Brooke Wilson (above) was the 2023-24 Catholic League MVP. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
By Josh Verlin + Andrew Robinson
Archbishop Wood girls’ basketball coach Mike McDonald never fails to appreciate the grandeur of the Catholic League’s championship games.
While the Vikings will be in the title game for the 15th time in the last 18 years and back at the Palestra for a second straight season, it’s not treated as a guarantee. Archbishop Carroll, the other half of Monday night’s championship tilt, isn’t a stranger to Penn’s campus either.
The game will last 32 minutes, but every player who has the opportunity to step on the floor will carry it with them for much longer.
“I told the kids that haven’t been there, we eight freshmen, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” McDonald said. “We’ve been fortunate to do it a lot, but every time you go down there, it’s new all over again. It’s special from the moment you walk into the Palestra and it’s empty to the time it’s packed.”