"Grateful for every opportunity': Brooke Haren savoring final Louisville basketball season
LOUISVILLE — Louisville High School basketball player Brooke Haren is savoring every second of her senior season.
She hopes it lasts a lot longer than her junior year.
The last thing Haren wanted to do was end the 2022-23 season off the court. A broken ankle sidelined her for the tournament. The Leopards couldn't overcome the loss and were eliminated in their opener.
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Haren would not let how the season ended devastate her. She quickly turned a negative into a positive. She wanted to do everything she could to make her senior year a memorable one.
"Last year ended with an injury, and it definitely wasn't the way I would have written that chapter," Haren said. "You forgive and forget. You know, it happens. That was God's plan for me. I wondered, 'How can I get better? How can I improve my health and my basketball game?'
"That makes me appreciate every time I get to put the Leopard jersey on. Obviously it's my last year. I'm getting to play with my teammates. These girls are my sisters. I'm just grateful for every opportunity I get to play."
Haren has had a big hand in Louisville's 10-3 start this season. She scored 27 points in a win over McKinley, the Leopards' first against the Bulldogs since 1992. She finished with 20 points when Louisville handed Hoban its first loss of the season.
Going into Wednesday's game against Western Reserve Academy, Haren needs just 13 points to reach 1,000 for her career. It's a milestone she has not thought of.
"I just try to avoid that at all costs," Haren said. "Don't worry about stats. Just play for the team.
"I want to win at the end of the day. I want to have a really good record. I want to bring a district title back to Louisville. It hasn't happened in a long time. My goal right now is nothing personal, but all team goals."
Haren's broken ankle last spring slowed her down a little. She was unable to start softball season on time. AAU basketball was put on hold.
As soon as her cast came off, Haren was ready to dive into her spring schedule.
"I went to a boot and said I'm not wearing it," Haren said. "I went to my brace and jumped into it the best I could. I got back on the softball field and right back in the gym to train for AAU.
"It was probably a month-and-a-half, two months max when I was cleared. The day I got cleared, I played in a softball game. My coach hit me like 30 buckets of balls to make sure I could move laterally and vertically, and I played immediately after that."
Haren had a successful volleyball season last fall. She was voted all-county and all-district.
Basketball, though, will be her ticket at the next level. She has signed to play at Ursuline College, an NCAA Division II program in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
"Basketball ever since I was little has always been the thing for me," Haren said. "It has always been what I love to do.
"My heart was always into basketball growing up. I always loved watching UConn and Ohio State. I would come here, dream about playing on this floor and playing at the college level."
Haren's love for basketball stretches off the court. She works as a game analyst for Straggat Media. The online broadcasting network covers Eastern Stark County schools, including Louisville.
"The minute I put the mic on, I was nervous at first," Haren said. "Once I started watching the game, I just talked about it.
"I just love it. It's easier said than done. It was something that was so random, but I thank God for putting it in my life. It also shows you what you can do with basketball when you can't play it anymore."
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Louisville basketball player Brooke Haren closing in on 1,000 points
