SANTA ANA, Calif. — With the clock winding down in the final seconds of overtime, Mater Dei junior guard Nalani White picked the perfect time to hit the first buzzer-beating shot of her life, a three-pointer at that.
"It was adrenaline. The blood was rushing through my body. I felt it like my heart was pounding so fast. My head, it was like spinning and after I shot I kind of just stood here for a second and I took it in, and I did it," White said.
That passion she electrified the crowd with during Mater Dei's 83-80 overtime vs. Centennial in the CIF Southern Section girls Open Division championship never turns off.
Her energy and charisma have provided Mater Dei (20-0) with a vital ingredient in their team chemistry throughout this pandemic.
"I would say that I'm the spark like I'm the energy, I love to get people hyped, and I love smiling," Nalani said. "Like smiling… if I see someone smile because they're doing good or I'm doing good or just anybody in general. Smiles and energy… I'm obviously a chipper person, so I just love that."
And while Nalani's game-winning shot took less than an instant, the work put in to get to that moment has been a process.
Because of protocols, Coach Kevin Kiernan and the Monarchs have been getting ready for this season since last August. There will be no state championship games for the second straight year, but the Monarchs begin in Southern California Regionals on Thursday.
"We keep saying this is the craziest year of all time, but we're living in it. When we look back and reflect on this year a few years down the road, hopefully, we're going to look back and go, 'Oh my gosh. It was the most amazing thing. It was the hardest thing and the greatest thing we could overcome,'" Kiernan said.
In this long year that's seen basketball seasons pushed back months, Nalani has helped charge the Monarchs.
As she and her team look forward, she reflects on that moment, never forgetting where that dream she had to play for Mater Dei started.
"I especially owe it to my mom, all the driving and the carpools and the feeding me in between games. She is really my superhero, and I really do admire her, and I look up to her. I owe it all to her. And when I hit that shot, I definitely did it for her," White said.