Girls basketball: Batavia senior Brooke Carlson is the Kane County Chronicle Player of the Year

Brooke Carlson stood at center court alone, showered in applause by Batavia fans celebrating her passing a 2,000-point milestone.

Carlson appreciated the recognition, yes.

The Batavia senior guard, though, did not ask for the extra attention. If she had her preference, she probably would have just played a game that night. Carlson does her greatest work when she’s not in the spotlight, which Batavia coach Kevin Jensen knows all too well.

When Jensen’s daughter, a fifth grader, was experiencing some bullying, Carlson made it a point to text her to ask how her basketball season was going.

“She will do things like that,” Jensen said. “She’s making sure she keeps people around her feeling good. I think she could be a star at Colorado State, but as good of a basketball player is, she is an even better kid, the way she lifts people up around her.”

On the court, Carlson lifted Batavia to unprecedented heights.

The Bulldogs, led by Carlson, won a program record 29 games, a DuKane Conference championship and were undefeated at home. The crowning achievement was Batavia’s win over Geneva for the program’s first-ever sectional title. Along the way, Carlson passed Hannah Frazier as Batavia’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 2,225 points. Carlson also is the program’s career leader in assists, steals and charges taken. Her 507 rebounds are fifth-most in program history.

This season, Carlson averaged 22.4 points, 3.9 steals, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists and was named First Team All-State in Class 4A by Illinois Media.

Carlson is the 2023-24 Kane County Chronicle Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Of all her achievements, it’s what her team accomplished that Carlson cherishes most.

“Winning sectionals, winning the big game, that matters the most,” Carlson said. “Seeing the growth of the team was the biggest thing I feel accomplished about. We all just clicked. We were literally each other’s best friends. The hardest part of the season ending is we weren’t going to be with our best friends every day.”

Carlson’s basketball start can be traced to the athletic ability in the family DNA. Her dad was a Division I athlete who played football and her mom ran cross country in college. They impressed upon their daughter the value of hard work and dedication in everything she did.

Her older brother played basketball and baseball. Carlson remembers catching the basketball bug shooting at halftime of his games at Rotolo Middle School.

“I was like this is the sport I want,” Carlson said. “From there I continued to play.”

Carlson made an impact immediately at Batavia, averaging 14.6 points and 3.6 assists as a freshman in a shortened spring season. She did, though, make only nine 3-point shots. The development of her perimeter game to complement the way Carlson attacks the basket made her almost impossible for opposing coaches to slow down.

She scored a career-high 42 points in a game against St. Charles North and 39 to beat Fremd in December.

“She plays the game at a different speed than most others,” St. Charles North coach Mike Tomczak said. “What makes her so difficult to guard is her ability to hurt you from different levels. When she started out four years ago, she was very one-dimensional, insomuch that she attacked the basket and scored inside, but her outside game was not there yet.

“But it is a huge credit to her and all the work that she has done over the years to become, not just a competent outside shooter, but an excellent outside shooter.”

Geneva coach Sarah Meadows echoed that sentiment.

“She is quick and crafty and knows how to score. She has also worked on her outside shot that has helped her game tremendously,” Meadows said. “And she is a huge competitor.”

Carlson’s speed and strength physically made her a handful for opponents going to the rim and her fearlessness made her a frequent visitor to the free-throw line. Carlson attempted 251 free throws and made 82%.

“It’s hard to find somebody that is faster, somebody that is stronger and somebody that is more explosive,” Jensen said. “She is not afraid of taking some contact. When Hannah played, she was the biggest, strongest player on the court. With Brooke, it wasn’t because of her size, it was her strength and balance. She’d take a lot of contact and she would still finish.”

What Jensen and Carlson’s teammates appreciated as much as anything about her is the way she put in the work. She went from a player who was fast with the ball to someone under more control. She worked on ways to impact the game from rebounding to defending to shooting. She improved her tempo and change of speed.

That dedication elevated those around her.

“She enjoys the work. It’s hard work, but it’s not work to her because it’s something she loves,” Jensen said. “I’m not trying to call her anything she is not, but it is literally like a scene from ‘The Last Dance’ documentary with Michael Jordan in talking about how she practices. It made everyone elevate their game to what she was trying to do.”

Carlson, for her part, credited her parents for instilling that drive in her.

“It’s from my parents. They are just hardworking people,” Carlson said. “To see the hard work and dedication they put into everything makes me want to follow in their footsteps.”

Carlson’s journey will take her west to Colorado State. She plans to room with Lincoln All-State player Kloe Froebe. Carlson can’t wait to see how their games mesh and said it’s cool to picture them playing together.

But Carlson will miss greatly her hometown.

She holds dearly the support Batavia athletes get from the community, young and old. She appreciates how the interest in Batavia girls basketball grew over the past few years.

She cherishes her presence as a mentor, not just for her basketball skills but for girls such as Jensen’s fifth grade daughter.

“Having an outlet to talk to someone is hugely important,” Carlson said. “I take pride in how I am as a person. What I do on the basketball court is good, but as a person I’m going to go up to you and say hi. That’s how you leave your mark the best.

“It’s not only how you play the game, but how you interact with people.”