Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty will tell you how to score like she does
Katelynn Flaherty arrives home after a frustrating day and immediately grabs her phone.
More from Big Ten Conference
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, October 15: Brian Agler out the door in Dallas
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, July 29: WNBA Ratings Spike 20%
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, July 20: Mystics’ Tina Charles to miss season
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, July 15: It’s Breanna Stewart time
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, July 2: Maya Moore helps overturn wrongful conviction
Many athletes try to avoid social media during these moments, but Flaherty turns to it for inspiration. The Michigan senior guard opens the Instagram app and finds the messages waiting for her.
Most of them are from young girls seeking advice. They want to know how Flaherty became such a great shooter. They ask what drills they should do to become as good as her.
Flaherty tries to respond to every message she receives. It’s not a chore for Flaherty. The correspondence enriches her spirit and provides perspective.
“It keeps me grounded and makes me appreciate where I am and what I am doing, especially during the low times,” Flaherty told The Summitt in a recent phone interview. “I want to be the best role model I can be, whether it’s on or off the court, because I know a lot of people look up to me. When I was in that position, I would have loved to hear from someone like me.”
Flaherty is a player every little girl can aspire to become.
She was not born with otherworldly athleticism or blessed with great height. She is a self-made star, a 5-foot-7 Jersey gym rat with a relentless work ethic.
Attracted to Michigan for its athletic promise and academic prestige, Flaherty is leaving with her name plastered throughout the record books.
Flaherty became the all-time scoring leader in Michigan history – male or female – last weekend against Nebraska. Her 2,457 points pushed her past Glen Rice’s former school record of 2,442 points.
Fittingly, Flaherty set the record with a 3-pointer – just like she did earlier this season when she broke the women’s program record set by Diane Dietz, who scored 2,076 points at Michigan from 1979-82 and is now the Big Ten Conference’s deputy commissioner.
“It’s pretty incredible to think I could hold the record at such a prestigious university,” Flaherty said. “I always credit my coaches and teammates. They have always believed in me and found me in great positions. I don’t know if I could have done this anywhere else. I think it was all set up perfectly for me to be successful.”
During her four years at Michigan, Flaherty has come into her own as a player and a person and shined as an ambassador for the program.
The once-quiet star now enjoys engaging with the community, including her visits to the Mott Children’s Hospital and local elementary schools. She easily banters with season-ticket holders and speaks comfortably with the media.
“Her story is really special. Hers is a story of hard work and of perseverance and of never giving up and overcoming obstacles,” Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “She has achieved what most people never imagined was achievable for a kid of her size and athleticism. It’s really special.”