With 30 seconds left in a recent game against FCIAC rival Trinity Catholic, point guard Erica Stein ’13 had the ball at the top of the key. The score was tied. All the Lady Wreckers needed was a lay-up; even a foul-garnering drive to the hoop would suffice.
But Trinity Catholic had made one fatal mistake. Erica Stein was wide open.
One NBA-distance three pointer from well beyond the arc later, and Staples had knocked Trinity’s Crusaders down for the count.
“It was a tie score, and I got the screen,” said Stein, displaying a humility that is a cornerstone of her personality. Otherwise, she’d have quite a lot to brag about.
Stein made the varsity squad as a freshman. Although she saw little action in games, that year she was able to make a large impression on Head Coach Ed Huydic.
“When I first saw Erica play, I told her she had the potential to be the next 1,000 point scorer,” said Huydic, referring to a feat that has only been accomplished six times in Lady Wrecker history.
Stein began fulfilling this potential when she experienced her breakthrough season as a sophomore. Last season, she led the team in scoring, averaging almost 11 points per game, and was one of the only sophomores in the league to garner second team All-FCIAC honors, which she referred to as “a surprise.”
This year, she’s picked up right where she left off, leading the team with an average of 15.6 points per game.
In addition, she was the FCIAC-Overtime Player of the Week honors after her performance against Trinity Catholic.
Stein is instantly recognizable on the court not for daunting size—she stands an average 5’5”—but for her tenacious style of play. Rarely does an opposing team get an inbound in play uncontested, making it no surprise that Stein is ranked in the top five in the FCIAC in steals. Despite her toughness and intensity on the court, off it she is surprisingly warm, leading the team to gift her the nickname “Er-Bear.”
“Erica is definitely a power player,” said co-captain Jessica Coelho ’12. “She works hard but she still manages to make everyone burst out laughing with the most random jokes.”
Stein doesn’t allow herself any downtime after the Lady Wreckers’ season comes to a close in February.
“As soon as Staples basketball ends, the AAU season picks up, and that goes through the summer,” Stein said. “It’s kind of like one big never-ending season.”
It wasn’t always this way. When she was younger, Stein played several sports in addition to basketball, which she first began at five.
“I played Little League baseball for a while,” Stein said. “Yeah, I don’t think I ever played softball.”
Stein turned her full attention to basketball in sixth grade, when she began playing for a travel basketball team. Prior to that, Stein was coached by her father, whom she called her greatest influence.
“Seeing Erica play well is always great, and it’s particularly fun to watch when a team doesn’t expect anything from her and she proceeds to blow them away,” said Larry Stein, Erica’s father.
Despite her basketball commitment, Stein also finds the time to play golf in the spring and is a member of Staples varsity team, though she admits basketball is her first love.
While Stein has managed to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time, Huydic still sees room for improvement.
“Every player has a ceiling of how much they can improve,” Huydic said.
“For Erica, hers is a little higher than most. Right now we’re working on developing a move off the dribble that she can use when she goes up against taller guards, particularly when the post-season comes around.”
When asked whether she wishes to continue playing basketball in college, Stein was surprisingly reserved.
“Maybe Division III. Probably not Division I; that’s a little too intense,” Stein said.
For now, she’s content with being Huydic’s go-to sharpshooter.
“At her best, Erica is an outstanding transition player,” Huydic said. “When we’ve got a good flow going, I look to her to come through with the huge shot. It’s what she does best.”
