Bailey Chapman becomes third member of this Sparta class to reach 1,000 career points
Bailey Chapman wasn't born in a gym, but she certainly grew up there.
Her father, Brian Chapman, is the men's basketball coach at William Paterson. Both the Chapman girls ‒ Sparta senior guard Bailey and sophomore forward Molly ‒ have been working on ballhandling and shooting drills since they could consistently put the ball in a regulation, 10-foot basket.
Not much has changed. Bailey Chapman is still always asking her dad and sister to shoot around or play one-on-one. Often, they drive to their grandparents Steve and Joanne Meyer's house in Jefferson. Steve Meyer painted a half court in the family's long driveway, where the Chapmans mainly have grass.
All that practice was on display on Monday night, when Chapman became the next Sparta girls basketball player to score her 1,000th career point. Chapman sank a 3-pointer from the left wing with 6:10 to go in the first quarter, and the Spartans went on to defeat Teaneck, 61-48, on Senior Night.
She follows classmates Ally Sweeney, who reached the milestone on Dec. 17, and Brynn McCurry, who got there as a junior. There are now 20 Sparta girls who have at least 1,000 points.
The Spartans met her at mid-court for a brief celebration.
"It's super cool, especially having my teammates there with me, and my sister on the court with me," Chapman said. "It's pretty awesome."
With both Sweeney and McCurry out with injuries, Chapman has had to step up and take on both her friends' roles. McCurry, who tore her left ACL in a scrimmage, came to practice to teach post moves to her teammates before having surgery on Jan. 3.
A heavy brace on her leg, McCurry was allowed to score the first two points of the Senior Night game.
"She has to learn all the things," McCurry said of Chapman, a teammate since fifth grade. "Everyone's looking up to her, and she's in that spotlight. She's doing a great job at it."
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After a growth spurt where she shot up to almost 5-foot-9, Chapman transformed herself from a 3-point shooter and the Sparta defender matched up against opponents' top scorer into an inside threat. Her total points have increased from year to year, even as the number of long-range shots has declined.
Now, Bailey Chapman is learning to run the floor and direct the Spartans, while Molly Chapman takes on some of her older sister's role in the paint.
"Freshman year, everyone's like, 'Bailey Chapman, all she can do is shoot the 3, and don't let her, because she'll make it,'" Sparta coach Cathy Wille said. "I said, 'You've got to reinvent yourself. You've got to get to the rim. ... She's putting her whole game together because she's been forced to."
Chapman didn't get her dedication solely from her father. Mom Shannon Chapman is also a coach, leading Jefferson's cross country and girls outdoor track and field teams.
Bailey tried running, but instead played soccer until after her junior season when she dropped other sports to focus on basketball. She also transitioned from the New Jersey Magic to the New Jersey Freedom AAU team. Chapman is planning to continue to play basketball in college.
"As much as this is a great accomplishment and exciting, it's so much better winning as a team," she said. "I do what the team needed from me, anything the team needs to win."
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ girls basketball: Sparta senior guard Bailey Chapman 1,000 points
