Grace Sundback’s dedication to basketball led her to Westtown and a commitment to Delaware

Grace Sundback’s mother recalls the first time she saw a commitment to basketball at a serious level by her daughter.

Sundback was in sixth grade at the time and had been playing CYO basketball as well as AAU ball with the Staten Island Diamonds. It was at that point that Sundback and her family were introduced to another AAU program, one that would require more of her.

That didn’t scare Sundback, the Westtown School star who last month committed to the University of Delaware recruiting class of 2023. After seeing what players in that AAU program were able to achieve, she knew that it was something she wanted to do. Sundback’s decision was apparent to those who knew her best.

“When she saw what was out there, I could see the switch went off,” said Liz Sundback, Grace’s mother. “I think that’s where she switched over and said, ‘This is something I want to do to my fullest potential; I’m going to make this commitment.’”

Once Sundback joined the New York Renaissance AAU team, her love of the game continued to grow. After middle school, Sundback played her freshman season at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn.

After her freshman year, Sundback was continuing to look for ways to challenge herself as a player. So, when she and her family met Westtown School coach Fran Burbidge at a tournament in Washington and Burbidge asked if Sundback would consider boarding school, it opened up a big decision for the 5-foot-9 guard. Although boarding school had not been on Sundback’s or her family’s radar, they took a visit to Westtown in February 2019.

“I can remember her saying to me, ‘I really love it, and I want to do it, and I think I can do it,’” Liz Sundback said. “It was a very similar transition [to] that sixth-grade moment where she said, ‘I definitely want to do this.’”

One of the primary reasons Sundback felt the school in West Chester would be the right choice for her was it would help her prepare for college. Westtown has taught Sundback how to be independent. It also has allowed her to put her work ethic on display, as boarding school allows her to spend extra time in the gym.

“Westtown has given me the opportunity to kind of figure it out on my own,” Sundback said. “They give you a platform, and then you have to just run with it. I think I’ve been able to do that.

“Basketball-wise, I’m in the gym at like 6 a.m. some days, [and] some days it’s in between classes. Then [we have] our usual practice slot at 4 o’clock, so I get a lot of gym time.”

Sundback’s work ethic on the court has become one of the defining parts of her game. Her first season at Westtown came during the COVID-19-shortened season, with many teams playing few, if any, games. That didn’t stop Sundback from making an impact on her new program.

“She’s a really committed kid, and she practices the way she plays, which is what we’re trying to establish with the program,” Burbidge said. “So, a lot of her leadership that first year as a sophomore came more by example.

“She just brings a natural competitiveness, not only to games, but to practice. … She’s in the gym at 6:30 in the morning, [and] she’s getting at least 300 shots up.”

While she led by example as a sophomore, Sundback had the chance to take on added responsibility this past season, serving as a cocaptain on Westtown’s PAISAA championship team. Alongside seniors Kaylene Smikle and Meliah Van-Otoo, Sundback played an important part in Westtown’s title run, which ended in a victory over Penn Charter.

» READ MORE: Westtown’s Meliah Van-Otoo bringing a championship mentality to Loyola Maryland

After this AAU season with her New Heights NYC team, Sundback will enter her senior season as the main captain for the Moose. Her focus will be on helping Westtown defend its title, as well as serving as a leader for the newcomers in the program. One thing Sundback won’t have to think about is recruiting.

Sundback’s recruiting process began in eighth grade when she drew an offer from St. John’s. Her path to choosing Delaware was similar to the one she took three years ago when she was considering Westtown.

“When I first got to Westtown, there’s a certain vibe you get and a certain feeling you get when you know some place is right or some place is home,” Sundback said. “As soon as I got to Delaware, I felt that same feeling, and it made me feel very comfortable in my decision.”

Part of what helped Sundback feel comfortable at Delaware was the relationship she built with the Blue Hens staff. It was on her unofficial visit to campus that she felt that supportive atmosphere that reminded her of Westtown.

“I just felt like a part of their family as soon as I stepped on campus,” Sundback said. “I think that’s not something that you can find everywhere, and that’s an irreplaceable feeling that I got with them.

“That’s kind of just how I knew I wanted to step on the floor as soon as I got to school, and I think Delaware is such a great place for me to build the game of basketball for girls.”