VALENCIA — Valencia girls basketball player Cara McKell reached 1,000 career points on Monday night in a 68-25 win over Castaic. On Friday night, she switched roles to become a facilitator in a 77-12 win against West Ranch.
Either way, the 5-foot-10 guard’s presence makes a noticeable difference on the court.
“I like to get up and down very fast and also have a physical game,” McKell, a junior, said. “I like to get in contact and get some and-ones to bring up the energy, which I think helps the team get going.”
Valencia head coach Jared Honig began pulling starters when Valencia reached a 16-0 lead over West Ranch in the first quarter and the pace as well as the scoring slowed when McKell, who ended the game with 14 points, sat down on the bench.
A scoring drought ensued and the Vikings were unable to get a bucket until freshman Alexis Epie made a layup at the start of the second quarter.
Epie and fellow freshman Kamilla Basyrova are the up-and-coming talent at Valencia and McKell is having a positive effect on them. Basyrova scored 25 points on Friday night and added eight points.
“Just setting the standard,” McKell said. “Letting them know when things aren’t going well, calm them down because they’ve never played in this environment before.”
McKell was back on the floor in the second quarter and stayed in for nearly the rest of the game. When she wasn’t scoring, she was distributing the ball. She dribbled hard and drove to the net, appearing to have a layup in mind, but she quickly passed to Basyrova for a jumper from the right side.
“She’s kind of like Magic Johnson where she’s kind of big for her position and physical,” Honig said. “She can handle the ball, go straight down the ball and make plays for herself or other people.”
McKell is best friends with Diana Reyes, a tough defender who started playing basketball in ninth grade. Reyes is the only senior on the team and has combined with McKell and Kiera McLaughlin to create a team of captains that has led the group to a strong start this season.
“They’re attached at the hip,” Honig said of McKell and Reyes. “Before practice they walk in together, during practice they’re always standing right next to each other.
“They’re always right next to each other,” he joked, “to the point where I’m like, do I need to tell them to not stand with each other the whole time? But that’s what it’s about, when you make a connection like that through a team and it lasts forever.”
Now that McKell has surpassed 1,000 points, her new goal is to break the program scoring record. Kayla Konrad currently holds that record with 1,800 career points.
The two players have never met, though McKell grew up watching Konrad play at Valencia. Chasing that record is at the forefront of McKell’s mind and she wants to have fun doing so.
“Sometimes I take things too seriously and I need to let it go,” McKell said. “Just have fun, you’re not going to be in high school forever.”
High school doesn’t last forever, but there’s still plenty of time left for McKell to make her own fun — and a lot of baskets.
