Olivia Davis stars for Baldwinsville HS with 3-point quality
As a junior, Olivia Davis' three-point shooting has helped her develop into a star for Baldwinsville High School. Courtesy of Olivia Davis
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Baldwinsville junior Olivia Davis’ calling card is her 3-point shooting. It stems from her favorite NBA player, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, whose legendary career includes setting the NBA record with 4,058 made 3s and making 11 NBA All-Star teams.
“I like the way he plays, the way he’s always moving without the ball, and that’s something I like to watch so I can learn how to do it,” Olivia said of Curry.
Curry has been a major influence on Olivia’s routine. She frequently uses the half court her father, Bobby Davis, built in her backyard to improve her range beyond the arc, often sinking 100 triples per day.
Her work ethic has led to success with Baldwinsville. Olivia led the Bees in scoring in back-to-back years as a freshman and sophomore, averaging 12.5 points per game while hitting 50-plus 3s in both seasons. Now, she’s trying to lead Baldwinsville to its first-ever state championship in her first campaign as an upperclassman.
“She certainly has the ability, and she’s getting better every year,” Baldwinsville head coach Kathy Morse said. “These kids, if they want to do something, they really have to work at it, and she puts the time in.”
Olivia began playing basketball at a young age with her brother, Brody Davis, and the rest of her family. When the two moved into their current home, they regularly battled each other in the backyard.
“I was just always around the sport a lot, and then when I started playing more, I liked it more and more,” Olivia said.
Olivia and her brother, who also looks up to Curry as a role model, continue to support each other today. She credits her brother with helping her improve weaknesses in her game. Brody, who is currently in eighth grade, believes he could easily beat her in a one-on-one now, but the competition has helped both siblings improve.
“We used to just spend hours outside playing one-on-one,” Brody said. “It used to get heated, but they taught us a lot.”
Olivia’s Baldwinsville career began as an eighth grader in the 2022-23 season. She mostly entered games off the bench, averaging 3.5 points per game while making 15 3-pointers in 16 games. She idolized the upperclassmen above her on the depth chart while sitting behind them. Now, as a junior, she wants the underclassmen to look up to her the same way.
She certainly has the ability, and she’s getting better every year. These kids, if they want to do something, they really have to work at it, and she puts the time in.Kathy Morse, Baldwinsville head coach
Since her initial exposure to varsity basketball, Olivia has also focused on the mental side of her game. She mentioned the biggest challenge of her career so far has been the ability to bounce back from setbacks. But over time, she’s formed a mindset that helps her forget about bad plays so she can improve.
Now in her fourth season with Baldwinsville, Olivia has a few short-term and long-term goals. She wants to improve her driving and mid-range shooting to add to her deep shooting strength.
“I’ve been practicing that, and I think I’m capable of it,” Olivia said. “I just need to do it more in games.”
After graduating from Baldwinsville, Olivia also hopes to play basketball in college. Morse knows Olivia has the skills to be a star in her last two high school seasons and make it to college basketball; she just needs to put in the work.
Though she doesn’t have any offers yet, Olivia mentioned she wants to get to know the coaches and team at whatever school she chooses.
Powered by former coaches, family and her own work ethic, Olivia has arrived at Baldwinsville. With Curry as her role model, she’s ready to lead the Bees to state championship glory for the first time.
