LSU women’s basketball senior point guard Andrea Kelly has endured a great degree of adversity both on and off the basketball court.
From the death of her father when she was in eighth grade to two injuries in her second season at LSU in 2009-10, Kelly has earned the respect of her coaches and teammates through her ability to fight back.
Kelly got a medical redshirt for her senior season after she suffered a stress fracture in her foot last October that caused her to miss the entire season.
But the injuries did not stop there.
Kelly tore her right ACL in a game of pickup basketball during spring break and had surgery in April to repair the knee.
Now she’s back on the court and going strong, having improved in several aspects during her rehabilitation.
“It was a learning experience getting to observe firsthand from a coach’s standpoint the mistakes and the good things we did,” Kelly said. “I was able to get a better understanding of the game as a student.”
Kelly’s main strength on the court for the Lady Tigers is her 3-point shooting. In the 2008-09 season — her first at LSU after transferring from Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida — she converted 34-of-84 shots from beyond the arc.
The 40.5 percent clip ranked as the eighth-highest season total in school history.
“She brings instant offense. She is a zone buster,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor. “When you have her, you have a great teammate that can shoot. … We had some lulls last year. Now she gives us that opportunity to score.”
Kelly’s first start came Jan. 25, 2009, against Kentucky, and she scored 15 points — all from behind the arc — including two 3-pointers in the last six minutes to clinch LSU’s 59-56 win on the road.
LSU women’s basketball assistant coach Joni Crenshaw said she can sense a distinct improvement in Kelly’s game since her injuries, a mark of a mature, dedicated basketball player in Crenshaw’s eyes.
“She’s back. She’s quicker and shooting it better than she was before she was hurt,” Crenshaw said. “She got a sense of how much she was needed because we didn’t have that 3-point threat last year.”
Former LSU guard Allison Hightower stepped up in the 3-point shooting department last season in Kelly’s absence and led the Lady Tigers with a 39.8 percent shooting performance behind the arc (45-of-113 attempts).
But now Hightower is gone to the WNBA, leaving Kelly as one of four seniors to take the reins, and not just at the 3-point line.
Chancellor said he would describe Kelly as “one of the most likable players on the team,” and junior forward LaSondra Barrett said Kelly’s return will make the team “more exciting to watch.”
Crenshaw highlighted Kelly’s glowing personality as one of her defining characteristics away from basketball.
“You just want to see her succeed because she’s handled all her adversity so well,” Crenshaw said. “You want the best for her because she’s got such a good heart, and you can depend on her to do the right thing all the time.”
 
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Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]