Using M.Live.com, fans voted senior Micaela Kelly, a shooting guard, Michigan’s Class A girls’ basketball Most Valuable Player. She won with 7,585 votes, or 48.59% of the votes cast.
Kelly has steered King towards state championships and quarterfinals, impressing her supporters and opponents along the way with her competitive and athletic skills. She has been playing at King since her ninth grade year.
“I love basketball because it’s a competitive sport,” said Kelly. “To see myself either lose or fall down just makes me want to work extra hard to get to the top.”
Since her freshman year, Kelly has played 22 games per year, resulting in roughly 88 games played with only four losses.
Kelly’s passion for basketball started in second grade, simply from watching her two brothers play recreationally. Kelly began playing because she wanted to play basketball with her brothers.
“My brother helped me out a lot,” said Kelly. “I look up to him a lot. Seeing him play that good made me want to get better.”
The first time Kelly played on a team was in third grade, but Kelly didn’t compete against other teams until she was in sixth grade. Kelly began playing on the Elite Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team at that time, which contributed to her growth from middle school to high school.
“I played on a traveling team, that’s what helped me with my scholarships. We went all across the United States,” said Kelly.
The competition that Kelly has faced at AAU basketball games has opened her eyes to new strategies and different opponents she would face on the court and in life.
“You’re competing against everyone that’s there, and you go to show your spot,” said Kelly.
Kelly considers her coach, William Winfield, her role model that she looks up to as another father figure. Winfield has been with Kelly through every practice, win, loss, championship, and even injury, even coming with Kelly to her doctor appointments and surgery after she tore her ACL at one point.
“He never left me and he never gave up on me,” she said. “He continues to push me.”
Kelly has decided to continue playing basketball at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. She will attend DePaul in June on an athletic scholarship to pursue a degree in kinesiology.
Even though Kelly wants to major in medicine, that doesn’t mean she wants to give up playing basketball entirely.
“I don’t want to go to the WNBA, but after college I do want to play overseas,” she said.
Aside from her talent on the court, Kelly is a caring person and a true leader.
“Kelly’s heart shines bigger and brighter in that she has the power to tap into the multiple aspects of her heart, successfully channel and bring them to fruition. This is what separates her from the rest – her dexterity to access and be whatever the situation calls for,” said assistant coach Bird Sullivan.
