Riley Makalusky and Olivia Brown will share one last special experience together.
The Hamilton Southeastern High School seniors were recently named to the Indiana Girls All-Star team, which will play Kentucky in the annual boys-girls doubleheader June 9 at Owensboro, Ky., and June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Senior All-Stars will play the Junior All-Stars June 7 at a site to be determined.
“It’s super special to share this experience with my teammate,” Makalusky said. “We’ve been playing together for years and have trained together, so we have seen the hard work that has been put in to get where we are today. We play so well together and have an amazing connection on the court, so it was definitely exciting to hear we both made the team.”
Brown, a 5-foot-7 point guard, said being an Indiana All-Star had been a goal for both.
“Having Riley with me lets us represent HSE together and makes the experience even more memorable,” Brown said.
Makalusky, a 6-foot-2 forward, averaged 20 points per game, hitting 47 percent from the field, and averaged 3.9 rebounds this past season for the Royals (21-3).
“Riley’s overall game improved tremendously,” said Royals coach Brian Satterfield, whose team lost to Class 4A state runner-up Fishers in the sectional championship. “She could score in whatever manner we needed. However, her biggest improvement was her ability to knock down the 3-pointer. She shot over 40 percent from behind the arc the second half of the year (to finish at 32 percent).”
Satterfield said the senior standouts provided tremendous leadership.
“Olivia led by example and was our hardest worker, whereas Riley was our vocal leader for the group,” Satterfield said. “They both helped our group bond and develop great team chemistry, which was vital for our success.”
Brown averaged 6.9 points, 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game.
Olivia’s unselfishness and overall game is what made her special, Satterfield said.
“She took pride in her play at both ends of the floor and set five school records with assists and steals,” Satterfield said. “Her biggest improvement this year was her decision-making and reducing her turnovers from the previous year.”
Brown will play for the University of Akron in the 2023-24 season.
While being an All-Star was always a goal, it moved to the top of the list when Brown wasn’t selected to the 2022 Junior All-Star team.
“I wanted to be one of the few people to not be a Junior All-Star but get chosen to be a Senior All-Star,” she said.
Makalusky, who is headed to Butler University, was selected to the Junior All-Star team.
“It was an amazing experience playing with girls from all different schools and playing against Kentucky,” she said. “That experience made me excited for the Senior All-Star experience.”
Makalusky said she and her trainer make goals every year for something she wants to accomplish in the upcoming season.
“My freshman year, we were looking into goals for the future, and we put down Indiana All-Star,” she said. “So, it’s definitely a goal I’ve been working every day to achieve since my freshman year.”
To prepare for college basketball, Makalusky is working on playing through contact.
“College is a big step up from high school basketball physically, so I’m definitely trying to be as prepared as possible so I can make an impact as a freshman,” Makalusky said.
Brown said she is working on making her shot more consistent along with putting things into her game that will work on all levels of play.
