Keelyn Gallagher was just 6 years old when she first watched a Benet girls basketball game.
Gallagher’s older sister Kiara is a former all-conference softball player and was Benet’s valedictorian in 2017, so Gallagher frequently attended the school’s sporting events. She was in elementary school when she saw Kathleen Doyle lead the girls basketball team to back-to-back Class 4A state titles in 2015 and 2016.
“I grew up going to the Christmas tournament and watching them downstate,” Gallagher said. “It’s always been my dream to be a part of this program, so I’m just trying to figure out how I can help.”
Gallagher, a 5-foot-11 senior, is helping out, although her road to relevance has been rocky. In December 2022, Gallagher suffered a torn ACL while playing for the sophomore team. After a grueling rehab, she made the varsity team as a junior but got little playing time.
“That’s a difficult surgery,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “She wasn’t fully herself, and we had a lot of kids, so she didn’t get a lot of opportunity.”
But Gallagher never thought about quitting. She loves the sport too much to give it up.
“It’s definitely tough mentally to get back into things and feel comfortable with your own strength,” she said. “The day that I came back, everybody was cheering for me, and I’m just trying to get through my first practice. It’s amazing just because I think the support is what helps you get back into things, for sure.”
Gallagher has rewarded the Redwings for that by excelling in a key supporting role this season. She backs up junior center Emma Briggs as part of Kilbride’s nine-player rotation.
Like the 6-0 Briggs, Gallagher is playing out of position. Both are perimeter players, but their size is needed in the post.
“I’ve always been a guard/forward, but I like (playing center) a lot,” Gallagher said. “I like to be physical in the paint and rebound. That’s kind of my thing.”
Kilbride has witnessed that since Gallagher’s strong performance last summer.
“She was kind of the surprise of the summer and earned her way into the rotation and has played well since,” Kilbride said. “She can play multiple positions.
“She rebounds. She plays great defense. She has shot the ball pretty well this year. She just plays hard.”
That’s a prized attribute for a reserve player, especially one returning from a major injury.
“When you’re coming off the bench, you’ve got to find ways to impact winning, and she’s figured that out,” Kilbride said.
Gallagher got her only varsity start Nov. 30. She replaced Briggs, who was injured, and played well during Benet’s 81-70 victory against Kenwood in a matchup of state championship contenders.
“I was back to normal for the Kenwood game,” Gallagher said. “That was a big turning point for me.”
Gallagher was one of nine players honored by Benet during its senior night on Wednesday. Gallagher didn’t start but finished with three points and four rebounds as the Redwings routed Joliet Catholic 62-27 in East Suburban Catholic Conference action in Lisle.
The starting lineup consisted of regular Lindsay Harzich and reserves Kate Pohodich, Audrey Panoushis, Brooke Bafia and Kiera Moran. Aria Mazza, Annie Farmer and Anne VanDeWalle also played for the Redwings (25-2, 10-1).
“It was good to let everybody else get a chance, especially in a program like this,” Gallagher said. “It’s so competitive. We haven’t seen those people on the bench play, and they have a lot to contribute too.
“Because if you think about it, we’re playing against the five starters, and they’re the best team in Illinois, so it’s really good competition in practice. It’s nice for people to have that opportunity to showcase their abilities.”
Bafia, who scored a career-high seven points against Joliet Catholic, enjoys playing with Gallagher.
“It’s been great,” Bafia said. “She works really hard and has earned this.
“We can constantly count on her rebounding. She is always uplifting her teammates and always pushing us to be our better selves because we all have the same goal.”
Gallagher, an honors student who is considering studying kinesiology and possibly becoming a physical therapist, hasn’t decided whether she will play basketball in college. She has some opportunities to play in Division III but has also applied to larger schools.
“Basketball would be really hard to give up, especially now that I’m feeling more like myself,” Gallagher said. “But I’m definitely really happy with how everything ended up happening.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
