Kelly (Hunt) Gay, After the Game Feature

[Bajan Best]

How Lessons in sports helped former UConn athlete prepare for corporate success

Kelley Gay: Strength through adaptability

“In high school, I was a 25-points-per-game player, but sitting center stage at UConn, I was on the second team,” Gay recalled. “My main job was to make the starters better, and I struggled with accepting that. My pride and my head got in the way.”

Riding the bench tested Gay’s emotional strength and belief in her abilities. It was a physically and mentally taxing process, but over time Gay was able to find her feet and thrive in the supporting role that her coaches and team needed her to play.

“Every single element of my game was broken down and reformatted. Trust in myself, teammates and coaches was a really important part of my journey,” Gay said. “I had to be resilient and really believe that the new me was the person UConn needed. I was determined to help this team and work for playing time.”

One of the few UCONN players I actually played pickup ball with.. Kara Walters and Scott Burrell being the others.. Had a serious crush on Kelley back then, very happy to read of her success after UCONN