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05/05/2016 12:00 AMThe sport of basketball runs deep through the Korwek family and, as a result, East Haven girls’ hoops coach Anthony Russell has always had someone bearing that name on his roster. That came to an end this winter, when senior Cailey Korwek played her last game with the Yellowjackets as she’s the third and final Korwek sister to compete for Russell’s program.
“It’s hard to imagine not having a Korwek on the team. The girls and their family have been around for my entire tenure as head coach,” says Russell. “First, her sister Alissa, then her sister Jill, and now Cailey has completed her four years in the program. They are all great kids and I enjoyed coaching them. I’m going to miss the Korwek family.”
Cailey had the luxury of being a freshman when both her sisters were still on the team and she got to play some varsity minutes alongside her older siblings. That was a dream come true for Cailey, who says it was one of her favorite moments on the basketball court at East Haven.
“That had to be one of my best moments of my high school career. I will never forget it. It was the best feeling to be with my sisters out there,” says Cailey. “Three out of the five people on the court were my actual family. The amount of time we put into it, all the travel and doing so much, it was awesome to say we all played at once. You don’t see that often, so it was cool.”
Cailey made her presence felt on the floor in more ways than just on the score sheet. She had little trouble putting points on the board when her shot was on, but Cailey’s hustle also led to plenty of assists, rebounds, and steals.
“For a while, I relied on my outside shot. This year, it wasn’t there, so I didn’t score as much,” says Cailey, who played guard. “To me, the assists, rebounds, and steals were a major part of the game. It was those things I can still do if I didn’t score much. It made me feel better and let me know I was contributing to the team.”
Cailey’s contributions didn’t go unnoticed by her coaches and Russell appreciates how well-rounded of a player she was for his club.
“I don’t think people really know how good of an athlete she is. I think sometimes this year she got overshadowed by her teammates who had better stats. However, Cailey is a very complete player who can handle the ball, shoot, pass, rebound, and, most of the time, I put her on the opposing team’s most prolific guard,” says Russell. “She did so many things that you don’t see in the box score, but through a coach’s lens, you recognize as vital to the team’s success.”
Cailey was named one of East Haven’s captains as a senior this winter and she felt thrilled to have that responsibility. Cailey loved the role and was proud to help lead the Yellowjackets to their record-breaking season that featured 21 wins, a share of the Oronoque Division title, and two nice postseason runs.
“Being captain was a big deal to me. I grew up playing basketball and with Miranda [Gladwin] and Dana [Ross]. The three of us were excited and dedicated,” says Cailey, who also did a year of cross country and two years of outdoor track for East Haven. “I think it was a really great deal because, for all these years, East Haven sports has had a bad rap. We don’t get the full credit we deserve, so when we took control and broke records, it was a great feeling to show we can do it just like everybody else. When I finished my career, I couldn’t ask for more. We broke records and set new records, which was awesome.”
Cailey says she won’t be playing sports in college, but will keep her basketball IQ sharp to help Coach Russell however she can down the road.
“Women’s basketball is so much more than what people give it credit to be. Coach Russell puts so much into it and has developed a great program,” says Cailey. “I can’t wait to give back in any way I can.”