Jade Curington: A Poet and a Point Guard
When Greenhill needs a basket in a clutch situation, the Hornets usually put the ball in Jade Curington’s hands.
(ABOVE: Greenhill senior Jade Curington received all-SPC honors in each of the past three seasons and was named the team MVP for the Hornets last year. Photos by Chris McGathey)
She has experience as a four-year varsity starter, but the senior guard also has the mental toughness to handle pressure, which might be the primary factor in being a three-time all-SPC honoree.
Last year at a tournament in College Station, Greenhill was struggling through a tough and physical game against a favored opponent. Curington rallied the team, sending the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating layup and then making six consecutive free throws to win it.
“She loves pressure situations, and she’s always been mentally tough.” -Darryn Sandler
“She always puts the team first. Jade does whatever you ask her to do,” said Greenhill head coach Darryn Sandler. “She loves pressure situations, and she’s always been mentally tough. As she’s gotten older, she’s been even more successful.”
Perhaps that ability to adapt stems from her freshman year, when Curington came to Greenhill from Dallas ISD. Not only did she have to transition from public school to private school, but she also played varsity basketball for the first time while learning a new position.
“It was tough. My freshman year was my toughest year academically,” Curington said. “Basketball made it easier. That’s my happy place. I had something to look forward to every day.”
Eventually, Curington settled in as the point guard for the Hornets, helping the team to a 24-6 record and a third-place finish in the SPC. She was one of four freshman starters that year alongside standout Ellen Margaret Andrews, who’s now playing at Yale.
Away from the court, Curington is a poet and a regular performer at DaVerse Lounge in Deep Ellum, which provides an open mic several times each year for spoken-word poets 21 and under.
“I just love it, the feeling of connecting with the crowd,” said Curington, who was a rapper in middle school before transitioning to spoken-word poetry. “It’s a way to deal with emotions and feelings. Writing poetry is my way of articulating how I feel.”
For now, Curington is focused on her final year at Greenhill, trying to lead the Hornets to their first SPC title since 2014. So are the three teammates — Kyra Moran, Megan Olomu, and Ashley Isenberg — that have started alongside her all four seasons.
“Chemistry is very important in basketball,” Curington said. “You need to have that connection. That’s played a role in our success.”
