Kendall Bradbury’s dream of playing professional basketball will soon become reality.
Bradbury (‘19) announced on Aug. 10 she signed a one year deal the Limerick Celtics. Her contract will start on Sep. 21, and if the Celtics want to bring her back they can talk about renewing the contract in March after the season ends.
“I’m super excited,” Bradbury said. “I’m a little nervous, I’m not gonna lie. It’ll be crazy to be on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and be away from home for so long. But I think I’m just kind of ready to get there and get stuff going.”
Bradbury said working through paperwork to enter Ireland has taken a long time. However, she doesn't even know when she’s leaving yet. She said she will stay ready and get a message one day from the Celtics telling her a flight is booked for a certain date.
Once she finished her career at Taylor, Bradbury found an agent through Jody Martinez, the Taylor women’s basketball head coach, who connected her with the Limerick Celtics.
The Limerick Celtics is a club team in the Division I Irish League, holding a men’s and a women’s team. Within the Division I Women’s Irish League there are 10 teams split into north and south divisions. The Celtics will play the other nine teams twice, once at home and once away.
The Division I Irish League is a step below the SuperLeague, which is the top league in Ireland. A step above the SuperLeague is the EuroLeague, where all different countries in Europe play against each other.
During Bradbury’s four years at Taylor, she averaged 21.6 points per game and scored 2,850 points total.
Martinez said Bradbury starting at the Division I level is a great place for her to better her basketball skills. Martinez noted how Bradbury improved her defense and lateral movements her junior and senior year at Taylor.
“I think she’ll prove herself like she proved herself in college,” Martinez said. “She’s very motivated, so I think with her work ethic, she’ll be fine.”
Bradbury said she wants to move up to either the SuperLeague or EuroLeague in the next couple years.
At this point, she does not plan on playing professional basketball for more than around three years.
“It was such an amazing feeling, just knowing this is something that I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl and I just wanted the opportunity to go and do – and explore and see – a different country, a different side of the world, different people and all that stuff,” Bradbury said.
Becca Buchs, a senior forward on the women’s basketball team, said she held a close relationship with Bradbury when the two were teammates.
Buchs is confident Bradbury will be successful.
“This accomplishment shows her dedication to the game of basketball and that she was willing to do whatever it took to get to this point, which takes a lot of sacrifice,” Buchs said.
