Girls basketball: Mporokoso takes game to another level while guiding Waubonsie Valley to 31-2 season, sectional title

Waubonsie Valley girls basketball coach Brett Love remembers the first time he met Danyella Mporokoso.

“I met her when she was in fifth grade,” said Love. “I could tell she was very coachable. Back then, I didn’t know I’d be her high school coach one day.

“We spent a lot of time working on fundamentals. She worked hard, and I could tell she had that fire — I think she gets that from her mom.”

The summer before her freshman year, Mporokoso worked on her game daily under Love’s guidance.

“I knew she would come into high school as a scorer,” said the coach. “But I wanted her to be our point guard, so we worked a lot on ballhandling. That gave her added responsibility.”

As a freshman, Mporokoso helped lead the Warriors to their second consecutive Class 4A regional title and a 24-8 record — their best since a 25-win campaign in 2012.

Last season as a sophomore, Mporokoso averaged 19.6 points per game for the Warriors, who finished with a 32-5 mark and fourth-place state showing — their second downstate trip in school history.

During her junior year this season, Mporokoso continued her ascension, averaging 22.5 points per game as the Warriors captured back-to-back sectional championships for the first time, finishing with a 31-2 mark following their 67-62 supersectional loss to Alton.

For her efforts, Mporokoso has been named the captain of the Daily Herald’s 2024-2025 DuPage All-Area girls basketball team.

In December, Mporokoso scored a game-high 23 points, earning tournament MVP honors for the second straight year, as the Warriors edged Glenbard South 52-48 at Wheaton North’s Bill Neibch Holiday Tournament.

In January, the 5-foot-8 guard tallied 27 of her career-high 40 points in the first half during Waubonsie’s 69-47 win over Hersey at Maine West’s Kipp Hoopsfest.

After guiding the Warriors to their second consecutive 16-0 DuPage Valley Conference crown, Mporokoso was at her best in the postseason.

Following a 27-point effort against West Aurora in the regional finals, she scored 24 points as the Warriors staged a second-half rally to defeat Bolingbrook.

Against rival Benet Academy in the sectional finals, Mporokoso recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds during the Warriors’ emotional 66-61 victory.

“That was one of my favorite memories of the season,” she said. “We all played with so much energy. All our starters finished in double digits.”

Mporokoso scored a game-high 32 points on 12 of 23 shooting from the field, adding four 3-pointers, in the supersectional loss to Alton.

“It was hard because it was so close,” she said. “It was a great season. We all love each other.”

Individually, Mporokoso continued to improve her game in all areas.

“I want her to improve every year in everything,” said Love. “She focused on rebounding and defense this season — deflections, reads, being in the right place at the right time.

“She shot at a high percentage — 54% from 2-point range and 50% on 3-pointers. A lot of what she does comes natural to her. She’s a scorer because we need her to score. We put a lot on her. She’s a team player.

“She has a great set of teammates — Lily Newton scored 23 points in a game, and Arianna Garcia had 26 in another. She knows how to get the ball to free herself and set backscreens.”

Facing different types of defenses intended to slow her down, Mporokoso felt more comfortable this season.

“I saw box-and-ones, double-teams, people would try and faceguard me,” she said. “I feel it’s to my advantage to face different situations. Sure, it would be nice to go one-on-one all the time, but at the end of the day, it makes you better.”

Her dedication and passion for the game are not lost on Love.

“She’s a huge part of what we do,” said the coach. “She’s me on the court — she knows what I’m looking for on the court. She doesn’t ask for anything to be handed to her.

“She puts in the work, whether it’s early in the morning, after practices, or after games. You can see it with her skillset and success. There’s so much sacrificing. I remember after a game we won, she didn’t shoot well, so she stayed and took extra shots for an hour. That’s the type of mentality she has.”

One of the nation’s top juniors, Mporokoso has received double-digit offers from DI colleges but is yet undecided.

“I’m taking my time to make a choice, but I’d like to get it done before the high school season next fall,” she said. “I want to play basketball as long as I can.”

“She wants to get to the highest level,” said Love. “She wants to play in the WNBA.”

For now, Mporokoso is focusing on her M14 Hoops travel team, preparing for her senior season at Waubonsie Valley.

“There’s always things to work on,” she said. “I’ll need to be more vocal in a leadership role next season. I want to get back to state.”

Love agrees.

“You got to keep working — keep getting stronger,” he said. “There are specifics to key on, better reads against double teams, making the correct decisions. Working on game situations — with five minutes left and with two minutes left.

“I’m very proud of her. I’m proud of her achievements the past three years, and she has one more year to go. It has been an amazing journey. I love seeing her reach goals and enjoy success. If she doesn’t get there, I failed her.”

Love has another goal in mind for Mporokoso.

“I’d like to see her get 50 points,” he said.

“That would be cool,” she said.