Two of two: How Trinity Slocum became her own basketball legend
MERIDIAN, Idaho (BVM) – On Feb. 20, Mountain View High School senior Trinity Slocum and the Mavericks would face Thunder Ridge High School for the 2021 Idaho High School Athletic Association (IDHSAA) 5A Girls Basketball State Championship game.
Going into her final career game as a Maverick, Slocum had the chance to win back-to-back state titles.
A championship game appearance can be a nerve wracking experience for anyone, but there was even more pressure on Slocum than anyone else on the hardwood. However, that pressure is nothing new to her.
Growing up, Slocum got immediately exposed to basketball from her dad, Jon, and older sister Destiny. As Trinity learned the game and entered club ball, she watched Destiny take her talents to incredible heights. Those heights included dominance in the Hoop Dreams club team and at Mountain View High School.
A three-time Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) player of the year selection, Destiny led the Mavericks to two state championships and shattered school records in points, rebounds, assists and steals. A McDonald’s High School All-American in 2016, Destiny took her overwhelming talents to the NCAA Division I level. Now a redshirt senior at the University of Arkansas, she headlines the no. 16 ranked Razorbacks against some of the best women’s collegiate players in the country.
Then there was Trinity. Five and a half years younger, there was an expectation for her to excel beyond belief. After watching her sister become arguably the greatest girls basketball player to ever come out of Idaho, the pressure turned to the younger sibling to be the next girls basketball star.
“It’s hard always being compared to [Destiny],” Trinity said in an interview with the Idaho Press. “You get the feeling that if you make a mistake or you don’t get what she’s achieved, you’re kind of letting people down.”
She wouldn’t disappoint. At Hoops Dreams, Trinity became the starting point guard for the sixth grade team as a third grader. With her Dad as coach, the competition with the older girls was just the place Trinity needed to be.
“Trinity was competitive, very competitive to the point where she was asking me questions about what Destiny did ahead of her because she wanted to somehow eclipse it,” Jon said.
It wouldn’t be long before Mountain View girls basketball head coach Connie Skogrand had eyes on her. While Destiny was dominating the SIC and the state of Idaho, Skogrand brought Trinity up to the junior varsity Mavericks team for summer tournaments when she was in the seventh and eighth grade. It meant a chance for Trinity to make her presence felt even before being a high school student athlete.
When the 5-foot-7 guard entered Mountain View, Skogrand was ready for the second Slocum sister to take off. Playing all four years at the varsity level, Trinity was a four-time SIC All-Conference selection and orchestrated the Mavericks to four straight state tournament appearances.
After a third place and runner up finish her freshman and sophomore seasons, Trinity would lead Mountain View back to the state title game as a junior in 2020. Avenging the previous season’s loss in the state championship to Eagle High School, Mountain View would beat Timberline High School 55-49 for their first state title since Destiny’s senior year.
This season, a 15-2 SIC record would help Mountain View claim the 2021 district championship over Boise High School 54-47. In the state tournament, Trinity would lead the Mavericks in assists as they defeated Timberline and Rigby in the first two rounds. On “Championship Saturday,” Trinity’s high school finale would be the state final against Thunder Ridge.
The pressure was on. Like Destiny, Trinity wanted to leave Mountain View a back-to-back champion. Destiny was a great player in high school, but Trinity wanted to write her own story and finish on the highest note possible. However, without Destiny paving the way for her younger sister, there would be no superstar Trinity Slocum.
“I wouldn’t be the player I am today without her,” Trinity said.
Finishing on a high note looked to be in danger early in the state championship. In the first half, the Mavericks shot 31% from the field and were outrebounded 30-16. The Titans looked to have full control of the game with a 33-21 halftime lead, but Trinity knew what this final game meant to her and her teammates.
“I think it was the feeling of being down,” Trinity said in an interview with Scorebook Live. “Especially our captains and our veterans, we’ve won the championship game and we lost it. There’s one of those feelings we do not like. So when you’re down, all you got to do is put your heads up and put the ball in the hoop.”
The comeback was on. With the trio of Trinity, Naya Ojukwu and D’Nia Williams, a 41-22 second half surge propelled the Mavericks to a 62-55 victory. Trinity’s 11 points and team high six assists were a difference maker in cementing her high school legacy.
There may have been pressure for Trinity to succeed in her basketball career, but the University of Hawaii commit never saw it as an obstacle. She took it as a challenge to improve her game and be her own basketball legend. With her Mountain View career now in the rear view mirror, there’s a new expectation for Trinity to succeed at the Division I level with the Warriors. But with her ability to play, there’s nothing holding her back.
