Redmon takes final bow

Katelan Redmon surely got her share of attention during Thursday’s 14th annual Jack Blair Memorial Girls AAU All-Star Basketball Classic after being named the game’s Most Valuable Player a year ago.

The soon-to-be Lewis and Clark graduate is getting used to it. She was the star of the final games in back-to-back Tigers State 4A championships.

Her transfer from Mt. Spokane to LC after her sophomore year in high school made news.

More recently, Redmon inadvertently was caught in the public glare following her request, denied by the University of Washington, to be let out of her letter of intent to play there.

The decision is under appeal and Redmon said in an interview earlier this week that she could not say anything about her collegiate future until the matter is resolved sometime this summer, other than that she will not attend UW.

This athlete, who was such a lightning rod for attention, admitted she’s not comfortable in the limelight.

“I guess I’m OK with it,” Redmon said. “Actually, I’m more quiet and shy. I’m not big on interviews. Honestly, I don’t like that.”

Redmon reflected on a career in which she spent two years as a Mt. Spokane Wildcat, two as a Tiger and finished her career No. 5 among GSL scorers with 1,243 points.

She said making the move to LC to play for her uncle, Jim Redmon, was difficult and took a lot of soul-searching before deciding to switch schools.

“Of course, my biggest memories are winning back-to-back state championships,” she said. “It was always a dream of mine. Winning one was amazing. I don’t even have words for the second.”

Redmon saved her best games for both state finals, but can’t explain the reasons why. She said being a contributor on a winning team is more important to her than being an MVP.

“It was one of those things that just happened,” Redmon said.

Summer travels with the Spokane Stars and playing against the best players in the country is another highlight of her career.

As for the publicity surrounding the UW incident, “It’s disappointing and has been frustrating,” she said. “It’s a business and I’m in the business right now. I just have to work through it.”

She’ll spend the summer working out and playing against her peers in open gyms.

Tonight in Coeur d’Alene will be her final high school hurrah.

“I think (my career) has been more than I expected,” Redmon said. “I never thought I’d be the player I am. I’m still developing, getting bigger and stronger, and have a long ways to go.”