Photo by Bill Rea
By Angela Brunk
Pratt High School senior Hope Hughes enters her final season ready to lead a young Greenback squad with pride, resilience, and a hunger to make every moment count. A versatile guard who rotates between the 1, 2, and 3 positions, Hughes is prepared to take on a major leadership role as the team transitions into a new era with a fresh coaching staff and a roster largely made up of underclassmen.
This season’s team motto, N.O.W., No Opportunity Wasted, perfectly captures Hughes’ mindset. “Even though this is a growing year, we are still going to give it all we got every opportunity,” she said. With many people overlooking Pratt, Hughes hopes the Greenbacks can surprise opponents, compete fearlessly, and knock off teams that underestimate them.
Individually, she aims to step fully into her leadership role while continuing to expand her offensive versatility. After shooting an impressive 45% from the three last season and knocking down 51 threes for the season, her goal is to stay unpredictable and remain a threat from everywhere on the floor.
Hughes is especially excited for meaningful matchups this season. The game at Hutchinson Trinity holds sentimental value; her sister graduated from there, and Hughes attended the school when she was younger. Playing at Newman University is another full-circle moment, as her sister wrapped up her collegiate career on that very court.
Her offseason was packed with elite camps, AAU competition, skill development, and team workouts. She focused heavily on mentality, ball handling, and adding new moves to her arsenal.
Off the court, Hughes is an accomplished multi-sport athlete and an active student leader. She participates in National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Students, Kay Club, Pep Club, Greenback Match Mentoring, tennis, and softball. She plans to continue playing basketball in college, though her future major remains undecided.
