Derby senior Addy Brown was named a McDonald's All-American on Jan. 24. The Iowa State commit received the news ahead of the Lady Panthers midseason tournament in Emporia. As the lone senior for Derby, Brown is the team leader in several categories including points per game (20.2), rebounds per game (10.1), assists per game (4.0) and field goal percentage (55%). The Lady Panthers are 8-1 on the season and 5-0 in league play.
"It is really cool, this has been a huge goal for me," Brown said. "Just seeing my sister, Kennedy be able to do it and seeing some of the best players in the country do it. It has been a goal of mine for a long time and to be able to reach that goal is awesome, but I know the work is far from over because I'll be competing against the best of the best."
Brown has been named the AVCTL-I MVP in 2021 and 2022. Derby finished runner-up in Class 6A last season. Addy's sister Kennedy was the first girls basketball player from a KSHSAA-sanctioned school to make the McDonald’s All-American game in 2019. Kennedy was the first Derby athlete to be named Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019 and is currently playing for 16th-ranked Duke and is second on the team in total rebounds. The McDonald's All-American game will be held in Houston on March 28.
Head coach Dan Harrison coached both of the sisters and was an assistant under Jodie Karsak while Kennedy was a player before becoming the head coach in 2021. Harrison is proud to see his athletes receive national attention.
"Each of them are wonderful people and players," Harrison said. "The skillsets are different and they have their own style. I am really happy for Addy to see all the hard work that she has put in and the investment in her teammates pay off. To be recognized by a national basketball community is great for her."
Cody Friesen is the sports editor for the Derby Informer. Contact him with sports tips at sports@derbyinformer.com, and follow @Derby_Sports on Twitter for the latest updates.
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