Senior Spotlight: Christina Kelly
Senior Spotlight: Christina Kelly Whitnall | 5’5 G | Senior | Helping lead her team to second in the Woodland- East conference this season was senior guard Christina Kelly. Kelly has been a huge factor to the Whitnall team for…
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Continue ReadingSenior Spotlight: Christina Kelly
Whitnall | 5’5 G | Senior |
Helping lead her team to second in the Woodland- East conference this season was senior guard Christina Kelly. Kelly has been a huge factor to the Whitnall team for three consecutive years and made her senior season one to remember. As a sophomore for Whitnall, Kelly averaged just 3.5 points per game. She was young and undersized and was playing behind some very experienced guards. But she was determined, and each time she stepped onto the court her sophomore season, it showed.
During her junior year at Whitnall, she continued to improve her game and her confidence at attacking the basket. By then she was averaging 7 points per game and was one of the top scorers on her team. In turn, Kelly developed other areas of her game that she hadn’t before. She improved her ball handling skills and was beginning to play unphased by pressure. She increased her outside shooting percentage and was now a threat beyond the arc. Whitnall began looking for Kelly much more, as she was now leading her team. She handled the pressure, maintained composure, and transformed into one of the top point guards in her conference.
Over the summer, Kelly played with Playground Elite. She was surrounded by talented basketball players who really helped enhance her game. After the off-season, Kelly came back quicker and with phenomenal footwork. She added a mid-range game and could now easily create space for herself offensively. Playing alongside some great scorers, Kelly learned how to become a strong defender. Her impressive footwork translated into grabbing more rebounds, steals and causing more turnovers. She became an efficient stealer and found a lot of points in the transition. Her in-your-face defense is super difficult to get around offensively. Kelly will always defend the opposing team’s best guard. Kelly pushes the ball on the break. She demands composure on offense and doesn’t force anything. Since she is such a defensive specialist, taking time offensively doesn’t bother her. She’ll happily dribble around the perimeter, call out different sets, or set multiple screens before attempting a shot. She takes her time and it works out in her benefit. She knows how to get herself open and what cuts to make to find her open teammates.
As a senior this year, Kelly stepped up big for her team. This season she averaged 13.5 points per game for Whitnall. Her ability to defend and to score the basketball has always been consistent, but this year she showed she can do even more. Her numbers were efficient all season and she did a great job of scoring when her team needed a bucket. In a win over Kettle Moraine Luteran, Kelly scored 16 points. The game was close throughout until Kelly grabbed 3 steals before pushing her team to the victory. She increased her shooting percentage and became a sharp shooter from the perimeter. In a game against a tough New Berlin West team, Kelly went 3-3 from the three-point line. She also had 19 points in the win. In a win over conference rival Brown Deer, Kelly had 22 points. Kelly was also guarding the conference Player Of the Year, Mattie Schimenz. During one of the biggest victories of the season against the number one Milwaukee South team, Kelly scored a season-high 23 points and 60% from the three- point line. Kelly is committed to play college basketball at Trinity Christian College.