See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
The last time Arelis Cora played a high school basketball game at Nazareth, she was an impressionable sophomore trying to find her role on a defending state Federation champion team loaded with talent.
Her situation during her return to the Catholic school’s court at last weekend’s Rose Classic Super Jam was different. Cora is now a senior more than a year past knee surgery, and the veteran leader of young Grand Street team looking to find success in the Public School Athletic League.
“Now I’m the one everyone comes up to me and goes, ‘What do we do here? What can we do to get better?’ ” Cora said.
Her coaches urge her to lead a team filled with young talent. including sophomore guard Kaisah Lucky, freshman Shanice Graves, and juniors Amani Graham and Fernanda Reyes Acosta. It took some getting use to, but Cora has flourished in the role.
“She’s won a title at Naz before,” Grand Street assistant coach Luis Aguirre said. “She can step up and give some knowledge to these girls here, let them know what it takes to get that far.”
The 5-foot-9 Cora feels she is finally ready to make an impact after injuring her knee the April after her sophomore season. She transferred to Grand Street that September.
“The jump shot is still there,” Aguirre said.
Cora is healthy now, and it shows in the results. She is averaging 13.7 points and seven rebounds in league play as Grand Street leads its division. Cora scored just seven points Grand Street’s 55–49 loss to Archbishop Williams (Ga.), but has been an important piece all season.
“I feel like I am back to where I was, even better than where I was,” Cora said. “It’s great that I can help them.”
The injury hampered her college recruitment. Cora still has Division I interest, but many coaches saw her play for the Philly Belles last summer when she was not in basketball shape and could not show what she was capable of.
Cora is doing that now by filling numerous roles for Grand Street. Sometimes he is a shooter, others, a point guard starting the offense, and even a forward on defense. Her leadership responsibilities, however, never change. Cora as experienced plenty — titles and injuries included — during her career, and is the perfect person to help Grand Street mature for this season, and those to come.
“I have to get them into that mindset and show them this is what we have to do to win,” Cora said.
She is already on her way.