BY GERARDO BOLONG
Contributing Writer

Five - foot, ten- inch Seattle Pacific University senior Jordan McPhee has earned many honors along the way to an illustrious career in high school athletics as well as her current status as a mainstay in the Falcons women's basketball program.

From her high school days in cross country and teaming with twin sister Brittany for district and state basketball contender Mt. Rainier High School all the way to the present as she prepares to close out her hoop career with the Falcons (20-6, 14-5 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) with a Feb. 24 senior night home game and at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament beginning on March 1 at Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, relationships have been a huge part of her life, intertwining with sports.

Ties with twin sister Brittany remain strong, although the pursuit of individual careers at different universities has helped both blossom individually.

While Brittany has starred for Stanford, Jordan has simultaneously developed a solid role at Seattle Pacific. 

Although separated by several hundred miles, Jordan makes contact with Brittany whenever possible. including her sister's final bow at home.

"I was able to fly down and see her senior night at Palo Alto," Jordan said. "After practice (on Feb. 23) I'll be able to watch her play against the Huskies."

Meanwhile, the SPU athlete is focused on closing out a strong career.

As a junior last season, McPhee started all 30 games, averaging 11.2 points per game as the second best team average while also being second best in team average rebounds at 5.2.

The three-year letter winner heading into this season has won the SPU Hustle Award the past three seasons and was MVP of the 2016 SPU Classic.

In the previous two seasons, she was also GNAC All-Academic and All-GNAC honorable mention.

Through 25 games this season Jordan averaged 14.4 points per game which is seventh for GNAC schools and first on her team.

Her 5.8 rebounds each game had her in 15th place, overall.

In the week previous to the Western Oregon game, the Mt. Rainier graduate moved into the 20th position on the all-time Falcon scoring list with 1,055 points.

It's her characteristics as an individual that really stand out, though, as illustrated by Falcon head coach Julie Heisey.

"When I was recruiting Jordan, I was talking to her mom and her at lunch and asked how she would like her teammates to remember her, she said 'That I never quit'," related Heisey, "She really has a motor and never quits. In the spring, she was our most improved player. She has been goal oriented and improved every year. It's been fun to see her grow. She really sets the tone for us on defense when guarding either the toughest scorer or the player that is currently the main scorer at the time. She always gives us a lot like on the offensive boards and moving off the ball to cut and get to the basket."

Playing against non league foe Azusa Pacific on Nov. 17, McPhee got to the basket often for a career high 30 points as evidence of being able to cut to the basket. The opponent that day had no prior knowledge of her full capabilities.

On Thurs., Feb. 22, McPhee was saddled with early foul trouble, but still contributed 11 points, three assists and six rebounds before fouling with just more than one minute remaining in a 73-68 win against Western Oregon at Brougham Pavilion.

McPhee also recalls her development on and off the court. The tie-in to teammates along with her always supportive parents and siblings who have also excelled in basketball has really shaped her personality.

"It's cool how they (my teammates) have  confidence in me," she said. "It's easier because our team has high expectations. For me, it's always team first. Leadership is a lot about looking outside yourself and seeing what everybody needs. There's less pressure that way. Being with the other four-year seniors has really brought us together. As teammates, we fight together and as friends we have grown together."
Going on the road to many places has given her great opportunities for seeing astounding things, but even more, a chance to reflect upon bonding with her team in life forming and sharing experiences.

"I love going up to Alaska and seeing the mountains," she said. "It would have been nice to spend more time in some of those other places we visited."

One place where she spent a fair amount of time involved a wondrous life affecting trek in September, 2017.

NCAA rules state that teams may take an international trip that combines, athletics, culture and in many cases, service, once every four years.

Coach Heisey began working with Go Ministries the previous fall to work out the details and fundraising as well as the introduction to culture. Go Ministries is a nonprofit organization that partners with local leaders to strengthen churches, address humanitarian needs, and run sports outreach programs in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mongolia, and urban America.

Through several fund raisers and numerous donations the team raised a total of $52,000 which more than covered the $1,000.00 per team member responsibilities and all other costs.

The cultural preparation came in the form of Go Ministries videos of communities the Falcons would be visiting and ways to serve. More preparation included reading Kisses from Katie : A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption as preparation in learning how to serve and spread God's love.

Davis traveled to Uganda on a short mission trip as an 18-year-old and eventually moved to Uganda where she serves to this very day.

With Hurricane Irma disrupting travel to the area, the team didn't know until the day before Sept. 9 that they would be able to depart.

"It was really hard, waiting to see if we could go," added McPhee.

Once on site, the team and coaches adjusted to cultural differences while gaining extreme satisfaction and tiredness while painting walls at a new health clinic, leading basketball clinics for young children, and playing a trio of basketball games with local players.

"It was great to see little sisters carrying nephews and I could understand how big God can be," reflected McPhee. "The approach is not based so much on clock time, so there's more time to share. It was a good chance to refocus."

This trip is emblematic of how team bonding has linked with her development as a person.

"We have devotionals with volleyball players, our womens basketball players and other athletes," explained McPhee. "It's a chance to talk and ask each other questions."

While seriously planning for the future after basketball, the Business Administration major also has a light hearted approach about her impending life after basketball.

"I'm considering graduate school once basketball is done, but otherwise, I'm tempted to follow Brittanny and just sleep on the couch," she said with a little twinkle in her eyes and a broad grin on her face. "I like to follow her adventures."

In a nutshell, the love of basketball has transcended into greater attributes.

"The experience has taught us the work ethic, the purpose in life and made me into the person that I am now," she concluded.

That's Jordan McPhee, basketball player and individual extraordinaire.