Caeliana Fitzpatrick started playing basketball in fourth grade, and it took a pandemic to cause her to take her first season off since her career began.
Winter, spring, summer or fall, it doesn’t matter. She can often be found on a court competing alongside her close friends.
Caeliana Fitzpatrick’s range improved as her career progressed. – Photos courtesy Caeliana Fitzpatrick
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“She’s worked hard on her game year-round,” Duxbury coach Bob Sullivan said. “She’s very supportive of her teammates and is just a wonderful young lady baller.”
Fitzpatrick, who is often the smallest person on the court at 5’2, has used her lack of size to her advantage to outthink and outmaneuver opponents. She said if anything, her height has helped her work harder and fueled her to where she is now.
The Fitzpatricks love their basketball.
Following a strong career with the Dragons, punctuated by a terrific season as a senior captain this winter, the 2020 DHS graduate has found a home on the Western New England hoops team. She knows she’s never a finished product, and she’s eager to keep working on her skills while looking to carve out some playing time for the Golden Bears, who finished this past season 21-6.
“Caeliana is a player that hustles,” fellow senior captain Sophie Thompson said. “Her commitment to the game of basketball and work ethic has always made her a pleasure to play with. I look forward to watching her at the next level.”
Hustling has always been a key part of Fitzpatrick’s game. When she latched onto the AAU circuit in fifth grade, she knew she’d have to do the little things on the court to complement her skills as a playmaker and defensive stopper.
Competing and training year-round – she’s played 17 seasons of AAU ball in total now – helped her get ready for high school basketball. She contributed on the freshman team right away, helped out with junior varsity and practiced with varsity, then she made varsity as a sophomore. Sullivan knew he could count on her to help out in every facet of the game.
As a senior captain, Caeliana Fitzpatrick helped lead a young and
talented team.
“She’s fearless,” he said. “She’s willing to go to the hoop against the bigs and knock down a 3 when open.”
As her career progressed, she became more and more comfortable on the court. She considers the Dragons’ Senior Night win over defending Division 2 South champion Pembroke to be the most gratifying victory of her high school career.
“I felt like we were underdogs in that one,” Fitzpatrick said, “but we came out with the win. It was special for Sophie and me.”
Fitzpatrick, who garnered the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award as a senior, always knew she wanted to play in college. There was a brief moment during her junior year when she considered not doing so, but eventually she decided she was too passionate about the sport to give it up.
Once she toured WNE, she was infatuated with the campus, the coach and the welcoming members of the team. It had everything she was looking for, and she decided in late October that it was the right place for her.
Life as a hooper has been tricky during the pandemic. The hoop in her driveway is somewhat bent and broken, so Fitpatrick focused predominantly on ball-handling, running and strength training during that time.
Eventually, she managed to find her way into some gyms, and she’s been playing outside as well now that courts are open. WNE sent her a packet to follow that instructs her to take 100 free throws a day and count how many she makes, attempt shots from inside and out, complete footwork drills, work on dribbling exercises and more.
Sydney Ropes, Caeliana Fitzpatrick, Sophie Thompson and Audrey
Ryan were all key contributors for the Dragons this past winter.
Fitzpatrick loves a challenge, and she’s excited for the next one. She’s had plenty of success as a 5’2 basketball player in the past, and she sees no reason to stop striving for the same excellence now.
“Honestly, a lot of people have told me I’m really little and that they don’t see me as a basketball player,” Fitzpatrick said. “You just kind of work with what you’ve got and don’t give up, as cheesy as that sounds. You have to work hard and work on everything you can improve on.”
Head coach Bob Sullivan praised Caeliana Fitzpatrick for her fearlessness.