Naperville North sophomore forward Katie Walker plays the role of the super sub as if she was born to do it.
But that’s not exactly the case. It took the varsity rookie a little while to get acclimated to coming off the bench.
“In the beginning, I would get scared and was not comfortable,” Walker said, “and now I’m comfortable with the team, and it’s easier to come off the bench because they comfort me.”
The 5-foot-9 Walker has provided the Huskies with some comfort with her recent play. She might be the most efficient player on the team.
“Katie is just all around a great player,” Naperville North junior guard Ava Podkasik said. “She brings a lot of intensity and physicality to our team, which is obviously a great thing.
“When we need a rebounder, she’s our go-to person. She’s always there boxing out when she needs to be, fighting for loose balls on the ground and just being as physical as she can be. There’s nothing more we can ask from her. It’s great.”
Podkasik and Walker were great during a Class 4A Naperville North Regional semifinal game on Tuesday. Podkasik led all players with 22 points, nine rebounds, eight steals and four assists, while Walker finished with five points, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block as the sixth-seeded Huskies beat 12th-seeded Plainfield South 56-39.
This was the first playoff game for Walker, who was ready for the big moment. She made her only shot and was 2 for 2 from the line for Naperville North (20-10), which advanced to play third-seeded Naperville Central (25-6), the DuPage Valley Conference champion, in the regional final on Thursday.
“It was really exciting because if we lose, it’s over,” Walker said. “So it’s leave it all on the floor and hustle for every play.”
Walker did exactly that. She entered the game with the Huskies leading 6-5 and immediately blocked a shot. Two minutes later, Walker fired a pass from the top of the key to Podkasik for a layup.
The Cougars (13-17) pulled within 11-9 with nine seconds left in the first quarter, but the Huskies quickly sprinted up the court. Senior point guard Sam Kelly faked a drive and passed to her right to Walker, who hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
It was the first time Walker had made a buzzer-beater. What was she thinking when she got the ball?
“Just shoot the ball because we were running out of time,” she said. “That was exciting.”
It was also the start of something big for the Huskies.
“She hit that buzzer-beater three at the end of the first quarter, which really gave us momentum going into the second,” Podkasik said. “It was a big plus for our team. I feel like she just comes in with a mentality that she can do whatever she wants to do.”
The Huskies outscored Plainfield South 19-2 in the second quarter to take a 33-11 halftime lead. Along the way, they built a 15-2 rebounding advantage on the offensive end. Walker and junior guard Zoey Bishop each finished with five offensive rebounds.
“My role is doing whatever the team needs, like going in and giving my all and whatever we need right then, especially rebounding and hustling,” Walker said.
Walker is especially good at that.
“She just does kind of the nitty-gritty stuff for us,” Naperville North coach Aly Miller said. “She’s always on the floor. She’s always getting deflections. She’s always flying around. She’s great on the box-outs. She’s always crashing the offensive glass.
“She just does a lot of little things for us that save possessions and keep our energy alive.”
Walker’s contributions proved decisive when sophomore guard Sydney Smith picked up two early fouls in the first quarter and a third one in the second quarter. Walker replaced Smith in the post and ably picked up the slack.
“She’s kind of wherever we need her,” Miller said. “It kind of depends on the lineup that’s out there. She plays the 5, but she also brings a ton of athleticism. She brings some speed out there, and she’s come around in her role, and she’s just very coachable.
“She’s very willing to do whatever we need her to do.”
Walker even started several games in January.
“As the season has gone on, her minutes have increased, and when we had a couple injuries, she did end up on the starting lineup a little bit, and it didn’t faze her,” Miller said. “She did the same things that she did before.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
