Last season, Chloe Mlyniec looked up to Marist teammate Cara Finn.
The graduation of Finn, a senior mentor on and off the court who’s now a student at Notre Dame, left jersey No. 24 open. Mlyniec, who had worn No. 1, made sure to grab it for her senior year.
“She was one of my biggest leaders,” Mlyniec said of Finn. “I took her number because she has always been a big inspiration for me and I like how she led the team last year.”
Mlyniec said when she picked up the number, she texted Finn.
Finn’s reaction?
“She loves it,” Mlyniec said. “She’s still a big supporter.”
Had Finn been in Shepard’s gym on Tuesday night, she would have been proud that a player wearing No. 24 can still have an impact on a game.
Mlyniec, a senior guard, came off the bench and scored seven points in the second quarter to help break open a close game for the RedHawks in a 64-34 win over Shepard in the second round of the Bobby Bolton Tipoff Classic in Palos Heights.
The 5-foot-6 Mlyniec finished with nine points and four steals Marist (2-0), while sophomore forward Lily Porter added 14 points — 11 in the third quarter – six rebounds and four steals. The RedHawks finished with 20 steals.
Shepard (1-1) was led by junior forward Jessica Manley with 22 points, nine rebounds and five steals. Mia Stokes had seven points. In the first half, the duo accounted for the Astros’ 21 points.
Mlyniec, meanwhile, finds herself in a leadership position on a 13-player team that features seven sophomores, two juniors and just four seniors.
“I feel like the seniors need to guide the younger kids,” Mlyniec said. “We’re a very close team, I would say, and I think they take advice well.”
Porter, a budding star, holds an offer from Purdue Northwest. She has drawn interest from Lewis.
She also appreciates Mlyniec’s wisdom.
“Chloe is always so supportive,” Porter said. “She can tell when I’m feeling down, and she’ll always come up to me and give me good advice. And she brings a lot of energy into the game.”
Mlyniec’s value is not lost on the coaching staff.
“We know that Chloe is a leader, and we know that she has it in her, so we go to her and she comes off the bench and does what she does best,” Marist coach Renee Chimino said. “She’s the calm to our storm out there.
“She did that well. She handled the ball. She got some points and distributed the ball really well.”
Since taking over for legendary coach Mary Pat Connolly, Chimino experienced rough seasons of 15-17 in 2022-2023 and 10-22 last winter. But after Monday’s 71-39 win over Hillcrest and Tuesday’s dominant performance, things are looking up for the RedHawks.
“I have been playing with some of the girls since sixth grade,” Porter said. “I think having a young team is good because then we can grow together. Our junior and senior years will be so good.”
But she’s not forgetting about the RedHawks succeeding this season and neither is Mlyniec.
Mlyniec said her basketball future is undecided, so she wants to make this season a big one just in case it’s the last one in the sport she has played since she was 5.
“I love learning new things about the game,” she said. “Even though I’ve been playing for a really long time, there is so much to learn. And I just love being on the team with these girls.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
