There are a lot of things to love about the way Geneva’s Cassidy Arni plays basketball.
The senior guard/forward is a high-level athlete, tries to push a fast pace and likes to be creative. And the last part of that equation suits coach Sarah Meadows just fine.
“She’s very athletic, super fast, plays a little flashy, which I like too,” Meadows said. “She can hit a shot from the outside and really create off the dribble as well.”
Where does that come from? It may be as simple as a hoop in the driveway.
The 6-foot Arni is known for finishing practice with half-court shots or other things that players don’t normally practice.
“Sometimes, it turns out to be helpful,” Arni said. “I’m just glad I was born with athleticism. It takes you a long way. It can’t take you all the way, but it helps.”
It has helped Arni become the jack-of-all-trades for the Vikings as well as secure her future. She signed last week to play at NCAA Division II Wisconsin Parkside.
Last season, Arni produced an impressive stat line for the Vikings (25-5), who earned their 13th straight regional title after an undefeated run through the DuKane Conference.
Arni averaged 14.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 steals. Her athleticism is a big reason for the gaudy numbers.
“She does a little bit of everything,” Meadows said. “She genuinely enjoys doing a little bit of everything. She’s just a solid kid and a really good teammate.”
There’s a reason she’s a four-year varsity player for Geneva. A lot of it started in that driveway, according to Meadows.
“She practices those shots for ‘horse,'” Meadows said. “It may take her a couple tries, but she’ll make them (at practice). It helps with saving the ball, for sure, reverse layups.
“You see that in boys games all the time — girls, occasionally. Usually girls aren’t waiting for that to happen. It’s very nice in a game.”
Arni is also one not worried about who scores the points. She said that’s a byproduct of her internal competitiveness.
“Play as a team and win, that’s pretty much it,” Arni said. “That’s just how I am. I’m very competitive. I just want to win. I don’t see it as about me. It’s about me and making the team and the program look good.”
A ton of promise surrounds the Vikings heading into this season. Arni returns alongside junior guard Leah Palmer and senior forward Lauren Slagle.
“I think this team has some talent,” Meadows said. “Talent doesn’t always win a championship. It’s about playing as a team. You have to have everybody buying in and have some leadership.
“It’s a long season. I think it lines up well for us, but there’s a lot that happens in between.”
Arni said one thing the Vikings have on their minds is how everything ended last season.
Geneva beat St. Charles East twice convincingly in DuKane Conference play during the regular season but lost 43-42 to the Saints in the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional semifinals.
“We don’t really talk about it, but we make sure we know,” Arni said. “We make sure it’s in the back of our heads to make sure it doesn’t happen again. We don’t want that to happen again.”
Arni is relieved to have her college choice behind her, allowing her to focus on this season, which started Monday with a 66-52 win at Sycamore. She scored a career-high 26 points.
“I think our team could be really good,” Arni said. “There’s still a lot we can fix, but if we keep working, we can be really good.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.