Duquesne WBB’s McConnell Cousins Grow Closer On And Off Court

It was a summer practice for the Duquesne Women’s Basketball and the extremely competitive and “crap talking” Megan McConnell admitted she was in a good mood, telling a teammate how cute her hair looked, but this sentiment was not expressed to just any player.

To have the last name McConnell means you are a competitor and will play to the final whistle and this has absolutely held true for freshman Kellie who joins the Duquesne roster this season. Kellie and Megan are cousins, but the loose remark stopped the former in her tracks.

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Both laugh about the memory now, one of many the pair have already formed in their short time together on the Bluff.

“Obviously, our name is well known around Pittsburgh and of course when it comes to basketball, but I never thought in a million years that I would ever be on the same team as my cousin,” Megan explained. “Going into it I didn’t know what to expect, but since she’s been here, she’s been like a rock for me. I’m very thankful that even though she’s younger than me, there’s a lot that we have in common that I never realized. A lot of people say we look alike, and we play alike. Duquesne has a really bright future with her ahead too.”

Kellie admits that the transition is certainly a big one but having her cousin there, working out together daily and having a mentor, who just happens to be a family member consistently by her side has helped her out so much.

“I followed her throughout her whole high school career, her WPIAL championships, her state championships and when I was in high school in those championships, I ended up looking back at pictures and thought, ‘Megan did that too,'” she stated.  “She set such a great example for me on and off the court throughout our whole lives. Her career here has been amazing. It’s not over, but she’s given me a lot to live up to.”

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

At one point, Kellie McConnell’s path may have taken her through softball, admitted that she liked the sport, but something continued to bring her back to basketball.

She spent her freshman season also playing volleyball, but she ended up stopping because basketball was not getting enough time.

Basketball became an identity of hers, but that was put to the test when she tore her ACL during her sophomore season. Now she was going to miss an entire season, and she thought the world was going to end, because in her mind, basketball was all she knew.

As she recovered, she learned that there was more to life than the sport, but that her life seemingly was the sport.

With time, Kellie found perspective, that her ACL tear actually proved to be a benefit in the long run in more ways than one, despite missing out on playing with her teammates.

Recovering was a process with no day being easy and in order to come back to the court, the work became intentional.

“There were little accomplishments through my recovery that made me excited, but it was not easy,” Kellie offered. “That first day when I went back out on the court, I was so nervous that I wasn’t going to be the same player that I was. I came back and I honestly feel like I am better than I was before. I’m a lot stronger, I got in the weight room and obviously I still have a long way to go, but I feel like tearing my ACL honestly benefitted me in the long run.”

Since Kellie has come to Duquesne, many of those who have been around the program reminded of her mother, the former Sherri Hannan who was with the Dukes from 1995-99 and ranks 10th all-time with 205 career steals among other feats.

People give Kellie her mother’s stats and accomplishments, yet another reminder that there is a lot to live up to.

“They give me a lot to live up to and she had an awesome career here, but in no way, shape or form should we compared to anyone in our family because we’re our own people trying to make our own legacies here and really excited to see what’s in store,” stated Kellie.

It is no secret that the McConnell name is known quite well among Pittsburgh families and there are countless names within the group that have accomplished amazing things, but Megan echoed her cousin’s sentiments that the name on the back of the jersey carries a lot of weight, but so does the name on the front.

“There’s a lot that comes with it, but I also think people get lost in who we are as people,” Megan observed. “We’re really good people off the court, but on the court, I think we represent our name very well and every day I try to keep proving to people that I’m my own person, I’m not in anybody’s shadow. It’s the same thing with Kellie, she’s not in my shadow, she’s her own person and will be her own player here. At the end of the day, we all come together as one family, but we’re here to put on a show for ourselves.”

Kellie has certainly already showcased her abilities, never being afraid to step up vocally and refusing to take a metaphorical punch.

“If we’re on opposite teams, she’s leading her own team the same way I am and I just see myself when I watch her,” beamed Megan. “It’s really cool and I’m excited to watch her grow this year and the upcoming years. My role when I was a freshman, I just see her so much. She’s always talking, she’s cheering up her teammates, she’s finding the open person, she’s knocking down shots, she’s creating for other people and that’s what a true point guard does. That’s what we were both taught at a very young age. You can just tell that’s the way McConnell basketball is played. I’m just really excited for that.”

LOYALTY ABOVE ALL ELSE

Anyone who asks Megan McConnell what her goal is while wearing a Duquesne uniform and the answer is very quick.

Win an Atlantic 10 Championship.

Sure, she already has a clear place in program history in many statistics and standing at five-foot-seven already has more rebounds than any other guard ever to wear a Duquesne uniform, but the individual stats are not what drive her.

The same goes for those who comprise any team Megan is on. She simply wants to play with teammates who would run through a wall for her. This premise comes from having a similar respect for her coaching staff, that she asks for the same in return.

This season, she feels that everyone on the team shares in that vision, the first time she has felt that way. There is no divide, rather everyone wants to be on the court achieving success which they hope reaches the highest levels.

