It didn’t take long for Hazen’s Airashay Rogers to assert herself to coach Jeff Bernhardt. During the second summer-league game before her freshman year, Roger sat Bernhardt down and asked him a simple question.

“She said, ‘Coach, why am I not starting?’” Bernhardt recalled. “This is the second day I’ve ever been in a gym with her, everyone’s got to pay their dues. But she was ready to go.”

It didn’t take long for her to get into the starting lineup. Rogers led the team in scoring with 19.3 points that season, yet the team still made sure she paid those dues. “Rookie,” as her teammates called her, carried the ball and the medical kit for the Highlanders’ games.

Rogers has come a long way, from rookie to captain. Now a senior, the 5-foot-7 point guard has committed to play basketball at the University of Washington next year.

As a freshman, Rogers came into a group already well established. The team’s leader, Monica Nevi, graduated the previous year, but the core group of girls remained.

“She was charismatic, but kind of timid in taking over leadership roles,” Bernhardt said. “I was kind of disappointed that she didn’t just step forward, but she was just 14.”

He said Rogers’ coming out party was in a 71-66 loss to White River in the district playoffs that year. Before fouling out in the fourth quarter, she scored 27 points. Rogers had certainly played other great games but this one came against one of the state’s top-ranked teams with winner-to-state stakes.

“That night, in that game, there wasn’t anybody better,” Bernhardt said.

Rogers scored 26 against Columbia River two nights later, then later made three of her 21 points with a buzzer-beater against Bonney Lake to lift Hazen to the 3A state tournament for the first time since 1991.

The next season Rogers led the team in scoring, at 18.3 points per game. She also led the group in assists (3.0 per game) and rebounds (7.0), all the while becoming more of a leader.

“We took baby steps with the leadership,” Bernhardt said. “At that point it was time to be more vocal and know everyone’s looking to her.”

As a team, Hazen struggled after losing key players and missed the playoffs with a tie-breaker loss to Foster on the last day of the regular season.

Rogers took her game to the next level her junior year. She averaged 26.0 points per game (best in the Seamount League), and again led the team in points, assists and rebounds. Hazen made it to the sub-district playoffs, but no further.

This year, Hazen is off to a 3-5 start overall. Rogers is averaging 18.3 points per game, and she may have had the best statistical game of her career Dec. 16 against Highline. Rogers scored 24 points, added 13 steals, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and six assists.

“Missing a quadruple-double by two blocks, that’s hard to do,” Bernhardt said.

But even with the highlights, she’s struggled mightily with sickness the past three weeks. While those struggles have been tough to watch, it’s also a great opportunity for Bernhardt to see how far Rogers’ leadership has come. Rogers hasn’t been at her peak physically, but she’s never let the team see her down.

“When she’s around other people she just doesn’t let them see her have a bad day,” Bernhardt said. “She’s always bubbly. She hasn’t ever taken a day off. When it comes to the team, they don’t ever see her down or dragging. She’s the life of the team and she won’t ever let anybody relax.”

Bernhardt is enjoying his last year with Rogers, though it’s hard not to think ahead.

“She’s the best high school player I’ve seen in a long time. She just has that power, that grace, that glide,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll ever have another Airashay.”