When Loyola senior Grace Bronski committed to a college basketball program, it was cause for a celebration in her family.
“It was the best feeling because I went home and I had my entire family there ready to support me — cousins, aunts, uncles — and they were so excited for me,” she said. “Seeing how happy it made others was awesome.”
Bronski’s commitment is a rite of passage for many student-athletes. But it held special meaning for her and those who know her.
“I knew I wanted to play college basketball every since I was little,” she said. “In second grade, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, so it kind of set me off track a little bit.”
But Bronski didn’t give up on her dream. Neither did her family, including her father Nate, who has diabetes and played college basketball at Benedictine with Loyola coach Jeremy Schoenecker.
“From the start, my parents were like, ‘You have to keep playing. Nothing changes. You’re still the same person,’” Bronski said. “They’ve always kind of encouraged me to keep playing, and I think that’s honestly helped me in my discipline.”
Even so, Bronski’s journey wasn’t easy.
“I was never sure if I was still going to be able to play or not,” she said. “Coming to Loyola and being able to push through everything and the challenges with the support of my coaches and teammates has helped me get to the place where I am able to play.”
The 5-foot-9 Bronski has done so for an elite program. She split time with Julia Gamboa last season, playing 12-14 minutes per game as the Ramblers went 38-0 and won the Class 4A state championship. Bronski, typically a guard, is starting this season while often playing out of position. The Ramblers aren’t the biggest team, so her strength is needed in the post.
“I worked really hard in the offseason because I knew what I wanted this year and I knew what I wanted this team to accomplish,” she said. “It took a lot of learning for me to be a leader and step up on this team.
“But with the support of the girls, I knew I could do it, and I knew that they could do the amazing job that they’re doing.”
Through Jan. 20, Bronski was averaging 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds for the Ramblers (25-2, 5-1), who have won 19 straight games, lost only to first-place St. Ignatius in the conference and are contenders to repeat in 4A.
“When Grace came to us, we thought we had someone special, and we do — not only dealing with diabetes and with the role model she is for our team and other people, but the way she plays on the basketball floor, she’s super tough for rebounds, accepts her role,” Schoenecker said.
“She might not be scoring the ball as much as she might be able to score the basketball, but she’s playing with great guards. So she’s willing to set as many screens and rebound and do all the dirty work.”
Bronski’s work is appreciated by teammates like high-scoring Vanderbilt-bound senior Aubrey Galvan, who is one of the best point guards in the state.
“With the improvement from last year to this year, stepping up into the role she has, she’s been a great leader, and she’s definitely pushed us to be better every day,” Galvan said. “She knows what she has to do in keeping us going.”
Bronski proved how valuable she can be during Loyola’s impressive 66-41 win against Fremd in the Coach Kipp Hoopsfest at Benet on Jan. 20. Galvan had a rare cold start, missing her first eight shots and 12 of 14 in the first half.
But the Ramblers still led 24-16 at halftime, partly due to Bronski’s defensive help against Fremd stars Ella Todd and Coco Urlacher, who combined for just seven points in the half. Galvan then scored 16 of her game-high 21 points in the second half as the Ramblers rolled
“Grace can honestly guard anybody on the floor,” Galvan said. “We’ve seen it many times where she has even picked up the point guard.
“Our defense kind of leads us to that, where we might not be guarding exactly our position. We trust her and everybody else on the team.”
Bronski, in turn, trusts her teammates. That made guarding the Utah-bound Todd and Urlacher a little less nerve-wracking.
“I knew my teammates would be right there for an open shot or an open pass,” Bronski said. “I knew they’d be circling behind me. Just trusting in them helped me a lot today.”
Bronski finished with nine points, six rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist against Fremd.
“Her role today and most every day is to obviously push us to work as hard as we can as a team and communicate,” Galvan said. “The whole team demonstrated that today with the effort and her spreading the floor, which gets them out of rhythm. She did an excellent job in every aspect of the game.”
While Bronski is willing to play any position, she thinks of herself primarily as a guard.
“Sometimes I get the post, sometimes I don’t,” she said. “I know in college I’ll be playing the guard a little more, which I think I honestly prefer.
“I like playing with my face toward the basket and facing the hoop. But at Loyola, I’m in the post, and I knew that’s a job I had to take on this year, so I’ve done my best with it.”
Advances in diabetes treatment have helped her manage the disease. For instance, with glucose monitors, Bronski no longer has to prick her finger.
“It’s come a long way,” she said. “I’ve been able to have it under really good control with the help of my doctors and my family.
“I always check (blood sugar levels) when I get off the bench. I have coach (Susie) McGovern, who is always looking out for me. She’s got my Gatorade ready for me. So I could not do it without her and the support of my teammates. They’re always checking in on how I’m feeling and how I’m doing.”
Bronski is doing well on and off the court.
“It’s been a learning curve because freshman and sophomore year it was a lot different with the intensity of high school basketball, with the amount of running and the pushing up and down the floor,” she said. “I learned a lot of lessons with the help of my parents.
“They always knew that I could still do it. It’s been amazing to be able to prove to myself that I was able to do it.”
In doing so, Bronski has become a role model for other kids.
“The most amazing part about it is being able to inspire other people and show them that they can do it too,” she said. “So it’s not just bringing myself up, but proving to others that you can do it.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
