Final Hoorah: Turner, Lynn prepare for Senior Day
For the final time at McGuirk Arena, Da’Jourie Turner and Chelsea Lynn will suit up in maroon and gold uniforms and take the court on Saturday for Senior Day.
When the Central Michigan women’s basketball team hosts Eastern Michigan for its regular season and home finale, Lynn and Turner will be honored at center court, with their families at hand, to celebrate their athletic accomplishments at CMU.
While the curtain on their time playing in front of the Chippewa faithful is closing, their careers will continue with next week’s Mid-American Conference Tournament.
But for now, CMU’s two seniors see their last home game as bittersweet.
“It hasn’t quite hit me yet, but I know eventually it will,” Turner said. “It’s really not a false statement when they say your time here goes by quick because it’s kind of unbelievable. I’m just going to enjoy the moments that I do have (left) and just go from there.”
Turner and Lynn were familiar foes in high school and in AAU leagues, but the two became friends as they grew as teammates.
“I think we’ve grown together,” Lynn said. “We knew each other as rivals before we got here, but we’ve built a good bond with each other. I’ve seen (Turner) grow into a mature person and I’m sure she’ll have a great life ahead of her whether she decides to play ball or does something with her degree.”
Each player was recruited by and developed under the guidance of Guevara and her coaching staff. Through four years of coaching, Guevara said she will miss both players.
“I love them both for their resiliency,” she said. “I love them for the way they both have embraced their roles while they’ve been here.”
The support from the coaching staff was something Turner saw as a reason her time at CMU has been a success.
“This is like a home away from home,” Turner said. “I feel like the people I’m around, my teammates, my coaches, we’re definitely like a family. The coaches are loving people on and off the court. It’s not just about basketball, they’re there for us when it has nothing to do with basketball.”
Both Turner and Lynn’s careers have gone in different directions, but both have seen their styles of play affect the CMU team each season.
“I’ve said this before, you don’t win a championship without the intangibles Chelsea Lynn brings to the table,” Guevara said. “As far as Ree-Ree (Turner), you watch her maturation on the floor and how she has kind of become the mother hen to our younger point guards. That’s a growth process.”
Turner is the team’s starting point guard and the leader on the floor during the action. As a junior last season, the Detroit native was thrown into the starting role when former CMU guard Jessica Green tore her ACL. That experience helped her with her role this season.
“(Turner’s) our attacker,” said junior redshirt forward Jewel Cotton. “We go through her. We watch her to see what play she’s calling.”
Lynn has been a leader for the team in practice. While she doesn’t get as much playing, she makes her presence felt behind the scenes.
“For someone who doesn’t see the floor as much, (Lynn) definitely gets us ready in practice,” Cotton said. “She’s probably one of the hardest workers on this team. She’s definitely one of the reason why we are prepared for our games because she gets after it.”
Cotton also came in with both Lynn and Turner and has seen them grow from their freshmen year to their senior campaign.
“They’re definitely more mature and they lead by example,” Cotton said. “Even when they’re off the floor, they carry that weight that we all listen to. They’re two different people with two different roles, but they both contribute.”
Lynn, a Detroit native as well, won’t be too far away from the team next season as she will begin taking classes to earn a Master’s in Business Administration.
“I’m going to miss my girls,” Lynn said. “I’m going to be gone, but I’m still going to be around. I might not be on the schedule to be playing, but they’re not going to miss me too much because I’m going to be back.”
And for Turner, spending the last four years of her life in Mount Pleasant as a student athlete for CMU is something she said is unforgettable.
“It’s been a great experience and a great atmosphere all around,” she said. “The community is great, we have the best fans. I’m going to miss being here, but I know I’ll still have relationships with everyone even when I’m gone because we’re just that close. I couldn’t ask for a better atmosphere with my teammates and CMU itself.”
Before the ball is tipped on Saturday, Guevara said she will have a few words for Turner and Lynn as they receive their final standing ovation at home.
“It’ll be their last game here in McGuirk, but it won’t be their last game (this year),” she said. “It’ll be like, ‘Right now, we’re playing for you guys. We’re playing for you and we’re going to give you everything that you’ve given us these last four years.”
