MURRAY, Ky. — Twenty-three years ago, Katelyn Young was born to parents David and Connie Young.
Little did they know back in 2002, that their first-born daughter would become one of the all-time greats in NCAA women’s college basketball.
Last month, Young’s collegiate career at Murray State ended in a 92-57 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in an NCAA Tournament game in Norman, Okla., but what she did in five years with the Racers is something that Murray State coach Rechelle Turner will never forget.
“You don’t me (owe me) another minute. You don’t owe me anything. You’ve given this program everything,’’ is what Turner told Young after the game with Iowa. “That’s truly how I feel about it. I mean, she really changed the projection of this program, and she stuck with us when it was hard.
“We did a system change, and she agreed to that, and she fought through that. And then she had the ability to go make money this year, but she never wavered. She said, ‘I want to come back. I want to win a championship.’ The special young lady that she is, is what I’ll always remember, but she played her best basketball this season and got her jersey retired. Just an exceptional career for an exceptional young woman.’’
To those around Vermilion County and especially Oakwood High School, that’s not surprising. Young has always been a County favorite as a four-time all-state selection and a multi-sport athlete.
But, did she ever think that her name at No. 14 on the all-time NCAA scoring list along with players like Elena Delle Donne, Maya Moore, Chamique Holdsclaw and Cheryl Miller?
“During my senior year at Oakwood, I would have never thought I would have done what I’ve been able to do here at Murray State,’’ said Young, who finished with 3,029 points in 155 career games (19.5 points per game). “I’ve grown so much as a person and as a player in so many ways. It’s crazy to see.
“I would have never imagined any of this.’’
So, how did Young get to Murray State and become the program’s all-time leading scorer?
“I went to Murray State because of the relationships that I had with coach Turner, the rest of the staff and the girls that were already here,’’ Young said. “(Turner) was straight up with me, told me the truth when I was getting recruited. And, I really bonded well with the girls that were here.
“They took me in as a freshman and groomed me to who I am today.’’
In this day of the transfer portal, why did Young stay at Murray State for all five seasons?
“A lot of people believed that I had accomplished everything that I could at Murray State after my senior season,’’ said Young, who became the program’s all-time leading scorer in the final game of her senior season. “But, I needed a championship. That’s what I really, really wanted.
“I saw the potential in the team that we had coming back.’’
Young was absolutely right.
Murray State would claim the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, beating Belmont 83-62 in league’s championship game, earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament. Young was named the MVP of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
And with that came an interview on ESPN, and Young, who had been a little timid in high school, was a shiny star on National Television.
“I had a lot years of practice here at Murray State. I was doing the postgame press conferences as a freshman,’’ said Young, who earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications and in a few weeks will be getting a master’s in human development and leadership. “Honestly, a lot of things that I learned in classes here at Murray State helped me become a better leader and actually speak up when it was needed.
“Honestly, it came with experience and confidence that I got from my coaches and teammates. I’m not always super crazy confident, but they have given me a lot of praise that helped build me up.’’
While her collegiate eligibility has expired, Young recently signed with a agent (Next Page Sports) with the idea of playing professional basketball.
“We are going to see where that takes me,’’ said Young, who wasn’t drafted in the recent WNBA Draft. “I would really like to go overseas and have the experience of playing outside of the country.
“It would be awesome to play in the WNBA, but this is an opportunity to explore different countries and continue to play basketball.’’
That’s one of the reasons why her pending marriage to Jayden Cox, her boyfriend since high school, is set for the summer of 2026.
“That and I didn’t want to try planning for a wedding during my final year of school,’’ Young said. “Jayden has always been there for me, super, super supportive.
“Having him by my side and being able to lean on him for support during the hard times of being a student-athlete has meant a lot to me.’’
As for her long-term future, Young says she would like to work in college athletics.