Nearly one year after a season-ending knee injury, White River senior Caelyn Valandra-Prue joined the elite club of 2,000 career points. The Lady Tigers would defeat Lyman 79-23 in the contest, but for Valandra-Prue, this was a moment that made all the adversity and hard work pay off.
In an interview with Sacred Hoops in South Dakota, Valandra-Prue said despite how devastated she was when she tore both her ACL and MCL, during last season’s Hanson Basketball Classic, she’s better for having gone through it.
“My injury has taught me a lot about myself, I learned I am a very mentally strong person and that it takes a lot more than a torn ACL/MCL to tear me down. I learned to never be negative about any situation and try to find positives in things,” explained Valandra-Prue. “If I could go back and have an opportunity to change anything, I wouldn’t. This injury was a blessing in disguise and has helped me in many ways.”
White River’s Caelyn Valandra-Prue scored her 2,000th career point tonight. #sdpreps pic.twitter.com/kTlPe9K0XH
— Ryan Deal (@RyanDeal_DR) January 20, 2021
As of January 19, 2021, here is the 2,000 point list as it sits right now, not including Caelyn Valandra-Prue’s total.
- Jill Young, Mitchell Christian – 3,317
- Becky Flynn, Wakonda – 3,268
- Carla Allard, Bennett County – 2,835
- Jordan Stapp, Newell – 2,815
- Kieran O’Malley, Centerville – 2,599
- JoEllen Hofer, Hitchcock – 2,564
- SuAnne Big Crow, Pine Ridge – 2,541
- Jolonna Sazue, Pine Ridge - 2,506
- Lori Wohlleber, Summit – 2,490
- Robin Anderson, Clear Lake – 2,332
- Dana Nielsen, Armour – 2,310
- Alex Kneeland, Summit – 2,293
- Myah Selland, Sanborn Central/Woonsocket – 2,219
- Shannon O’Malley, Irene-Wakonda – 2,154
- Abby Hora, Viborg-Hurley – 2,134
- Tanna Negaard, Harding County – 2,132
- Roxie Harter, Colome – 2,131
- Courtney Stapp, Newell – 2,091
- Megan Mahoney, Sturgis – 2,081
- Janae Kolden, Clark/Willow Lake - 2,072
- Mandy Koupal, Wagner – 2,065
- Brooke Hermsen, Freeman – 2,030
- Kathy Falk, White Lake – 2,024
- Rachel Dick, Marion – 2,017
- Kaaren Gustafson, Irene – 2,006
- Becky Christofferson, Summit - 2,004
Along with being an outstanding basketball player for White River, Valandra-Prue’s most successful sport might be Track and Field. Despite not having a junior season, because of injury and the pandemic, she’s a five-time state track champion, and in 2019 was the girls state track MVP. Next year, she’ll attend the University of South Dakota where she’ll continue her track career at the collegiate level.
