As a youngster, Clarkston Wolves girls basketball guard Chelsea Kouri liked to hang around her older sister Jill. As it tends to happen with children, Chelsea picked up a habit of her older sibling: basketball.
‘I followed my sister around with all her teams,? Kouri said.
Being around her sister, Chelsea got to start playing at an accelerated level by second grade, even attending the Tim McCormick camp as a youngster.
‘I was younger than all the other girls,? she remembers.
Later in her young career, Chelsea teamed up again with her sister on Clarkston’s varsity Wolves squad, where she has been a four-year fixture.
‘She’s improving every year, she’s become a better ball handler, a better defender and developed a better understanding of the game,? Wolves Coach Tim Wasilk said.
‘She’s come a long way.?
This season Kouri is averaging 13 points per game. In the teams? two latest games, Kouri scored 14 in a loss to West Bloomfield on Oct. 3 and 16 in a victory over rival Waterford Kettering on Oct. 5.
Against the Captains, Kouri made the switch to the point guard position due to injuries on the team. She made a game-clinching three-point shot also.
‘She’s been steady for us all year, she does anything we ask of her and all of the little things,? Wasilk said.
‘She’s a total team player?
Kouri doesn’t hesitate to deflect accolades to her teammates.
‘It’s a team (effort), even if I score the most points one night, the posts set the screens and the guards get me the ball,? Kouri said.
Team chemistry and hustle are important factors in the team’s success.
‘Every (Wolves) team I have been on has been close. No one’s left out and it’s really easy to get to know the girls’we usually all get along very well.?
The team is committed to playing smart and working hard to win ballgames.
‘All of us aren’t the quickest on the floor, so you’ve got to have good positioning’it (hustle) has definitely been a big part (of team success),? Kouri added.
The 7-2 Wolves face tough competition soon, with rematches against Auburn Hills Avondale and Pontiac Northern on the horizon. The Wolves face Southfield Lathrup, defending OAA champions on Oct. 13.