The senior basketball player believes growing up playing against her brothers Lucky and Noah pushed her to become an exceptional athlete.
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Asia Avinger didn’t need to search long to find a competitive game while growing up.
The Rosary senior just needed to join her twin brother Noah or older brother Lucky at the basketball hoop in front of their house or at the grass fields at nearby Gridley Park in Cerritos.
The three waged fierce basketball games that often led to fights in the driveway. They also played football and tag in the park.
“It was always a competition,” Avinger recalled. “It definitely made me a lot tougher and it always gave me the mentality of just being the best no matter who is out there on the floor.… They just pushed me to work even harder. I don’t like to lose and they don’t, so we just get better.”
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Avinger carried those feisty traits into high school basketball and used them to her benefit. She grew from a promising freshman to a state champion as a junior to the Orange County player of the year as a senior.
And now she is the Register’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2019-20 after an impressive senior season.
“Asia is one of those players who you love to watch but hate to play against,” said Santa Margarita girls basketball coach Christina Wear, who was Orange County’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2008-09 when she played at Foothill under her maiden name, Christina Marinacci.
“She already has the strength and speed of some Division I athletes and was difficult for us guard this year.
