The Wolverine

August 2018

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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AUGUST 2018 THE WOLVERINE 25 BY JOHN BORTON M any parents of would-be athletes tend to overes- timate their offspring's prowess, much to the cha- grin of coaches involved. Not so in the case of Katelynn Fla- herty. In fact, Michigan women's basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico experienced the opposite when looking to bring Flaherty from New Jersey to Ann Arbor. "She was still young at the time," Barnes Arico recalled, to a Bob Ufer Quarterback Club gathering this spring. "I remember watching her and thinking, 'Oh my gosh, this young woman will be a great player in our program.' "I called her dad, and her dad said: 'Coach, I don't know. Do you think she's good enough? Do you think she could really help you win? Do you think she could really play for you? I'm not sure she's quick enough. I'm not sure she's big enough.' "Now, this is her dad, who trains her every single day, asking, 'Coach, do you really think she can play for you?'" They all laugh about it now — Barnes Arico, Flaherty and her dad, Tom. They laugh easily, because the 5-7 guard became a giant in Michigan basketball history. Flaherty didn't just lead the Wol- verines in scoring this year. She as- cended to the top of the scoring list among all Michigan players that have ever pulled on a basketball uni- form. She's also The Wolverine's choice for Female Athlete of the Year across all Michigan sports. "Here we are, four years later, and she's leaving as the leading scorer in program history, men or women," Barnes Arico said. "I tell her that, every day — she was good enough to play for us. Yes, Mr. Flaherty, she was good enough to play for us." The three-time consensus first- team All-Big Ten pick and three-time WBCA honorable mention All-Amer- ican poured in 2,776 points for Michi- gan over the course of four seasons. Nobody in U-M history — including Glen Rice, whom Flaherty met this past year — has ever hit that mark. FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR KATELYNN FLAHERTY GOOD ENOUGH Katelynn Flaherty Excelled During Her Four Years In Ann Arbor Flaherty leaves Michigan as a three-time consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection and the school's all-time leading scorer — among men and women — with 2,776 points. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN

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