LYNDHURST, Ohio — The Mason sisters—Tatiana and Nyla—have grown up around basketball. Their dad, Chet Mason, who was Mr. Ohio Basketball, played for the Cavaliers in the NBA and is a two-time Olympic gold medal coach of the USA U17 National Team, began inspiring them with his love of the game, shared by their mother Yahaira who played in high school as well.
Tatiana, a sophomore at Brush High School, describes her game as "aggressive" and "strong." She shows that on both sides of the court. In the Arcs' last game against Laurel, Tatiana put up a double-double with 22 points and 20 rebounds. She led the way for her team, something she's done all season.
That leadership has since translated to her younger sister, Nyla, a freshman on the varsity team.
"She has been doing this so watching her do stuff we work on in workouts and growing from her last year and this year has been amazing for her," Nyla said of her older sister. "I started seeing her doing it, playing in a game and I would just be sitting there like 'I should really try basketball,' and I tried it and really fell in love with the game."
That love of the game has fueled her to grow her game. Already playing on the varsity team her freshman year, Nyla has helped the Arcs achieve their impressive 16-2 record while already garnering multiple Division I college offers.
"I just got to be a leader to her, teach her how to transfer to high school from middle school," Tatiana said of the lessons that she's taught Nyla. "To slow the game down, the game does not always have to be fast. And when you are missing shots, just don't get in your head, keep playing."
The two have been playing for years together, both at home and on AAU teams. But with Nyla in ninth grade, this is their first year playing together in high school. Their sisterly bond is creating chemistry on the court with the Arcs.
"When they're playing, they know where each other [are] at, they know each other's temperament. Now again, let's not get it twisted, they are sisters, so they can have little moments where it's like, they give each other that look because they're sisters, and sometimes you get fed up with your sister," Chet laughed. "So sometimes they have those moments but all in all, they know each other, they know how to calm each other. When one's down, they pick each other up. It's just a beautiful thing to watch."
Tatiana said that her play style is a little different from her sister's, which she described as "fast." The differences make for a solid balance on the court.
"I'm aggressive, so when I drive and I know she's in the corner, I'm going to pass it and she's going to just shoot," Tatiana said.
That has worked well for the sisters so far in their dominance this season. They've not only been beating local teams, they've taken down the 11-2 Detroit Country Day team and at the Chet Mason Invitational earlier this week, beat Kennedy Catholic from Pennsylvania, who have won two straight state championships.
The Arcs' success is attributed to the entire team, but the Mason sisters have a special bond amid all the success. And the two, while sharing dreams of playing basketball collegiately, and even in the WNBA, also have some shorter-term goals as well.
"Going to states is probably going to be big for our freshman and sophomore year, and we're still growing," Nyla said. "But that's our main goal, is to go to states and win a ring."
Tatiana couldn't agree more.
"We can make history as being sisters on the court and then winning the state championship," Tatiana said. "It would be great to be in the same household as a state champion."
The Arcs have three games remaining on the regular season schedule. The Ohio High School Athletic Association playoff seeding and draws will be made on Sunday. The postseason will begin in the second week of February.
