DENVER — “Nobody ever writes about the other players!” Grandview girls coach Josh Ulitzky told me with a great laugh after the Wolves made it two straight Class 5A/6A state championships.

So that’s what today’s for. It’s for Grandview’s supporting cast — Lexi Yi, Sydnie McClain, Benedicte Kalala and teeny-tiny Isa Dillehay, whose heart probably fills most of her 60 inches.

It’s for the Bruce Browns and KCPs of high school ball, for all of Colorado’s role players.

Oh, we won’t forget Sienna Betts, the Gatorade state player of the year and sophomore sensation, or Lauren Betts, the older sister who booked a last-minute plane ticket to attend baby sis’s 38-28 win over Monarch the Class 6A state championship game Saturday at Denver Coliseum.

But Sienna helped Grandview to a 5A title last year, then led Grandview to a 6A title this year, and there’s a not-zero chance she wins four state titles in four years. So there will be much more written about Sienna before she probably joins Lauren (“my best friend”) at Stanford.

Besides, Sienna actually asked me to credit the supporting cast. Can’t argue with a two-time state champ when she’s had two chances to win state.

“Honestly, and I really mean it,” Sienna said, “we wouldn’t be here without everyone.”

So this is for all the role players who did their part with humility and zeal during the CHSAA state basketball tournament. There was Yi, the Grandview guard who limited Monarch star Natalie Guanella to two field goals in the second half. A fantastic player signed to play college ball at Fort Lewis, Guanella had 14 points to lead the Coyotes. There was Sydnie McClellan, a patient in-bounder who let the play develop before sliding in a perfect pass to Betts. There was Deija Roberson, who hit a jumper from the free throw line that opened the lane for Betts.

There were 11 Wolves who saw playing time in the state title game. This one’s for all for them.

Grandview’s reached eight straight Final Fours thanks in large part to superstars Michaela Onyenwere (UCLA, WNBA) and Lauren Betts (Stanford) and Sienna Betts (a 6-foot-4, top-five recruit in 2025). But it’s not like they dribbled, passed, shot and defended all by themselves.

“We knew that if we hit our shots and played our defense, Lauren would be a great player like she always is,” said Yi, the glue girl on the roster.

Betts scored 22 (of the team’s 38) points and grabbed 20 (of 30) rebounds. So let’s write about the star, too, because the family reunion after the game was straight off Disney-plus.

Friday afternoon, in the semifinals, Andy Betts, the dad, had Lauren on FaceTime as No. 11 Grandview completed the upset of No. 2 Cherry Creek. Lauren was in the Stanford locker room in Palo Alto, watching a live stream of her sister’s game on NFHS.com. Sixteen hours later Lauren was in north Denver, having purchased a plane ticket at 11:30 pm the night before.

“There’s no way I could miss this,” said Lauren, a Stanford freshman who was the Gatorade state player of the year in 2021 and 2022.

“We’ve got Selection Sunday tomorrow,” Lauren said of the Cardinal, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. “But I had to be here.”

Call me a homer, but I’d love to see Sienna Betts, a 2025 recruit, stay home and sign with J.R. Payne and a CU Buffs program that’s on the rise. But anyone who saw the Betts sisters embrace with happy tears knows it’s going to be a tall climb to beat Stanford in a recruiting race of sisterhood.

“I love you so much!” Lauren said.

“I love you so much too!” Sienna countered.

Ulitzky, the Grandview coach of two-plus decades, drew the praise of several great coaches at the game, including Denver Christian legend Dick Katte. One example: Sienna played the final 6:24 with four fouls. Ulitzky trusted the sophomore and left her in the game.

“That’s the maturity I was talking about,” Ulitzky said. “And it’s the reason we’re here, because the other girls followed her lead.”

“I’m so proud of her,” ‘Coach Josh’ added.

The other girls. The role players. It’s probably not easy when a teenage peer gets all the praise and credit and pub, but even Colorado’s greatest prep basketball players can’t go it alone.