Haley Parker saw it coming.

With her team trailing Shawnee Mission East late in the fourth quarter last Tuesday, the Lawrence High sophomore sat on the bench with her head in her hands, watching as her teammates attempted to rally.

LHS fell short, losing the showdown of unbeaten Sunflower League squads, 48-40. It was the Lions’ first loss of the season. Shortly after the game, Parker sensed the inevitable.

“I kind of felt it coming,” she said. “I had a couple of bad games in a row, and I lost my confidence. I kind of knew it was just a matter of time until someone else started.”

The time came last Friday when LHS played Olathe South. After starting all eight games of the season, Parker sat on the bench for the opening tip of game No. 9 while fellow sophomore Jasmyn Turner started in her place.

The move was hard to criticize. After a slow start, Turner had become one of the team’s best players in the past month and had emerged as a bona fide scorer and ferocious defensive presence. Putting her on the floor simply made sense, especially against the larger Olathe South squad and especially considering Parker’s disappearing confidence.

Parker handles the ball like an NBA All-Star. Her quickness and control are unmatched by most in the league. Seeing her struggle with confidence was hard to watch.

It made it even harder for LHS coach Kristin Mallory to tinker with the lineup. Mallory struggled to make the move. She knew Turner had earned a starting spot but also knew she needed Parker the rest of the season. Sitting her, Mallory worried, might put Parker’s confidence at an all-time low.

Exactly the opposite happened. Despite not starting, Parker exploded for 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 7-of-8 shooting from the free-throw line. Her hot night helped lead the Lions to a huge bounce-back victory over the Falcons and put the team back on track at 8-1.

A couple of days after the victory, Parker reflected on her first career appearance as a sixth man with pride and, well, confidence.

“Something like that just makes you want to work harder and focus more on the game,” Parker said. “I just tried to step up even more and found ways to do it.”

Her response to adversity left a lasting impression on her coach and her teammates.

“I think it’s great,” sophomore guard Cassie Potter said. “It shows leadership, and it shows that Haley has a lot of love for the game.”

Mallory agreed and admitted to being relieved and appreciative of how well Parker handled the situation.

“She really responded,” Mallory said. “For a young player, that’s big-time.

“We throw so much at the kids, I think Haley just started thinking too much,” Mallory said. “Having her on the bench at the start of the game gave her a chance to see how the game flowed before she got on the court, and that allowed her relax and just go out and play.”

With the first slump of her career behind her, Parker says she expects her confidence to stick around. The memories of her transition from starter to the bench ensure that.

“It’s in the back of my head and will probably always be there,” Parker said. “But I’ll learn from it. I love starting and want to be out there as much as possible. But if bringing me off the bench is what coach thinks is best, then that’s what I’ll do.”