“I’m going to give you my best effort every day and am expecting the same in return from my teammates,” she translated. “Some days are not going to be good days, but we just have to find a way to fight through the bad days to get to the good ones. I came here for one sole reason and that was to win an A-10 championship. I just try to lead by example, but I also want to lead by my voice because I feel like a lot of girls do respect and look up to me, so I just want to set the best example I can to show what it takes to win a championship because I’ve done it before, but not at the college level.”

Megan’s leadership, whether vocally or unsaid has been a process where there was a younger class coming in and she had learned the lessons, feeling she was ready.

In addition to that, Megan’s leadership has become noticed by younger girls who aspire to be her one day, some of whom have had the opportunity to meet her after games.

That example extends into the weight room, where Megan’s discipline has become both noticed and Kellie has worked hard to duplicate it.

“Megan’s been the most tremendous leader and because she possesses all of those qualities, there isn’t enough time to say all of the good things about her right now,” the younger McConnell said. “We all get behind her because of who she is. She is our leader this year and we all want those same goals and aspirations because we will follow her and anything she wants; we have those same dreams. When you have a leader emphasizing on that goal, you’re going to get behind her, and we’re going to get it done.”

Given Megan’s accomplishments during her first four seasons, the easy thing to do, especially in today’s climate would be to transfer from Duquesne and play one final year elsewhere.

Those who had that expectation clearly do not know Megan McConnell.

“The transfer portal is just crazy in college basketball now a days, but I’m really big on loyalty whether that’s with coaches, friendship or family,” Megan calmly deduced. “I’ve always been raised that if someone does right by you, there’s no reason to screw them over. Coach (Dan) Burt is the reason I’ve been so successful here, he’s a great guy and not only does he help me be successful on the court, but he cares about me as a person, and I know that’s really hard to find nowadays in college basketball. I really appreciate the coaching staff that we have here, they’re the reason I stayed loyal to them. I’m ten toes down with them and I told them in my exit meeting that I wasn’t going anywhere.”

While Megan was making her decision, Kellie was having the discussion with her parents, that the pairing of these cousins on the court could be over before it started, a prospect she did not want to face.

Kellie knows that Megan would have succeeded regardless of where she would have ended up but is so thankful that she stayed.

“We’ve only had a summer together, but we’ve gotten so much closer,” stated Kellie.

WHO’S IN YOUR CORNER?

When Megan came to Duquesne, there was consideration of redshirting her for her freshman season.

The excuses from those who believe they understand include “you can’t do that”, “you’re too small to play Division I basketball”, and “You won’t play a single minute there, you’ll be on the bench”.

“I just block out all of that noise and just put my head down and go to work, because seeing what my brother (T.J.) went through at Duquesne, then going to Arizona, went undrafted, so there were many people that told him he would never make the NBA,” Megan explained. “He’s living proof of that 10 years later. Proving people wrong is my favorite thing to do, so I’m just going to keep doing that for the rest of my life and I hope Kellie does the same.”

Indeed, the voices said much of the same about Kellie, that she will not work out at Duquesne, that she will redshirt, that it will not work out, but what she has found out has only intensified her focus and effort to following in her cousin’s footsteps.

“Some of the people who I thought were really some of my big supporters even said that I wouldn’t be able to do anything here,” Kellie remarked. “It really goes to show who you actually have in your corner, and who you believe is in your corner. There’s nobody more supportive than my family. They all believe in me, and having that fuel is really all I need. I have the right people in my corner, and I have my self-motivation and the confidence to come in here and do what I do.”

It is safe to say that both can be found daily at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, honing their respective craft, while helping each other become the best version of self.

“I just try to not ever settle,” determined Megan. “I will not settle here until I’m done.”

As Megan puts it, if there is one thing to understand about the McConnell’s, it is just how competitive they are.

There were not many times both were on the same time, and when that happens, the sentiment is simple, watch out.

“It’s going to be a fight,” Megan promised. “Let me tell you, the minute the horn goes off and we walk off the court, we’re hugging each other. That’s what makes it so special. We know when it’s on the court, we strictly want to make each other better, but when we’re off the court, there may be a little blood or tears, but it’s like we didn’t skip a beat.”

When thinking about the few times both were on the same team, they laughed as their respective competitive sides came out, as both expressed that then each could win.

What started as both hanging out at family functions has turned into both becoming true sisters, best friends who are inseparable and a shoulder for the other to lean on.

“Some of the things she’s said to me and advice she’s given me, I would have never looked at it that way, but I think we just know each other so well, that it’s like wow, you’re not just a cousin to me, you’re a friend, a sister and that’s something I’ve always wanted,” Megan observed. “It’s just really nice having her here and I tell her at least five times a week that I can’t wait for this year together because it just makes me so excited. Being around her every day, she’s just like an energy booster and I’m really glad she chose Duquesne.”

As Kellie reflected on just how much her cousin meant, visible emotion formed across Megan’s face. Both family and basketball brought these two closer than either could have imagined.

With Megan’s Duquesne career having one year left and Kellie’s just beginning, both are exactly where they want to be, and they could not be happier.

“I’m so glad I chose Duquesne too, I couldn’t see myself anywhere else right now,” concluded Kellie. “She truly has become a best friend. Being here, this is the most fun age for us too because we’re right close. We don’t feel the age difference anymore, we’re both mature. It’s been so fun and so great to have her, I’m really lucky.”