As she runs down the court with the basketball in her hands, sophomore Alyssa Atkins-Dowd smiles at the sounds of encouragement from her family members on the sideline. For many, the tensions of the basketball court may be too much to handle, but for Atkins-Dowd, she uses it as an opportunity to grow and mature as a player.

Since her early childhood, Atkins-Dowd has tried a variety of different sports, but didn’t feel a connection to any of them. Despite this, after many attempts, she eventually landed on basketball and has been playing the sport ever since.

“When I played flag football, I didn’t like the community of [the sport] because there were parents fighting every other game, and [it] got overwhelming for a six year old,” Atkins-Dowd said. ”So, I switched to gymnastics, but it left my body sore to the point where I didn’t even want to breathe. [But] when I played basketball for the first time, it was like the sport spoke to me. It had the perfect amount of pain and pleasure while everyone kept their trash talk to a respectable amount.”

As she grew older, Atkins-Dowd began to learn more about herself and the sport, allowing her to gain more confidence in her skills. This led her to try out for the girls’ varsity basketball team at Desert Oasis HS during her freshman year, to which she got on.

“During the summer of 2023, there was a program with a 16U and 17U basketball team and they were fighting over which one I traveled with,” Atkins-Dowd said. “I was originally supposed to play for a local [Under 14] team, but the coaches thought that I had the potential to play for a better team. The 16U team was going to Arizona, while the 17U was going to Orlando. They were both in a major tournament and wanted me, a 14-year-old, on their team. Back then, I didn’t really have confidence in my skills, but when I saw two grown men fighting over who gets me, it made me realize what a crucial piece I was to the team. I ended up traveling with the 17U team, but this experience made me try out for varsity instead of [junior varsity] at Desert Oasis.”

As of the 2025 high school season, despite only being a sophomore, Atkins-Dowd’s determination and leadership both on and off the court has played a critical role in the team’s and her individual success.

“Alyssa’s dedication has been a huge catalyst for both her personal development and the team’s progress,” Desert Oasis Girls Basketball Coach Sierra Mich’l said. “One specific moment that stood out to me was during our winter break tournament. She was extremely sick, but still performed very well in some intense close games that we may not have been able to win without her. As of the latest game, she is averaging 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game and has also been a key defensive presence, averaging 3 steals per game. Recently, she had a game where she had a double-double with 10 steals and 16 points, nearly breaking a school record of 11 steals in one game.”

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Although she still experiences many obstacles on the court, Atkins-Dowd is constantly finding new ways to grow from it and working towards becoming a better team player.

“[During both practice and games], she is always leading by example and inspires the entire team,” Mich’l said. “Whether it’s diving for loose balls or pushing herself to the limit in conditioning drills, [she] sets a tone of accountability and helps the team develop a more competitive mindset. She has also slowly improved her mental resilience. During a tight fourth quarter, she missed a few shots, but came back with critical defensive plays to help us stay in the game. There were moments earlier in the year when a missed shot seemed to [affect her performance], but now, she’s much better at staying in the moment.”

With her love for the game, Atkins-Dowd hopes to one day play professional basketball in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) or at least have a job connected to it.

“I’m in the nursing [program], so a good job for me would be an athletic trainer for the WNBA,” Atkins-Dowd said. “The job itself would depend on whoever hires me, but I would take care of sports-related injuries. And, if I were to make it into the WNBA, I would play guard for either the [Las Vegas] Aces or the [New York] Liberty because I am from New York. But, the Aces are my mom’s favorite team.”

Despite all her success, Atkins-Dowd states that she owes all her accomplishments to her family, who have been there since the beginning.

“My family has always been there to support me in my growth,” Atkins-Dowd said. “They try to elevate me to my maximum effort every game. Even so, not every game is perfect because I am human. But, my family always finds ways to comfort me while telling me ways in which I can improve. They also find ways to get my name out there or find the best coaches to help me with my skills. However, [for me], the best thing that they do is simply showing up to my games because it reminds me that I am never alone and that I always have someone to lean on and lift me up.”