“She’s simply the best,” Holweger said after the Panthers beat Seton in a Division I district final last month. “Once-in-a-lifetime player.”
That is a tag that gets used from time to time, but Martin’s numbers back it up in this case.
She is Springboro’s all-time leader in points, assists, free throw percentage, free throws made in a season, single-season 3-pointers and career 3-pointers.
As the Panthers head into a state semifinal game against Cincinnati Princeton at Fairfield High School at 5 p.m. Sunday, she is nearing 2,000 career points and already has dished out more than 350 assists.
Knowing those numbers isn’t really necessary to get a strong indication of the type of player Martin is, though. Watching her play is all it takes.
The 6-foot-1 guard brings an unmistakable presence to the court for Springboro. She is an active defender who averages 2.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, but the other end is where Martin really shines.
When the Panthers are on offense, Martin usually has the ball and appears to make the right play more often than not, whether that is pulling up from behind the 3-point line, dishing to an open teammate or going to the rim and scoring regardless of what kind of resistance she might face along the way.
Playing with calm and confidence, Martin displays the rare ability to run the show without stealing it for a team with hopes of getting back to the state championship game but winning it this time.
“I just kind of let the game come to me,” she said after the Panthers dominated No. 1 seed Mason 41-27 in a regional final last Saturday. “I don’t really try to force anything. I think it’s a big emphasis on my game.”
Martin was eager to talk about her teammates after the wins over Seton and Mason — especially fellow senior forward Aniya Trent, who like Martin is a Division I college recruit.
While Trent is headed to Virginia Tech next season, Martin has signed with Washington.
“We got the best post in Ohio,” Martin said after Trent scored 13 points against the Comets.
“She was very aggressive today, which we need out of her.”
They know each other well, having played together since grade school, but Trent said being on different teams one year gave her an appreciation for how good Martin could become.
“I don’t really remember elementary,” Trent said with a laugh, “but in seventh grade we were on opposite teams so I got to watch a little bit more, and she really really blew up and started putting the work in then and obviously it showed.”
Many others noticed, of course.
Martin was the GWOC Player of the Year as a sophomore, an award she won again the last two seasons, and this week she became a two-time Division I Southwest District Player of the Year and a finalist for the Ohio Ms. Basketball Award.
A four-star recruit, she averages 23 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals this season and is the No. 2 prospect in Ohio for the class of 2025 and a top 70 national recruit according to 247Sports.
Not surprisingly, Washington coach Tina Langley gushed about her in November when Martin signed her letter of intent to play for the Huskies.
“She is a young woman who embraces everything with heart, whether it’s her family or the game of basketball,” Langley said. “She is constantly in the gym, disciplined about her craft, and has an incredible courage instilled in her by her family. We’re so excited Bryn is coming to Seattle, and we’re deeply grateful to her family for allowing her to come across the country to make Washington her second home.”
Before heading to the Pacific Northwest, there is still work to do at home.
Martin and the Panthers (22-4) face Princeton (20-6) with hopes of earning a trip to the Division I state championship game, which is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. March 15 at UD Arena.
They’ve been on a mission to get there all season after losing to Olmsted Falls in the 2024 championship game.
“If they haven’t seen Bryn play, come out and watch her,” Holweger said. “She’s got great teammates around her, but in a sentence, it’s just simple. Her consistency and efficiency are just remarkable, but her two greatest qualities are she prepares like no other, and her competitiveness you can’t measure.
“She also recognizes that her success is part of having wonderful teammates.”
Against the Vikings, Martin and her teammates will face the team that finished second in the Greater Miami Conference this season.
They are led by Mari Gerton, a 5-8 senior who averages 17.1 points and 2.8 steals per game and made the All-Southwest District first team, and third-teamer Erin Thomas, a 6-1 freshman who adds 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per night.
Princeton has won 13 in a row since losing at Mason in early January.
Today’s game
Division I State Semifinal
at Fairfield High School
Springfield (22-4) vs. Princeton (20-6), 1 p.m.
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