Confidence Fuels Hoops Transformation for HP Senior 

New Mexico signee Lauro flourished in three seasons with Lady Scots

Paris Lauro has always been an avid basketball follower but has only recently become an elite basketball player.

The Highland Park senior’s rapid rise to becoming a district MVP and Division I recruit can be traced as much to Lauro’s confidence and perseverance as on-the-court skill improvement.

Lauro, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged more than 21 points and eight rebounds per game during her senior year, helping the Lady Scots earn the District 7-6A title. She signed with the University of New Mexico and became one of the most dominant HP players in the past decade.

As recently as three years ago, even Lauro didn’t see that coming. She grew up in San Antonio rooting for her hometown Spurs, but her athletic interests were more focused on cheerleading than on the hardwood. She was relegated to the “B” and “C” teams in middle school.

“I always loved basketball,” Lauro said, “but I was not very good.”

However, something clicked during the pandemic when Lauro’s family bought a basketball hoop for their driveway. It became part of her daily routine and re-ignited her passion.

As a sophomore, Lauro made the varsity squad for HP and gradually earned more playing time, primarily as a rebounder and post defender because of her height.

“If you’re 6 feet, they’re just going to throw you in the paint,” she said. “I didn’t have confidence in my offensive game like I do now.”

Lauro still had to prove herself as an all-around player capable of consistent perimeter shooting and ball-handling. She began playing with a summer team and training with a private coach. Still, there were growing pains.

“It was about patience and believing in what you’re working on,” she said. “I had to keep working, just showing and proving that I was capable of not just being down low in the paint. This year it all came together.”

Before her senior season, she was a standout on the summer circuit. She recalls one high-profile tournament, in front of a handful of college coaches, when she struggled early before making several 3-pointers and finishing with 30 points to help her Texas LoneStar squad rally from a large deficit.

Lauro is anxious to join a UNM program that is on the upswing with three consecutive winning seasons, and she’s confident that her personal best is yet to come.

“I try to use my height and speed advantage,” Lauro said. “I have so much more room to grow.”