I've been meaning to start a thread about this. Kelly seems to have earned a real role on the Sun team. In recent games, she has come in at the end of very close games on offense-defense switches after stoppages in play. If the Sun are going to have the ball after the stoppage, Alex Bentley will come in. If the opponents are going to have the ball, Kelly will come in and will guard the opponent's main perimeter threat (e.g., Ivory Latta or Danielle Robinson in recent games). She also gets predictable and extended minutes late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter of almost every game.
When she is in, she will always be the inbounder on an out-of-bounds play.
In other words, she is filling the same role that she did in the early years of her UConn career. Her coaches and teammates seem to recognize that she can be counted on to hustle, to have her head in the game, to play according to the system, and not to make mental errors. She can function as a guard or small forward. She will get her rebounds, assists, and steals, but not many points.
She is playing more minutes than Jennifer Lacy, and I would expect that to continue. If Allison Hightower returns at some point this season, that may cause her to lose her roster spot, however.
