For Libertyville senior guard Ella Pawelczyk, being a captain is not just having a title.
Pawelczyk, who was also a captain for the flag football team, considers the role to be an essential responsibility.
“I feel like I’m drawn to being a leader,” she said. “I enjoy being the person that people look up to, being that link between the team and the coaches, and being the person when people are stressed out or going through a rough patch that they can come to me for help.”
That makes the 5-foot-5 Pawelczyk, who is averaging 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 deflections, an invaluable player in her first season as a starter for the defending North Suburban Conference champion Wildcats (8-2, 4-0).
“Ella is the heart and soul of the team,” Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen said. “She really wants to win and cares about the team a lot. All the players new to the varsity are watching her and seeing what it takes to be a good teammate and a competitor.”
So Pawelczyk became even more important after three players suffered season-ending knee injuries. Despite those setbacks, the Wildcats continue to win heading into a showdown at conference co-leader Mundelein on Friday.
“The kids like and respect her,” Pedersen said. “She’s like having an extra coach on the team.”
Libertyville senior guard/forward Caitlyn Griffith can attest to that.
“Ella is a good leader because she’s able to make good decisions for our team on and off the floor, and she’s a good role model for our younger players,” Griffith said. “She always has insight and advice to give during halftime or timeouts, which really helps both our coaches and teammates.
“Ella is a supportive and encouraging captain who’s always there to cheer on her teammates when they make a good play or lift them up when they need it.”
Pawelczyk, a second-year varsity player, said her experience as a captain in flag football has helped her.
“With basketball, it’s definitely a smaller team, and I have good relationships with every single player on my team,” she said. “I feel like with basketball I’ve learned to be there for them in a different way individually.”
Griffith noted that Pawelczyk’s leadership is particularly obvious during halftime.
“She offers insight into how the game is going, what we’re doing well and need to do better, and she also gives advice to specific teammates, both complementary and constructively,” Griffith said. “She’s in tune to both the game and her teammates, which makes her a great leader.”
Libertyville junior point guard Lily Fisher, who has multiple Division I offers, pointed to the example Pawelczyk sets.
“Ella makes a great leader because she holds people accountable while also being such a positive and energetic person,” Fisher said.
Pedersen said Pawelczyk, who scored 15 points during Libertyville’s 44-21 conference win over Stevenson last week, also improved her game during the offseason.
Pawelczyk thinks the Wildcats are making progress too.
“We’re starting to connect as a team after beating Lake Zurich and Stevenson,” she said. “I’m starting to do more than just shoot the three and becoming a consistent scorer.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
