Valparaiso junior Chyanne Brown is ready for whatever comes her way.
The 5-foot-10 forward is an integral part of the Vikings’ experienced starting lineup that has been together for two seasons and is led by senior guard Lillian Barnes, a Ball State recruit.
“With Chy, the growth mentally and physically as far as year to year has been great,” Valparaiso coach Kelly Kratz said. “The stage of the high-level stuff last year might’ve kind of gotten to her. But she’s steady right now.
“The biggest thing is the consistency with her shooting. Her passing has become very, very good. Lilli gets all these assists, but (Brown) often gets the hockey assist, the pass to the pass that she can see. She’s great for us defensively because she always seems to be guarding two. She’s able to read to see what the dribbler is doing.”
Brown is averaging 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.1 steals for the Vikings (23-2), who are ranked No. 8 in the state coaches poll and will play No. 18 Northridge (19-7) in the Class 4A Jimtown Regional on Saturday night. They’ve won sectional titles in each of Barnes’ four seasons, as well as back-to-back regional titles and back-to-back Duneland Athletic Conference titles.
Brown, whom Kratz also praised for her ability to score from all three levels, has contributed to that sustained success.
“I know I can shoot the three ball, but right now my role is to find the open girls, find cutters when girls are cutting to the basket,” she said. “Since I’m stronger, setting screens, getting Lilli open, getting Cadynce (Clark) open for her shot, just off-ball movement.”
Brown has made moves since last season.
“This year, I have a lot more confidence, a lot more with my mental toughness,” she said. “A big one for me this year is definitely rebounding. I’ve gotten a lot better at rebounding, crashing the boards. We’re still working on that.
“I’ve been a lot more aggressive rebounding. It’s been a lot more of the mentality, ‘If I don’t get the ball, nobody else is going to get it.’ But it’s mostly confidence.”
Brown is rooted in the present. But a glimpse into the future has helped her build that confidence.
Barnes, Clark and guard Bri Fincannon are seniors. Brown and forward Delilah Kincaid are juniors.
“It’s just knowing that I have to step up, just knowing that next year Lilli, Cadynce and Bri are all leaving, me and Delilah are really going to have to take that role. So knowing that I have to step up, that just gives me more confidence.”
Brown also has been a thrower for Valparaiso’s girls track and field team. She won sectional titles in the shot put in each of her first two seasons and also qualified for regionals in the discus last season as a sectional runner-up. But she’s not planning to compete this spring.
“This year, since we’re losing Lilli, Cadynce and Bri, I’m really going to focus on basketball,” Brown said. “Shot put took away a lot from me being able to get into the gym and train. So this year, I’m stepping away from shot put and going to be in the gym in the offseason, getting ready for next year.”
Kincaid, a Bowling Green softball recruit, appreciates Brown’s efforts.
“Chyanne is a great 3-point shooter,” Kincaid said. “She’s very clutch. She comes through at the right times. She gets a lot of defensive stops. She gets deflections. She may not get the steal, but she’ll be the one tipping it or overplaying the pass so another person can make the steal.
“She just makes the plays that you don’t really see on the scoresheet. It’s not rebounds or points, but it’s plays that help us win games — deflections, stopping passes, boxing out — plays you don’t see on a scoresheet.”
Brown aims to make whatever plays the Vikings need to win a third straight regional title.
“It’s the love everybody in this group has for each other,” she said. “We’re all together, and everybody just loves everybody. It’s just a huge family. We all just do it for each other.
“Not one person is worried about how many points they have or how many rebounds they have. Everybody is playing for everybody. We’re playing for ultimately going to state.”
