SAMANTHA AND ONE
Brianna Garza
Director of PGC Basketball Camps
Know More About Brianna Garza
Brianna Played basketball at baker university and was an NAIA ALL American. She is now a director at PGC camps and is a professional shooting coach.
Brianna Garza, a seasoned basketball coach, provides three critical shooting tips for young female players. First, she advises against the conventional wisdom of keeping the ball above the chest during a shot. Instead, she suggests that players should allow the basketball to naturally dip below their chest for additional power. Second, she identifies a common mistake among young female players: stopping the shot mid-motion. Comparing this to a punch that stops before it reaches its target, Garza emphasizes the importance of a continuous, flowing motion for maximum power. Finally, she notes that contrary to popular teaching, the best shooters in the NBA and WNBA often don't point all ten toes directly at the rim. Instead, they use a tilted footprint to ensure their shooting mechanism aligns accurately with the rim. These adjustments, she asserts, are commonly implemented in the players she coaches to improve their shooting proficiency.
Brianna Garza, out in Tempe, AZ for the PGC Playmaker camp, draws a parallel between the rigors of mastering shooting and overcoming life's challenges. Garza recognizes that shooting, much like climbing Camelback Mountain, can be a strenuous endeavor. Through her teaching, she encourages athletes to tackle these tough situations head-on. Emphasizing the need for self-study and correction, she compares shooting slumps to life's obstacles and asserts that both can be surmounted with persistent effort. Garza's approach to coaching extends beyond merely perfecting technique, focusing on mindset and resilience as well. She believes in embracing the concept of 'doing hard things' both on the basketball court and in life, helping her students cultivate the grit required to overcome adversities.
Reflecting on her basketball style, Brianna Garza identifies herself with Katie Lou Samuelson from the WNBA, albeit with a bit of imaginative height adjustment. Despite standing at 5'6", Garza envisions her game in a taller frame, drawing parallels with Samuelson's exceptional shooting skills and impressive court presence. She appreciates Samuelson's consistency as a 'knock-down shooter' and her effective use of length to compensate for lateral quickness. Given a height of 6' or 6'2", Garza believes her playing style would closely resemble that of Samuelson, showcasing a robust and skillful approach to the game.