Rising to the occasion: Roseby shines in leading Redhawks to state championship

After missing a handful of games early in the season, it took a while to get back in stride.

But as Roseby and Liberty got back on the same page, they began to soar.

The Redhawks dropped their final game of 2022 and when the calendar turned to the New Year, they would not lose again.

Liberty rolled through the remainder of the 10-5A season, avenging an earlier loss to Memorial, to finish tied with the Warriors for the district championship.

Roseby, who averaged 11.6 points and five rebounds per game and also ranked among the team leaders in assists and steals, earned first-team all-district honors, but she took her game to another level in the playoffs.

Roseby and the Redhawks took care of business during the first three rounds of the playoffs with comfortable victories to advance to the regional tournament.

There, she posted a team-high 14 points in a win over Mount Pleasant in the semifinals and followed that up with a 23-point effort in a 57-47 victory against McKinney North in the Region II final to punch their ticket to San Antonio for the state tournament.

Roseby rose to the occasion on the state’s biggest stage, pouring in 28 points in a 62-51 victory over San Antonio Wagner in the semifinals and turning in a 21-point effort in the 57-52 win against Lubbock Cooper in the finals.

Roseby was voted as the game’s most valuable player as she and Liberty returned to Frisco with the program’s second state championship.

In this week’s student-athlete profile, Roseby talks about the team’s season, her motivations and inspirations and what it means to win a state championship.

SLM: Congratulations on the state championship! Has it sunk in yet what this team was able to accomplish?

KR: Thank you so much! Our championship still feels very surreal, but I'm just glad that all of our hard work paid off.

SLM: Liberty has high expectations every year. After losing in the regional finals a year ago, how much was that a motivation for this year’s team?

KR: Our early loss in last year’s playoffs was a huge motivation. A lot of our players are returners and all of us didn’t want to feel that same way from the previous year. We had the right pieces and we all had the same motive. 

SLM: Early on this season, the team had to deal with some injury issues and had some struggles, when did it feel like things started to come together?

KR: Things really came together during our district play. During district, we started off with Jacy hurt but everyone else was healthy. So when Jacy came back from her injury it was like we found our missing piece and came together.

SLM: You really elevated your game as the playoffs went on. What was your mindset going into those games?

KR: My mindset going into the games was definitely to give it all i got, and leave everything I had on the court because you never know if it’s your last game. Also not to rush any offense because it comes to you.

SLM: Y’all got off to a slow start in the championship game. How did you regroup and what were the keys to winning in the end?

KR: Starting off slow is nothing out of the ordinary to us, our team is really good at keeping our composure. So when our shots started going and when we started getting defensive stops everything started coming together. One of the main keys was dealing with all the pressure, not only were we trying to bring a ring home but it was a very close game. We had to make very smart decisions and not crumble under pressure. 

SLM: When did you start playing basketball and what got you started in the sport?

KR: I started playing basketball in 3rd grade and I grew up around it. A lot of my family played basketball so I was always in the gym. 

SLM: How would you describe your game and what do you try to bring to the team?

KR: I would describe my game as very versatile. I can post, work on the perimeter and shoot on all three levels. Some things I bring to my team is energy and positivity. I love celebrating my teammates and being their biggest hypeman. 

SLM: : Who are some players you look up to?

KR: One player I definitely look up to is Kevin Durant. His versatility is unmatched and he is very humble. 

SLM: What do you enjoy doing when you are not playing basketball?

KR: Something I like to do outside of basketball is spend time with family and friends. 

SLM: What does it feel like to be a state champion and how big of a motivator is that to do it again next season?

KR: It feels exhilarating, at the beginning of the season I felt everyone was counting liberty out just because we lost a lot of key players. But to prove everyone wrong and win that state title feels amazing.