By Braedan Shea
@Braedan_Shea
Nearly as soon as Long Island Lutheran’s Emily McDonald’s third consecutive three-pointer hit nothing but nylon midway through the third quarter of its Hoophall matchup against IMG, Ascenders guard Kelis Fisher nabbed the inbound pass; bolting down the middle of the floor.
Although still holding a commanding 17 point lead, Fisher had no intentions of letting LuHi crawl its way back into the game. Once crossing half court she had nothing but eyes on the rim, even with a Crusaders defender in her pathway. Fisher levitated on the opponent, extending her right arm fully.
A sold out Blake Arena crowd exploded as Fisher’s elegant touch of the backboard dropped in the basket. Fisher played into the fans, flexing on the ground before attempting her and-one free throw which she promptly swished, reestablishing control for IMG.
It’s moments like these that have not only propelled Fisher to the No. 28 girls basketball prospect in the class of 2025 – but allowed her to make history in the process. At the conclusion of her sophomore season in 2023, Fisher committed to UConn, becoming one of the youngest recruits in recent history.
Although Fisher was raised in Baltimore, Md., she grew up a UConn fan, idolizing stars like Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.
Despite already being committed to play at the next level, Fisher didn’t take things easy. Instead, she worked even harder, trying to improve her game as much as possible.
“When I committed, that was one of the biggest things I possibly could do for myself, but also one of the best things I feel out of my career,” Fisher said. “But by committing, that put a target on my back – everybody was down to chase me and see who I am. I just didn’t let that get to my head. I kept working, being the best I could be.”
Her work has clearly paid off, as Fisher was without a doubt the best player on the hardwood during her LuHi matchup. With a stat line of a game-high 28 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal, Fisher was awarded with the games Most Valuable Player award.
But what made IMG head coach Frank Oliver Jr. the most excited, was her efforts on the defensive end. Although noting that Fisher’s offensive skill set and athletic nature is hard to match, Fisher held Long Island Lutheran’s Taylor Brown – who scored 32 points in her last game against Bullis a week ago – to just 14 points on 5-16 shooting.
“When I first came here last year, I challenged her to guard the best player on the other team,” Oliver Jr. said. “I said, ‘You can be an elite defender.’ That’s where she can initially find her niche at UConn, and then they’ll be able to see, she can score in bunches.”
Another underrated part of Fisher’s game is her vision. She almost always knows where her teammates are on the floor, highlighted by a swinging hook pass in the fourth quarter to a cutting Nylah Wilson, yet again garnering a reaction from the crowd.
While she has the ability to run the floor, Fisher see’s an ability to fit in anywhere she can, thanks to IMG’s fluid offensive style.
“Obviously I play point guard, but other people could play point guard too,” Fisher said. “Being able to play like every spot on the floor at IMG, it’s a lot of great pairs, and a lot of great commitments with everybody going to different colleges. I just feel like it helped prepare me, because when I get to college, who knows what position I’m going to be?”
When she finally is rocking the blue and white next fall, Oliver Jr. is confident that Fisher’s game will translate well – especially if the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion is full.
“She’s not shy, she’s made for the big stage,” said Oliver Jr. “Some players are big time players, and they shine in the brightest and hottest moments. Today was one of those moments, and you could see she was very comfortable playing in this type of environment. It almost fuels her.”
Photo by Reese Merritt/The Student