SAN ANTONIO – The Wagner girls’ basketball team broke in the hardwood inside the Alamodome for the first time on Friday before the Thunderbirds face Ryan for the UIL Class 5A Division I crown.
Regardless of the outcome in the state final, the 2025 Thunderbirds have already made an indelible mark in program history in their first-ever state title game appearance.
“Definitely appreciating the moment,” Wagner girls basketball head coach Annissa Jackson, who is in her seventh year with the program, said. “Not taking it for granted because a lot of teams don’t get this opportunity.”
Wagner was given a 30-minute shootaround period where they rotated sides of the court halfway through their shootaround.
“I’m getting a little nervous, not going to lie,” Wagner sophomore guard Nia McBride said. “I try not to focus on it too much since I have a game to play, but it’s exciting for sure.”
The Thunderbirds are just one win away from returning home state champions. They are eager to finish the job.
“I’ve watched a lot of film, took notes, talked to my teammates. We talk about the game every day,” said McBride. “I’m fired up. I’m excited. I think we got it.”
Unlike previous years, the UIL’s updated playoff format includes two divisions for each classification, resulting in the semifinal games being played at different host sites instead of the Alamodome.
“I wish we were able to play the semifinals here, but it is what it is,” Jackson said. “So they just have to get a feel for the rim.”
The Thunderbirds will also rely on five-star guard LA Sneed, who was named a Dave Campbell’s Miss Texas Basketball Player of the Year finalist, when Wagner tips off against Denton Ryan at 1 p.m. on Saturday inside the Alamodome.
Read more reporting and watch highlights and full games on the Big Game Coverage page.
