Woodinville Stars Ready for Playoff Push

Sharpshooting Falcons, Hailey Quiggle and Jazz Wilkerson, Set Sights on the Postseason

WOODINVILLE, WA – It would have made sense if Jazz Wilkerson and Hailey Quiggle were in a bad mood. The day before, the Woodinville standouts had suffered their first loss of the season, a narrow, two-point defeat against Issaquah High School.

Instead, the duo shrugged off the setback.

“I feel like, honestly, this is a good time to lose, going into playoffs,” Wilkerson said. “It just lights a fire under us, gets us ready for our big game on Friday, just going into it high energy. It’s only going to make us stronger, bring us closer.”

Rather than dwelling on the loss or pointing fingers, the team’s upperclassmen remained focused. For them, the Falcons’ bond is too strong to be shaken by a single defeat.

“Obviously, we’ve had a successful run so far, and it’s been really fun to grow as a team and come together,” Quiggle said.

When a team can diagnose a loss (Woodinville struggled on the defensive end and endured a 3 ½-minute scoring drought) address the issues, and move forward, it’s a team capable of winning a state title.

“It was just a drought,” Quiggle said. “It happens every so often, but it was definitely an inconvenient time for it to happen.”

This team, which has finished fourth at state each of the past two seasons, has learned to navigate postseason adversity.

“Our bond this year is unmatched,” Wilkerson said. “I feel like we spent a lot of time in the offseason preparing for that. We’ve done well sticking together. I feel we were very underestimated this year, and we’re already exceeding expectations.”

Wilkerson and Quiggle have been teammates since Quiggle was in fifth grade. They watched Woodinville win a state title in 2022, but rather than focusing on hoisting a trophy themselves, they’ve kept their sights set on steady improvement.

“Every year, I think, we have a challenge of doing better or meeting where we were before,” said Quiggle, whose parents both attended Woodinville.

While Quiggle has been playing basketball since second grade, Wilkerson has been around the game her entire life.

“Pretty much since I could walk,” she said.

Wilkerson’s mother, Jessica, played at Cal Baptist and was still in college when Jazz was born. That meant Jazz spent much of her early years in the gym, falling in love with basketball from the start.

“My mom had to get me to try other sports, because all I wanted to do was play basketball,” she said.

Basketball runs deep in the Wilkerson family. Her grandfather, Wayne Mendezona, owns Quick Handle Basketball. Her uncle, Tyler Mendezona, is the head coach at Bear Creek School. Her brother, Jaedyn, played at Woodinville, and her mother now coaches the Falcons’ JV team.

Wilkerson, who is closing in on 1,000 career points, grew up battling her brother on the court, playing outdoors every day. While Jaedyn may have had the edge in one-on-one matchups, Jazz never let him win a shooting contest.

As a team, Woodinville has built its identity around relentless shooting, spending countless hours in the gym fine-tuning their games. The Falcons shoot an impressive 38 percent from three, with Wilkerson ranking second in school history for three-pointers made and Quiggle close behind in third.

Earlier this season, Quiggle set a school record, going a perfect 8-for-8 from beyond the arc against Juanita.

“Pretty much everyone on the team has been devoted to their club teams,” said Quiggle, who will play for the University of Puget Sound next season. “Everyone gets work in outside of practice. I think constant reps and shooting in practice gives us the confidence to do it in games.”

As the Falcons gear up for another postseason run, they know they have the talent, chemistry, and determination to compete with the best.

“This team can flat-out shoot and score,” Quiggle said.

For Woodinville (18-1), this season isn’t just about results – it’s about enjoying the game they love, pushing each other to new heights, and leaving a lasting impact on the program.

“This has been the most fun I’ve had ever had,” Quiggle said. “I think a lot of that comes from being a senior, but a lot of that comes from the camaraderie and chemistry we have this year.”

Wilkerson added, “our bond this year is unmatched.”

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