SCRANTON, Pa. — "I think more about it now than obviously when I was playing. You know seeing these kids going through the everyday of college basketball and watching Taylor O'Brien get her 1,000th point last night. All those things that I was able to experience and I didn't realize how fortunate I was when it was happening. I reflect all the time. I am grateful and I am just glad to be part of the game still on the coaching side," said Kelly.
Kelly has accomplished a lot in her career. Professionally she has won 2 WNBA titles. Both with the Phoenix Mercury. And her teammate in both of those championships was Diana Taurasi.
"I think the best thing about her is she makes everyone else around her better. If she is on your team it's a good thing. If she is not it's not. She has always continued to improve her game, and she is just an ultimate competitor. She is probably one of the best to play the game. I was fortunate enough to play with her like you said and win a couple of championships, and I think that she will be missed when she finally hangs it up," again said Kelly.
Then there is Sue Bird playing in her 21st season. The farewell tour takes place this summer for the 41 year-old WNBA legend drafted by the Seattle Storm in 2002.
"If you think about it wow!!! I can't imagine like still playing. It's kind of the last of our generation on their way out. Just fighting for the opportunity to play professional sports. You know doing the veteran minimum just to give other people opportunities. I think that women's basketball is in really good hands. I think that it is continuing to rise. So just to be part of that to some degree over my 7 year career was pretty special," added Kelly.
Kelly played for Montoursville from 1997-2000 finishing with 3,270 points in her Lady Warrior career. As of the beginning of the 2021-2022 high school season in Pennsylvania. She is still 4th all time in scoring. Maria Fantanarosa from Mount Carmel Area is still #1 all-time in the state in scoring with 3,823 points.
Kelly then went on to play at Penn State for Rene Portland. She finished her career there with 2,919 career points from 2001-2004.
Kelly is still 3rd all-time on the women's side in career scoring in the Big 10 conference behind Kelsey Mitchell from Ohio State 3,402 points and Rachel Banham from Minnesota with 3.093.
Kelly was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in 2004. Then the team folded in 2007 and she was later picked up by the Phoenix Mercury who would go on to win titles in 2007 and 2009.
Kelly coached with a girl's AAU team based out of Lycoming County with Michael Bailey the former head coach at Williamsport Area high-school. Bailey also coached Allen Iverson in high school before coming to the Millionaires. Kelly also was the head coach of the Women's Basketball team at IUP before Trevor Woodruff added her to his staff at Bucknell.
Steve Lloyd Newswatch 16 sports Union County.