How Norwell senior Kennedy Fuelling elevated her game by stepping outside her comfort zone

• Class 3A final girls basketball final: Norwell vs. Gibson Southern, 6 p.m. Saturday

INDIANAPOLIS — Kennedy Fuelling's earliest basketball memories trace back to Bellmont High School where she sat in a stroller while her mom, Purdue Fort Wayne Hall of Famer Lindy Jones Fuelling, coached the freshman team. So yeah, the Norwell senior grinned, she's enjoyed basketball for a while.

Lindy's involvement with Bellmont basketball meant regular encounters with fellow Northeast 8 Conference member Norwell, but it wasn't until Kennedy was older that longtime Knights coach Eric Thornton first met his future standout.

"Once you saw Kennedy, you could see that she was a natural and she'd be good at anything," Thornton said. "You could see it early."

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Fuelling has met — perhaps even exceeded — all expectations. A Marian commit and owner of six Norwell records, she was tabbed IBCA Underclass All-State Supreme 15 and an Indiana Junior All-Star last season, broke the program's all-time scoring record as a senior and will likely be named an Indiana All-Star later this spring.

Fuelling will don the Norwell uniform one last time Saturday night when the Knights (23-4) take on Gibson Southern (25-4) in the Class 3A state championship game. It's the program's first state finals appearance in 47 years (1977), the longest gap in tournament history.

"She's a competitor," Thornton said of Fuelling, who averages 22 points on 40% shooting (43% from 3). "She's battled against some of the best teams in the state and put up good numbers. … She's a special kid, a leader by example. She's not going to give up."

For Fuelling, reaching this point of her career began, at least in part, with a conversation with Thornton a couple years ago. "I knew it was serious when he called me into the classroom," she quipped. 

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Fuelling wasn't all that interested in playing AAU growing up. It just wasn't her thing, she explained, and she opted to exclusively play school ball, which was more team-oriented. The 5-7 guard is humble and reluctant to promote herself, Thornton observed, which might prevent her from opportunities. But he recognized her potential and wanted her to take advantage of the exposure playing AAU can provide. 

It wasn't an edict, he said, more a suggestion. 

"Kennedy may not always look at herself the way others see her and I want her to always have that belief in herself," Thornton continued. "That was a big part of it, knowing you're good enough to play at the next level and sometimes you have to do things that may not be your favorite in order to get that opportunity." 

"I listened because, sometimes, he knows what he's talking about," Fuelling deadpanned before cracking a smile.

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Though reluctant to jump in, Fuelling said her two-year run with Justin Jordan's Optimum Performance Sports (OPS) was a positive experience. And for outside observers, it did wonders for her as a player. Fuelling is more confident as a player and leader, senior guard Makenzie Fuess said, developments which Fuelling also credits to her Norwell teammates, who are able to push each other and play together.

Thornton recognized a difference over the first four games of the season. 

The Knights dove directly into the incinerator, opening the season with games at Warsaw and Fort Wayne Northrop, before returning home to tangle with eventual sectional champions Northridge and Homestead. 

Fuelling's performance across those four games and her willingness to take command alongside Fuess demonstrated her development, Thornton said. "Right then, we knew what we had. Our leadership with those two has been incredible. I saw a big step from a year ago."

That confidence manifested itself again last weekend at semistate. 

The Knights played at a different level mentally in the semifinals against Hamilton Heights, Fuelling and Fuess agreed. A rematch of last year's championship game, they unlocked a new level of confidence with Fuelling pouring in 30 points, while aiding a 1-3-1 zone defense that held Huskies star Camryn Runner largely in check.

"We thought we were ready and we were confident (in 2023), but it was a lot different this year," said Fuelling, who surpassed Jessica Rupright as the program's all-time leading scorer with her final basket of the regional championship game vs. Benton Central. 

"The confidence has been on a different level this year."

Norwell and Gibson Southern are slated for a 6 p.m. start Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.