This is a growing, improving program with a chance to grow more. Cathedral High School girls basketball started the 2025-2026 season that way, with a strong roster beginning the season playing well – and with an eye on the postseason. Irish girls basketball is developing and ascending in real time. “They’re kind of figuring out each other, which is good,” Lisa Finn said. The Irish in Finn’s seventh season as head coach started the 2025-2026 season 7-4, with a five-game winning streak – including a 60-45 victory over Heritage Christian on December 20. The Irish were ranked 13th in the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association Class 3A poll on December 15. Heritage Christian entered the Cathedral-Heritage game ranked No. 16 in Class 2A. The Irish also beat Class 3A No. 7 Jennings County 57-56 early in the season, with two early-season losses to state-ranked teams – Class 4A No. 1 Norwell and Class 4A No. 8 Hamilton Southeastern. “They’re doing a good job and trying to figure out [who they are],” Finn said. “We should probably be [a game or two better], but I’d rather have those things now than later. There haven’t been too many surprises as far as who's filling what role, so it has been good.” The 2025 Irish are led by a balanced core of seniors and underclassmen, with a strong junior class with extensive experience. “They’ve played together a lot, which is helpful,” Finn said. Irish seniors in 2025: Forward Tatum Triggs and guard Precious Anuka, with Anuka leading the Irish with 12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game through 10 games. Triggs was averaging 3.3 rebounds through 10 games. Triggs is a four-year player for the Irish who Finn said is running the floor well and contributing significantly early in the season. “She has done a good job,” Finn said. Anuka has emerged as team leader after developing as a junior, with injuries limiting her early in her Cathedral career. “She's probably our most consistent scorer this year, for sure,” Finn said. “If you just tell her to go score, she can do that. She has done a good job.” Also critical to the 2025 Irish: Sophomore guard/forward Caroline Wiggins and sophomore guard Maddy Watko, with Wiggins averaging 8.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game through 10 games and Watko averaging 2.5 assists per game. Wiggins spent the preseason and early part of the season returning from an end-of-summer knee injury. “She's definitely going to be one of our people that we lean on,” Finn said of Wiggins, adding, “We're putting the ball more in Maddy Watco’s hands as a ball handler and as a point guard. She has a really good IQ, so she knows where everybody should be and what everybody should be doing. That has been helpful.” The ’25 Irish junior class includes: Guard/wing Taylor Babington (5.2 points per game, guard Veronica Derringer (2.7 ppg), guard Merritt Hill (2.2 ppg), guard Lia Brann (2.2 ppg) and guard Livia Walker-Back (1.0 ppg). Finn called Babington “consistent” and “super athletic.” “She really can score at all three levels and we're getting her to keep her motor going on the defensive end,” Finn said, adding of Brann and Walker-Back, “They may not do anything crazy in the stat line, but they’re really solid. “You’re not guessing when you put them in. You're going to get a solid effort defensively and offensively.” The Irish as a team in 2025-2026 are similar to last season in that they are a strong defense that will get points from defensive pressure and tempo. “We don't do anything super-intricate offensively,” Finn said. “We just try to really empower them to just play hard on defense and turn it into offense.” The Irish entered 2025-2026 following a successful 2024-2025 season, having won their first sectional title since 2005 and their first regional title since 2001 to qualify for the semi-state round of the Class 3A state tournament. It’s momentum that the Irish are using toward building for a successful short-and-long-term future. “Obviously the momentum coming off last year is super helpful,” Finn said. “Tasting that success is helpful in a lot of ways. They realize how hard it is. It's hard to win no matter what level you're at and who you're playing, but this group is embracing it.”