Kailey Starks scores 1,000th point

Kailey Starks didn’t know just how close she was to reaching a career milestone entering Wednesday’s basketball game against Deerfield.

But if you wandered into Beardsley Gym to watch her play for the first time, you might have thought the Evanston senior was playing with some kind of extra motivation.

That was just Kailey being Kailey. Starks scored her 1,000th career point, becoming only the fourth female player to reach that plateau in Evanston Township High School history, as the Wildkits wiped out Deerfield 71-23 in a running clock victory.

Starks joined an exclusive club that includes Leighah-Amori Wool (1,268 points), Kayla Henning (1,102) and Starks’ current teammate, Zuri Ransom (1,080). She poured in 25 points in three quarters Wednesday, exactly the number she needed to earn the milestone. Fittingly, the 1,000th point came after she rebounded her own missed free throw and powered up a shot for a layup with 2 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Relentless pursuit of offensive and defensive rebounds has been a trademark of her game ever since she entered the ETHS program. The 5-foot-8 senior’s tenacity and willingness to give an extra effort almost every trip down the floor will be remembered by her teammates and coaches long after others have surpassed her point total.

‘I just went after every ball’

“When I started playing here it was all about defense. I wasn’t a good offensive player, so I wanted to be a defensive weapon and that meant getting after every rebound,” Starks said. “I just went after every ball.

“It’s so crazy and so exciting that I’m only the fourth one ever to do this. It’s a huge milestone and I’m glad I was able to reach it. My teammates showed me a lot of love tonight and I really appreciate that.”

The impromptu ceremony to honor Starks when the game was stopped briefly included WNBA all-star Jewell Loyd, a former Niles West standout. Starks trains locally with Loyd’s brother, Jarryd, when ETHS head coach Brittanny Johnson isn’t chasing Starks out of her own practice gym.

“So many people wanted to celebrate Kailey tonight, because she’s such a great kid and a great teammate,” Johnson praised. “She’s one of the greatest kids you’ll ever meet, and she’s willed herself into being a phenomenal basketball player. She’s the first one in the gym every day and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to tell her to go home after practice.

Point total doubled from last year

“It was so fitting that she scored that way [for No. 1,000]. If this was the first time you saw her play, you’d think she was pushing for a certain number of points. But after she missed those free throws, she just put her head down and went after the ball. That’s the way she always plays.

“She’s doubled her point total [season average] from last year and that’s what’s really amazing to me. She’s taken a back seat playing next to Zuri, but once she started to believe in herself she really became an all-around player, a marquee player for us.”

Starks stashed in 21 points in the first half against a woeful Deerfield club that has won just one game this season and only dressed seven players Wednesday. Evanston improved to 11-15 overall and 5-4 in Central Suburban League South division play as Ransom contributed 10 points and eight rebounds for the winners.

Starks took a steal three-fourths of the length of the court for a layup to build the lead to 50-19 early in the third period, then misfired on her next six shots in a row, all of them in the paint.

A hoop to remember

She kept working – she always does – and finally got to the foul line with a chance to get to 1,000. Uncharacteristically, she missed both tosses but made up for it with a hoop she’ll never forget.

Coach Johnson won’t forget the first time she saw Starks in action.

“I knew all about Zuri and Ari [classmate Arianna Milam-Pryor] coming in that COVID year, but I didn’t know anything about Kailey,” Johnson recalled. “We were practicing outside at Mason Park and I saw this girl dive onto the cement for a loose ball. I turned to one of my assistant coaches and said, ‘There’s the future of our program.’

“I never saw a kid who played with that kind of heart before. She just plays hard all the time.”