Meet the Irvins, the South Side’s basketball dynasty

Irvin family

By Aishwarya Kumar Lakshminarayanapuram Mac Irvin elbowed his older brother, Nick Irvin, so he could dunk the basketball on the makeshift backyard court of his South Side house. He smirked at him and pointed to his T-shirt, which read “Mac Irvin Fire,” the name of his late father’s Nike-sponsored AAU team. Competition runs deep in […]

Chicago Sky’s Tamera Young and singer Michelle Williams jazz up Whitney Young practice

Michelle Williams

By Aishwarya Kumar Lakshminarayanapuram The Whitney Young Dolphins don’t usually wear make up with their practice uniforms. But this wasn’t an ordinary practice Friday. Chicago Sky’s forward Tamera Young and pop-star Michelle Williams were on hand for a special conversation with the team. Their excitement was palpable, as the players wanted to look good for […]

Being Kiara Lewis: the girl with a killer dribble

Whitney Young's Kiara Lewis

By Aishwarya Kumar Lakshminarayanapuram Watching 5-foot-9 point guard Kiara Lewis go after an opponent is like watching a tiger go after its prey. The 17-year-old is “a terror on the basketball court,” said former girls’ coach Joyce Kenner, now the principal of Whitney Young High School. She attacked the ball even as a second grader […]

Whitney Young Dolphins coach Irvin joins the 400-wins club

Whitney Young game against North Lawndale

By Aishwarya Kumar Lakshminarayanapuram Next to a toy truck and a bowl of vending machine-friendly nickels and quarters on her desk, Corry Irvin keeps a half dozen photos of her Whitney Young Dolphins winning the 2013 state title and a paper that says, “Don’t quit until you make an impact on the future of women’s […]

Williams shows a different side in Whitney Young’s victory

Whitney Young's free throws

By Aishwarya Kumar Lakshminarayanapuram It was a pleasant surprise to coach Corry Irvin to see the usually somber 6-foot-1 junior forward Danyelle Williams excited and perky on the court. Her high-fives and loud cheering energized Whitney Young in a 61-51 victory against North Lawndale College Prep Thursday. The curly-haired Williams, who usually is more laidback, […]