outside noise get too much in our head or distract us."

"I think we still haven't played our best basketball," said assistant coach Devon Berry. 

"It's a testament to all the work we put in, and our expectations as a group and a program. We've still got a lot of things that we feel we can do better. It's exciting."

– Lance Smith | lance@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca