Meagan Warwick of Modesto Christian sharpens her mind while her body heals

Meagan Warwick won’t contribute a point, rebound or steal to the Modesto Christian High School girls basketball team this season.

The junior guard had back surgery in the fall and won’t be cleared to resume basketball duties until May.

“We’re pushing for April, but it’s most likely May,” said Robb Spencer, Warwick’s coach at Modesto Christian and with the Modesto Magic AAU team. “She’ll start travel ball up and get ready for a monster senior year.”

Her junior season hasn’t been a complete wash, though. Warwick remains a key cog to the Crusaders’ success, which includes a second consecutive Modesto Metro Conference championship and a berth in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I tournament.

While Warwick is limited physically, Spencer has given her a new role: assistant coach. She provides a player’s perspective and has developed a voice her teammates trust.

“She’s like an assistant coach. She gets to sit there and evaluate what works and what doesn’t strictly from an outside perspective because she can’t play,” Spencer said. “She knew she was going to be out the whole year, so she had to take a different perspective.”

The eighth-seeded Crusaders (20-6) will host No. 9 Pleasant Grove (18-9) of Elk Grove on Tuesday when the postseason starts across six divisions. Though a potential showdown with national No. 1 St. Mary’s looms in the second round, Spencer is keeping his focus on the Eagles, who compete out of the thorny Delta League.

Pleasant Grove features playmaking point guard Brittany Nguyen. Nicole Warwick, Meagan’s twin sister, and Rachel Smith will likely draw the assignment of slowing Nguyen.

In the locker room and huddle, Meagan Warwick will do her part to help manage the game with her mind.

“There are all types of leaders, those that lead with their actions and those that are vocal,” Spencer said. “I told her, ‘You speak anytime you see something, whether it’s in practice, in a game or in the locker room.’ She embraces it. Most games, she’s very animated.

“She’s always talking. Sometimes, I look over my shoulder and give her that look like, ‘Settle down … just a little.’ ”

Truth be told, Spencer misses that fire and intensity on the court.

Like her twin, Warwick is a two-time section champion who helped lead the Crusaders to the 2013 CIF Division III state championship as a freshman. As a sophomore, she ranked among the team leaders in points (7.8), rebounds (4.4) and steals (2).

“It’s excruciating. It’s beyond hard. I don’t have the words for it,” Spencer said. “Almost every game she says, ‘Give me a jersey.’ I know if I gave her a jersey, she’d think she would actually play.”

Instead, Warwick pours herself into her rehabilitation and keeps a regular presence at practice. She can be seen on the sideline working with resistance bands, cranking out push-ups and sit-ups or two-ball dribbling. While her teammates run sprints, Warwick jogs lightly from end to end.

“That’s her every day,” Spencer said.

Spencer believes Warwick will benefit from a season lost. Her time at Spencer’s side has exposed her to the cerebral aspect of the game. She has a better understanding of sets, defenses and manipulating the floor like pieces on a chessboard.

When she returns to the court for Modesto Christian in December, Spencer believes fans will be treated to the rare marriage of talent and acumen.

“Because you sit there and watch and learn so much, you hope it will make you a better player because you see things from a different perspective,” Spencer said. “You get those two things (talent and acumen) together, it slows the game down so much that you start to see things before it happens. That’s what makes an exceptional player. They understand how to play the game and they’re gifted enough to do it. It’s a scary thought.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Meagan Warwick of Modesto Christian sharpens her mind while her body heals."