Few players in Lady Topper history have made an impact the way senior forward Crystal Kelly has.
This 2004 Kentucky Miss Basketball has continuously showed that she is one of the top performers in the country. She already has broken program records for career points and rebounds, as well as owning the career mark for points in the Sun Belt Conference.
Kelly and the Lady Toppers are currently 14-5, 9-0 in the Sun Belt, and are riding a 10-game winning streak.
Q: Going into preseason did you think that the team would be 14-5 and unbeaten in the Sun Belt?
A: I really didn’t think that far ahead going into the season. We just try and take it one game at a time but it’s a great feeling to be undefeated and hopefully we can finish off the same way.
Q: Since Arnika Brown has been eligible, has it “lightened the load” in the post and on both ends of the court?
A: It really has. She is such a great player and she’s really athletic, and on the boards people can’t handle her and she does lessen the load for me a lot and the rest of us.
Q: Do you see your breaking the school and Sun Belt scoring record as a gift or more of a load off your back?
A: I really didn’t think about it. People would tell me. I guess it’s a great honor to have and things like that. But I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help my team out. But I really don’t even think about it.
Q: What are your thoughts about a chance to play in the NCAA tournament? If you didn’t make it, would it make your career any less?
A: Well that is one of my goals here. So that is something I definitely want to do, and it’s my last time around so I do think that this team is very talented and we have a really good chance of making it this year. So I’m not going to think about us not making because I really feel confident that we will.
Q: Do you have any fears on the floor?
A: No, other than I get nervous before every game, like sick nervous. It’s just something that’s always happened, so no.
Q: If you didn’t play basketball, what would you be doing right now?
A: I don’t know, because basketball is my life. Like I don’t know what I would do. I can’t see myself as being a regular student and I can’t see myself having a job. So I would have to be doing some kind of sport.
Q: Most challenging aspect of the game?
A: Just the time and the hard work and the dedication that you have to have in order to be successful, and it’s just so much into this and it’s nice to be rewarded by winning.
Q:What are plans after graduation in May?
A: I do plan to be playing professionally. That’s the plan right now. Hopefully I can stay healthy and I want to play here as well as overseas. I think I have so many different options. Staying with basketball, going into coaching, something like that. I know to think about the future, but I don’t think about because I am so comfortable playing here at Western right now. We’ll see.
Reach Randall Rearden at sports@chherald.com.
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