'This young lady has turned her life around.' The long path to MVP for MC's Washington

Trinity Washington doesn't take her time on the basketball court for granted. Not after everything the Merced College sophomore has been through.

After sitting out two years with a knee injury, Washington has enjoyed every second on the court this season leading up to Saturday's Northern California Regional second-round playoff game. The fifth-seeded Lady Blue Devils travel to No. 4 San Francisco City College. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.

Washington injured the knee early in what was to be her sophomore season in 2015. Washington fractured her patella (kneecap) bone . Doctors suggested surgery to repair it, but Washington decided against it. Instead she took time off to let her body heal.

"Not everyone is the same when they come back from surgery," Washington said. "I didn't want to do it. They say in the long run, I'll probably have to have the surgery. At that time, I'll be fine with it."

Washington received a medical redshirt and sat out the rest of that season without burning a year of eligibility. She missed the following season as well.

It wasn't until last spring when she was cleared to play.

One of the first people she told was Merced College coach Allen Huddleston.

"When I sent him a text to tell him I was cleared, he sent me a meme of people in a church that were shouting," Washington said. "If you know coach Huddleston, he's a very spiritual man. So that was funny coming from him."

Huddleston had his point guard back.

"I just wanted to let her know how excited I was," Huddleston said. "I don't know if I've ever had a player in the time I've been coaching who has had as much impact on a game as Trinity has."

The relationship between Huddleston and Washington goes back almost a decade now to when she was at Roosevelt High in Fresno.

Washington got in trouble during her senior year. She was involved in an altercation with two other girls that ended up with Washington placed into a juvenile detention center after she was charged with two counts of battery.

"I was a little hot head," Washington said. "Two weeks before my graduation, I got into a fight. Two girls tried to jump me."

It was Huddleston who stepped up on her behalf, writing a letter to the judge. Huddleston tried to explain that Washington had a chance to do something with her life and play basketball in college.

"I don't know what he said in the letter. I still don't," Washington said. "But they released me in time for my graduation. At the time, I didn't know where I was going to go and he still helped me."

After high school, Washington initially went to play at Fresno City. She wanted to stay close to family, but things didn't work out at Fresno City. She never played for the Rams that season.

The next year, she thought about coming to play for Huddleston, but again tried to give Fresno City another shot. Again, things didn't work out and she eventually ended up at Merced College.

"I technically dissed and dodged (Huddleston) two times and he still wanted me to play for him," Washington said. "He held no hard feelings.

"He's really an amazing man. I've been through a lot with him and his wife. They've been there for me on and off the court. I don't like telling him that much because it pumps up his ego."

Washington hasn't been in trouble since high school. Since joining the Blue Devils program, she's been a team leader.

"This young lady has turned her life around," Huddleston said. "You want to talk about a success story, Trinity Washington is it."

That's why Huddleston takes so much joy in what Washington has been able to accomplish on the court since returning from the injury this season.

At 25 years old, Washington was named the Central Valley Conference MVP after helping lead Merced College to a co-championship. Washington leads the team with 13 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 5.7 steals per game. She does it all despite standing just 5-foot-3.

"Pound for pound, I think she's the toughest player in the state," Huddleston said. "I couldn't tell you how excited I am for her. For me, it's exciting for people to get to see the Trinity we know. They get to see how special she is. To see her succeed means the world to me. She's very deserving.

"I think what is scary is how much better she is at 25. She's so smart about the game. Her basketball IQ is so great. She figures things out on the court."

Washington holds the Merced College record for assists in a game with 16. She also set single-season assists (197) and steals (170) records this season, which she adds to with each assist and steal.

"It's been a blessing to be able to come back and get all these accolades," Washington said. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates and all my coaches. We all push each other."

This story was originally published March 1, 2018 at 3:16 PM with the headline "'This young lady has turned her life around.' The long path to MVP for MC's Washington."