By Joseph Staszewski
Kaela Kinder has seen her game expand by leaps and bounds during her time at Christ the King and she wanted to make sure the same was possible at the next level.
That’s one of the biggest reasons the senior wing chose to play women’s basketball at Virginia Tech in the ACC next season. Kinder chose the Hookies over the Big East and Providence. She is the third Royals senior to pick an ACC school, with Dominque Toussaint heading to Virginia and Sydney Zambrotta committed to Louisville. The 5-foot-9 Kinder is happy to be joining them in what is arguably the top women’s hoops conference in the country.
“I loved the campus and the vibe I got from everybody,” she said. “Everyone is really genuine and it was exactly what I wanted in a school, the college vibe, the family-like feeling and it’s the ACC so I really feel like I can get so much better there, playing against the best.”
Virginia Tech began recruiting Kinder, who transferred to CK from Lawrence as a sophomore, during the summer heading into her junior year. She is seen as a shooting guard, but said she would like to show that she could play point guard and small forward as well. She certainly put her versatile skills on display for the Royals, helping them reach the New York State Federation Class AA final for the first time since 2010.
CK coach Bob Mackey called her the X-factor all season and she delivered. Kinder, an All-Queens first team selection by the TimesLedger, averaged 13.8 points and 8.9 boards a contest. She scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to power Christ the King to a diocesan crown.
Kinder worked on expanding her game this summer with her NYC Heat travel team and coach Kevin White, a longtime friend of Virginia Tech coach Dennis Wolff. She said the most important thing she has added is expanding the range on her jump shot and she is more willing to shoot from the outside as well.
“My confidence is through the roof now honestly,” Kinder said. “I believe it in much more than I ever did since I’ve been working on it.”
She and the rest of the Royals team will be working on bringing home the Federation crown that just eluded them last season and bring a happy close to the careers of the squad’s seniors. Kinder said she, Zambrotta and Toussaint really have sat and talked about their future together in the same conference.
“I always want to push myself to be better and I knew that the ACC would be perfect for that,” Kinder said. “I just have to put the work in.”
