A torn ACL sidelined Kelly Koshuta for her entire sophomore season, but the injury didn’t keep the 6-foot-2 Madison basketball standout from returning to dominance.
After averaging 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds as a freshman post, leading the Warhawks to a Liberty District title and a trip to the region semifinals, Koshuta injured her left knee during an AAU game in the summer of 2012. After sitting out as a sophomore, Koshuta returned for her junior campaign and earned all-state honors. Madison reached the region semifinals for the second time in three years, and Koshuta nearly willed the Warhawks to victory and a berth in the state tournament. Facing eventual region champion Stonewall Jackson and 6-foot-2 Wake Forest-bound Nicole Floyd, Koshuta scored a career-high 39 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, but Madison fell short, 78-72.
“She has great hands and she just has the determination to score,” Madison head coach Kirsten Stone said about Koshuta entering her junior season. “She knows how to use her body. She’s a little bit undersized for a post, but she knows how to position herself in a way that she can score.”
Koshuta, a rising senior, will have one more season to try and lead Madison to the state playoffs. After high school, Koshuta will play for Virginia Tech after committing to the Hokies during her junior year.
Koshuta recently participated in a Q and A via email with The Connection.
*Connection: You're committed to Virginia Tech. What made Tech the right fit for you?
Koshuta: Virginia Tech was the first school to offer me, and they called the day after I got injured and believed in me. VT Head Coach Dennis Wolff took over a struggling program and has made improvements every year. The coaches at Virginia Tech believe in me, and they think I will make an immediate impact in the ACC, and that is also attractive to me. I will be playing against some of the best players in the country, not to mention I absolutely love the school, and the campus.
*Connection: At what age did you start playing basketball? Have you always been a post player? When did you realize playing college basketball was a possibility for you?
Koshuta: I started in second grade. I have pretty much been a post player my whole life. I realized college basketball was a possibility when colleges started recruiting me in seventh grade.
*Connection: You missed your sophomore season due to a torn ACL. How has that injury and the work it took to get back affected you as a basketball player and a person?
Koshuta: It motivated me to never take basketball for granted. I realized how much I missed the game when I had to watch my sophomore season from the bench. I kept training as soon as I could stand, and worked hard on my game all during rehab. As a person, I now reach out to other athletes who get injured and tell them to work hard, and things will get better.
*Connection: Was there ever a time during your rehab that you wanted to give up?
Koshuta: Never. I had a great surgeon, Dr. Chris Annunziata, and an awesome physical therapist named Sam Kang and they were both positive I would make a complete comeback. I also had support from my trainer, Mandy Ronay, and my family. If anything, I worked even harder after my surgery, both in rehab, and training for basketball.
*Connection: You stand 6 feet 2. How often does someone mention your height during a conversation or ask if you play basketball?
Koshuta: People talk about my height all the time, but it’s funny: I am actually undersized for a college post player. I have played against girls who are 6-6 and 6-7 during AAU season.
*Connection: What is your favorite athletic moment from your first three years at Madison?
Koshuta: Two things come to mind: beating Paul VI in the Bulldog Bash my freshman year, and winning the Liberty District my freshman year.
*Connection: Who is your favorite music artist? Why?
Koshuta: John Mayer, just because his songs are mellow and about real things that happen in life.
*Connection: What is your favorite movie? Why?
Koshuta: ‘Hercules,’ the cartoon, because he has to prove that he is a true hero so he can rejoin his father and become a God. The story motivates me, and makes me happy! I like all the Disney movies.
*Connection: What is your favorite hobby outside of basketball?
Koshuta: I like to watch movies and hang out with my family and friends.
*Connection: What location is the farthest you have traveled from the Washington, D.C. metro area?
Koshuta: I went to Hawaii for my uncle’s wedding.
*Connection: Are you a pro sports fan? If so, who are your favorite teams?
Koshuta: I love watching sports. I like all the local DC teams, like the Redskins, Caps, Nats, and Wizards.