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Growing up in Renton, Grace Richardson was never one to sit on the sidelines and cheer. While her friends practiced cheerleading, she was out throwing footballs and kicking soccer balls with the boys. Her dad, Rich, supported her love for sports, but he couldn’t quite see himself as a soccer dad.
“He said, ‘Can’t you just bounce a ball or something?’ ” Grace recalled.
Little did he know that simple fatherly advice would lay the foundation for Grace to become one of the state’s top point guards with the Peninsula Seahawks girls basketball team and earn a spot on the recruiting lists of NCAA Division I and II teams across the country.
Rhythm and Style
Basketball is an art form for Grace. She thrives on rhythm, likening her rebounding and defense to dancing — a skill she honed as a child while dressing up and mimicking Michael Jackson’s moves.
“I love to dance and get into a rhythm,” said the 5-foot, 10-inch senior. “I feel like I’ve always had rhythm and use that in my movement on the court.”
That natural rhythm has been a hallmark of Grace’s game and translates seamlessly into her ability to control the tempo on the court, thread pinpoint no-look passes to her teammates, or lock down the league’s best scorers. She excels with or without the ball. Last season, she led the Seahawks in rebounds (9.4), assists (4.8), steals (3.4), and blocks (1.8), and was second in scoring (15.6), earning first-team all-conference honors along the way.
A Lifelong Partnership
When she was young, Rich gave Grace a cheap rubber basketball he got after donating to a charity event. That ball became her teddy bear, of sorts, and she never let it out of her sight. She took it everywhere: to parties, the park, the bus stop.
“I even slept with it,” she said. “And when I lost it, I had to get another.”
She told a story about bouncing her ball outside her older sister Faith’s track practice when Grace was in middle school. The track coach wasn’t too fond of the incessant noise and tossed Grace’s ball across the field. “I was like, ‘That’s my ball!’ I ran out, grabbed it, and started dribbling again while looking him right in his face,” she said.
Instead of being mad, Rich said the coach praised her. “(The track coach) said, ‘That’s what I’m talking about. That’s persistence right there.’ He told his team he wanted everybody to be like that.”
While home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Richardson sprouted 6 inches. She used the downtime to hone her dribbling and passing skills.
“Coaches told us that not everyone can dribble and pass, and if we focused on those skills, she’ll always have a spot on a team,” Rich said. “So we hit that really hard.”
It worked out well for her, becoming a member of the elite FBC Northwest Girls Alliance club, which has prepared her for the fast pace of college basketball. Today, Grace is celebrated for her court vision, often seeing plays before they develop and setting up her teammates with open shots thanks to her pass-first mentality.
“I feel like I have a superpower when it comes to seeing people open,” she said. “If there’s even a tiny opening, I want to make sure my teammate gets the ball.”
Grace’s Other Lifelong Partner
When play resumes after a dead ball, it’s often accompanied by a whistle followed by a booming voice from the bleachers: “Get to work!” For Grace, that phrase has been a constant in her life, shouted by her dad during games, and countless one-on-one sessions in empty gyms during the offseason.
Though it sounds like a generic form of encouragement, “When I hear him say that, it reminds me of growing up,” Grace said. “It’s like he’s saying, ‘We’ve practiced this; now go out and prove it.’ ”
“I’m probably her hardest critic, but that’s because I know how good she is,” Rich said. “I want her to play to her highest potential every single game. You never know who’s watching.”
The bond between Grace and Rich has been at the heart of her basketball journey. “He’s been there every step of the way and has coached me my whole life,” she said. Although college should offer her a little buffer room for her to grow, she said he’ll still be popping in for games.
“My wife and I are going to be traveling like crazy (to go watch Grace play),” said Rich, who is excited to see his daughter’s relentless work pay off.
Prepping for the Future
Grace has been a lifelong student of the game, and under new Seahawks coach Nelson Garnett — her third coach in four years — she’s learning to adapt and embrace change. One of those changes is stepping into a leadership role, where she’s determined to elevate her teammates and the program.
Her talents are not confined to the hardwood. This spring, after taking the junior season off, she plans to rejoin the school’s track team, competing in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 300-meter hurdles, and relays. Grace has finished her club basketball career and will dedicate the off-season to lifting weights and building the strength needed to compete at the next level.
Grace had not announced whether she has signed to play college ball by press time, but she isn’t one to sit on the sidelines. She’s just getting to work.
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