The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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in Ann Arbor from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. She just knew that Michigan felt right for her. "I came here because I loved the family atmosphere, and I knew no matter how I performed I'd have the support from everyone," she said. "That's the biggest reason I've been so effective. My coaches and my teammates are putting me in posi- tions to score and pass out to open shooters, which results in good bas- ketball for us. I'm just doing what I'm told, and it's working." After a stellar freshman season in which she was named Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year and awarded a spot on the league's All-Freshman Team, Flaherty was a known com- modity entering the 2015-16 season. "With Katelynn, for some people it already feels like she's been here a while, but she's still a baby too," Barnes Arico explained. "Watching her grow from last year to this year, to become more of a complete player, has been incredible." While she is still young, the Point Pleasant, N.J., native finds herself being more of a leader this year, and it's showing up on the court and in the box scores. "I feel like a leader in terms of lead- ing by example," Flaherty said. "I think vocally we still look to [seniors] Madison [Ristovski] and Kelsey [Mitchell] and the older players, but I really think everyone on the team has some leadership qualities. Everyone leads in her own way. I try to lead by Thome ranked second on the team with an average of 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game after the Wolverines' first 17 contests. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN