By Da’Marriay Cage, Matt Aho, Elijah Childs

Very few players can join a team and make as much of an immediate impact on a team as Bradley froward Chelsea Brackmann when she joined the Braves in the 2016-17 season. As a Freshman, Brackmann became the first Bradley player since Eileen Yerkes in 1991-92 to finish the season with  235 points, 200 rebounds, 45 assists, 30 blocks and 20 or more steals. She made the MVC first team, broke the Bradley freshman rebounding record, and finished 5th on the team in scoring.

And yet she has only gone up since then. As a sophomore, Brackmann was motivated more than ever when she became the first Bradley player since Eileen Yikes to finish a season with 235 points, 200 rebounds, 45 assists, 30 blocks and 20 or more steals. She worked tremendously hard on her game in the off season, but she did not have the year she wanted to. Sophomore year Chelsea averaged 6.5 points per game while collecting 6.5 rebounds per game.

Chelsea Brackmann did not let a minor step back stop her from having an unbelievable Junior campaign, her best so far. The forward got right back in the gym and continued to work on her game. Rebounding and scoring were the two main areas Chelsea wanted to work on during the off-season. In Chelsea’s junior campaign she averaged a career-best 12.6 points per game while leading the team in rebounding with 10.9 rebounds per game. The Wisconsin native averaged a double-double with season highs in scoring and rebounding. Head women’s basketball coach at Bradley, Andrea Gorski, agreed that Brackmann has been a “dominant force on the boards.”.

The junior forward is coming back for her senior year and is looking to top this year. She is already back in the gym working out and trying to expand her game. “Now, during the off-season we are working on her perimeter game so she can take advantage of her quickness she has against the bigger posts,” Gorski added. “More specifically, we are adding rip drives from the elbow and working on developing a more consistent three point shot.”

Going into her senior year with these additions, the mid-range jump shot can be the thing that sets her apart from other division one forwards. Typically, the forwards and center play with their backs against the basket. If Brackmann becomes as consistent with the mid-range jumper as she is with her back against the basket and rebounds, then she’ll be a hard person to consistently guard for the defense. With that thought in mind, Chelsea knows how important it is to work on mixing her game this entire summer.

The Braves have improved their win totals each of their last 3 seasons with Brackmann on the team. This past season they finished 5th in the Valley regular season standings with a record of 20-10 before being knocked out of the Valley tournament in the quarterfinals to Illinois State.