Alex Sanchez is a natural leader.
The voice echoing most clearly through the angled walls of the Walter Pyramid and barking out orders in defensive drills during practice belongs to Sanchez, a guard for the Long Beach State women’s basketball team.
The versatile sophomore has been thrust into a leadership role that was left vacant by the graduation of former LBSU star Tipesa Moorer, but that’s nothing that Sanchez can’t handle.
“Alex [Sanchez] has a sense of calm about her and the way she plays,” head coach Jody Wynn said. “Everybody feels comfortable talking with her on and off the court. She’s obviously a natural leader and will be a captain again as she was last year.”
In regards to pressure, Sanchez feels that there is none. She has been groomed for this type of situation from a young age, and her coaches and teammates are there to back her up.
“I wouldn’t say there’s any pressure,” she said. “The coaches do a great job preparing me, and I’ve always been the leader growing up … It doesn’t matter whether I’m a freshman or a senior, I’ve always taken a leadership role. My teammates take a lot of pressure off of me because a lot of them have stepped up.”
Last season, coach Wynn referred to the since-graduated Moorer as having a “motherly” effect on the younger players. When asked if Sanchez shares those same traits, Wynn expressed her confirmation without hesitating.
“Alex [Sanchez] will give you a shirt off her back; she’s that type of kid,” Wynn said. “Everybody respects her, and everybody trusts her, and that goes a long way on the court.”
The 5-foot-10 do-it-all guard/forward said she gained most of her leadership qualities from her older sister, Christina, who was also pushed into a leadership role at an early age.
“[Christina] took care of us after my mom passed away,” she said. “I watched her become a role model for two kids. She never complained and always did what she had to do … I just realized that she had to put other people before her, so I think I got my leadership from her.”
Sanchez possesses the ability to both play the game and think it. She is self-admittedly not the most athletic person on the floor, but she makes up for it in other ways.
“I say this all the time,” Sanchez said. “Obviously, I’m not the quickest; I’m not the most athletic, so I use my basketball IQ to my advantage. I try to find other things to make up for [the lack of athleticism]. I’m always thinking one play ahead.”
Wynn agreed with the notion that Sanchez’ basketball IQ is equal to her playing prowess.
“Alex [Sanchez] has that [ability to think and play the game],” she said. “She’s cerebral, she understands spacing, positioning, she understands what we want on the floor, and she’s able to be a dominating force.”
Wynn didn’t hold back any praise when talking about Sanchez’ versatility and leadership either.
“She’s 5-feet-10, and she can play all five positions offensively and defensively,” Wynn said. “She’s a great communicator on the floor, and that helps her wherever she is on the court.”
There are no breaks for Sanchez when she’s on the sidelines. She’s too busy guiding, cheering and directing her teammates into the proper defensive position, or explaining the importance of spacing on offense.
Wynn said that Sanchez will not be the only one looked to as a leader, however, as senior Mary Ochiltree and junior Hallie Meneses have also taken what they learned from Moorer and put it to good use.
“One thing that Tipesa [Moorer] did was she taught our kids how to prepare for practice everyday,” she said. “She [taught them] how to prepare their minds, as well as how to take care of their bodies … she also showed them our approach to road trips and the importance of staying together, and now these girls have a little knowledge behind them because they had a great leader behind them.”
The 2012-13 LBSU squad has a great leader behind them too. When trapped in a tight spot, they can just look to number three. Sanchez will be there to offer advice and give a little coaching.
She might even have a shirt to loan.