A true leader from the second she stepped on the court, Dakota Inniss shines as one of only two seniors on the girls varsity basketball team. 

“I think I’ve done a great job from where I started as a freshman, leading on the court and off the court and making sure my teammates are all in it,” she said. 

As a guard and leader, Inniss is strongly committed to the team, but doesn’t allow that to interfere with her schoolwork. “My coach makes sure that our grades come first,” said Inniss. Over the summer, Inniss played on a basketball team in rec basketball on a team in New York to continue her practice, and she also has spent 10 playing on an AAU team.

 The team has been fighting adversity this year with inexperience and Covid setbacks, but together they had a mutual motivation and were able to become very successful. Along with several other teammates, Inniss was injured this year due to a concussion at the beginning of the season. Even so, Inniss   continues to be a strong asset to the team.  Ever humble, “I’m the biggest critic of myself, always trying to perfect my craft,” she said. 

Inniss hopes to play college ball at an HBCU. She admires how close-knit and family-oriented the Wilson team is and hopes to have that same community on a collegiate team.  As for next year, when she will have graduated, Inniss says she wants the team to “continue building on their skill level and continue building the team.” As for younger kids aspiring to play high school sports, she says to“ just do it.” 

“Don’t hesitate even if you’re not good enough,” Inniss continued. “If you put in the work, regardless of your skill level, It’s going to [pay] off nine times out of 10.” •