By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Looking to lead the Lady Bulldogs on their quest for a three-peat this season, Garfield’s Katie Fiso has been a nightmare for opponents. Fiso, a four-star guard according to espn.com, is currently averaging 23.2 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 53% from the field, and 33% from three-point range. However, most are probably unaware that Katie comes from a dynamic family of athletes.
Older sisters Brianna, Emily, and Meghan Fiso set a high bar for their younger sister Katie to follow. Brianna played high school basketball at Evergreen High School before attending Northwest University for her final two years of college eligibility, scoring 400 points while shooting 44% from the field.
Emily — who was a standout at Mt. Rainier and earned First-Team All-League honors as a junior, and Second-Team All-League honors as a sophomore — finished her high school career at West Seattle High School making them a contender, and upon graduation, Emily committed to play for Central Washington University.
Meghan has a highly decorated resume. From being named the Pacific Northwest Basketball Officials Association Female Player of the Year, and First-Team All-Metro, Meghan helped West Seattle win back-to-back SeaKing District tournament championships and take third place in the 2018 state tournament. Meghan would finish her high school career at Garfield High School, where she helped lead the Lady Bulldogs win a state championship and took home the tournament MVP award.
In her senior year, Meghan was deemed a top 40 recruit according to Prospects Nation. She was named the 2020 AP Class 3A Player of the Year in Washington and Seattle Times Player of the Year, averaging 24.7 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
Katie credits her siblings for influencing various aspects of her game.
“Each of them impacted me in their respective ways,” says Katie. “Brianna showed me how to approach the game fearlessly and be a cutthroat competitor. Emily showed me that one day the ball will stop bouncing, and to always enjoy the moment. Meghan showed me how to make an immediate impact and what the grind looks like to win a state championship.”
“Even my two older brothers impacted my game today, with them being boys, and always playing against them has helped my game in so many ways,” she added.
With the blueprint set out in front of her for years, Fiso, who stands 5-foot-9, began catching the eyes of college coaches and talent evaluators while she was in middle school.
An evaluation from Eliteisearned.com in 2019 stated, “it’s a little scary how ready Fiso is to compete against upperclassmen. Her length and shift combined with supreme confidence allow her to be very competitive against physically stronger opposition. The ball-reversal three-pointer is there now, she scores attacking the paint, really utilizing her length and touch.”
Because her game was so advanced, Fiso earned scholarship offers from Boise State, the University of Arizona, and the University of Southern California all before arriving on Garfield’s campus. As a freshman, her season was hindered due to COVID but that didn’t stop coaches from offering the class of 2024 guard a basketball scholarship, as she picked up an offer from the University of Oklahoma and her third Pac-12 offer from Washington State University.
In her first full high school season as a sophomore, Fiso, who led her team to a state 3A championship, averaged 14.6 points per game, while shooting 55% from the field and 86% from the free-throw line. In addition to a stellar sophomore campaign, which saw her team finish the season with a perfect 21-0 record, Fiso earned another Pac-12 offer from California.
When asked about how the recruiting process is going, Fiso said, “it’s been great, really fun to get to know different coaches and their respective programs. Each program has a unique take on the game of basketball which I love and take into consideration for my high school season.”
Now in her junior season, Fiso has a new coach in Tre Simmons, and an opportunity to win back-to-back state championships. However, Fiso’s mindset is predicated on building off where they were as a team last year regardless of the coach.
“I am focused on leading the team despite the various changes,” said Fiso. “However, I am very grateful that Tre stepped up as the coach because he offers a plethora of knowledge with his years of being a professional. He brings a different perspective to our teams’ game, which I appreciate.”
When Head Coach Tre Simmons was asked about Fiso’s impact as a leader, he stated, “she’s a special kid and always wants to get better every day and holds herself accountable. Katie also encourages her teammates a lot.
Despite the national and local attention, she’s received from various media outlets, Fiso has a very detailed approach to the game regardless of her team being undefeated and winning by a 28-point margin throughout their first seven games of the season.
“I approach each game by taking it one game at a time, asking for feedback from Coach Tre and Roydell about where the tune-ups need to happen, and watching the film to see where I could improve but also help my teammates get better,” said Fiso. “Before every game Coach Tre is always telling us we have a target on our back, so my team and I approach the game to just destroy.”
Simmons says that her approach to the game is one of the things that sets Fiso apart from other athletes, and her desire to improve and make her team and teammates better is a pleasure to watch.
“I’ve had to kick her out of the gym after practice,” says Simmons. “I’m very fortunate to have her on my team.”
