Chemistry 'unmatched' as Shannon Cunningham toasts Coláiste Ailigh's glory

Shannon Cunningham has between little and no free time these days - but the Letterkenny woman isn’t complaining.

Cunningham scored 33 points on Tuesday as Coláiste Ailigh overcame Laurel Hill in the U19B Girls final of the Pinergy All-Schools Cup.

The MVP award made its way into Cunningham’s arms. It’s becoming quite the trend.

Cunningham was named as December’s MissQuote.ie Division 1 player of month after starring for LYIT Donegal in the National League, scoring 40 points against Limerick Celtics and 20 against Marble City Hawks.

Champions: Ní Chuinneagáin stars as Coláiste Ailigh take All-Ireland title

Basketball is now the only show in town for a woman who is also a talented soccer and Gaelic football player.

“I tried to juggle the three sports for a while, but it just became too difficult,” she told Donegal Live.

“I love the pace of basketball and there’s a lot of scoring in it. There’s such a team effort to get the ball into the basket. It’s just so focussed on the team.”

The women’s team is a new addition to the LYIT Donegal stable and Cunningham still takes to the court in the colours of Letterkenny Blaze.

The sport has rarely been as popular in these parts.

“Playing National League is such a great opportunity,” Cunningham said, “To get to play at that standard is brilliant. You’re playing a game that is so fast and physically, playing against American players and others from overseas.

“The environment is great, playing with and against the best. It’s busy. I train every night, but it works well. There is never a clash and the training is on alternative nights.

Coláiste Ailigh overcame Laurel Hill in the U19B Girls final

Coláiste Ailigh overcame Laurel Hill in the U19B Girls final

“It’s so nice that basketball is becoming more recognised up here now. We were never considered a basketball region, but there’s been some great work put in.”

Cunningham’s star has been rising for some time now.

She has worn the Irish jersey at under-16, under-17 and under-18 levels, although she has taken a break from the international squad to concentrate on her Leaving Certificate.

Tuesday’s display to spur Coláiste Ailigh will have come as no surprise to those who have charted her progress.

“In the first two years, we just competed in regional blitzes with the school,” she said. “Then we realised that we could get a team together and have a chance. We won the cup for the schools. We missed out on a couple of years with Covid so it’s great to be back again.

“Tuesday might have been my last game at schools’ level. We’re supposed to have League to play in, but we’re not sure what’s going to happen.

“It was a great game. We were so nervous beforehand, but we got the job done.

“The stadium is always loud on All-Ireland weeks and it’s always a lively atmosphere to play in. Everyone did their best and everyone played their part. We have some girls on the team who don’t play club and you wouldn’t know, they’re so whole hearted. There’s just great chemistry and density in the team, it’s unmatched. Most of us have known each other since we were seven or eight years old playing for Blaze.”

The Leaving Cert looms on her horizon in the summer and Cunningham will careful chose her next move.

Primary teaching at DCU is among her considerations, but basketball will be to the forefront of her thoughts wherever she goes.

She said: “I enjoy it, I really love it. It was hard training on our own during lockdown, but we kept going with HIIT (high intensity interval training) classes every week, but it’s great to be back in person and playing with each other again.”