Sophomore Braylyn Birmingham (left) with Head Coach Joe Sigrist (right)

Last March, the Norwalk girls basketball team ended its most successful season in nearly two decades with a hard-fought, ten-point loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier in the Class 4A state semifinals. The Warriors fell just short of their first trip to the state championship game since 2006 and said goodbye to senior Bailey Birmingham, the program’s second-leading scorer all time. But even as one chapter closed, another was already beginning.

That future arrived in the form of a 5’11” freshman named Braylyn Birmingham. Thrust into varsity action for the first time, Birmingham wasted no time making her presence felt. She finished 17th in the state in scoring, earned a spot on the Class 4A All-Tournament Team, and emerged as Norwalk’s new offensive centerpiece, averaging 20.5 points per game.

Her sophomore season has been an unmistakable leap forward. Birmingham currently ranks second in the state in scoring at 29.4 points per game while also leading the 15-2 Warriors in rebounds (7.6), assists (3.2), and steals (2.7). Most recently, she reached the 1,000-point milestone Friday night in Norwalk’s win over Indianola, scoring it on a left-handed layup, a shot she converts as well as anyone in the state. After being honored in front of the home crowd following Tuesday’s loss to Dallas Center-Grimes, Birmingham told KNIA Sports that the achievement wasn’t hers alone.

“It was obviously something that I’ve been working for for a while, just a personal goal, but I wouldn’t want to do it with any other teammates, any other coaches. They’ve supported me, and just being able to have a team and coaches like them, they’re really amazing, I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”

The elephant in the gym Friday night in Indianola was how quickly Birmingham reached the milestone and what that pace could mean for future benchmarks, from 2,000 points to the program’s all-time scoring record. But when asked about those possibilities, Birmingham made it clear her focus remains firmly in the present.

“Obviously, there are a lot of personal goals that come with it, but the end of the season is coming quick. That’s just crazy to think, but we have a few away games coming up that we definitely need to focus on.”

For Birmingham, the accolades can wait. There’s still basketball to be played.

“We’ll just get back in the gym tomorrow and work even harder for Des Moines Christian on Thursday.”

Birmingham and the #3 in 4A Norwalk girls hit the road tonight for a non-conference matchup against No. 2-ranked Des Moines Christian in Class 3A, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m.