Women’s basketball continues to make noise and raise the bar through different platforms in journalism, social media, and even the NIL. Sean Kelly Darks began to be involved in basketball when she was three years old as she followed in the footsteps of her sister. “Growing up, I loved going to her tournaments,” Darks states. “She (Darks’s sister) ended up playing college basketball, so following in her footsteps truly inspired me.” In third grade, Sean Kelly played on her father’s AAU team that he started and found a family among her teammates. “That is still why I love it (basketball) today because of the community you build from it and getting to almost go to battle with each other,” Darks explains. During her high school career at Walnut Hills, Sean Kelly was a stand-out as she collected ECC Player of the Year honors, All-ECC Honors three times including First-Team on two occasions, All-Ohio Honorable Mention, Second-Team All-Southwest Ohio, First-Team All-City, First-Team District 16 All-Star, All-District 16 Honoree, and scored 978 career points going into her senior year. 

Darks began her collegiate career at NC A&T. During her first season, Sean Kelly played a key role for the 2020-21 NC A&T team as she started all 17 games for the Aggie where she averaged 10.5 points per game, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 steals and was part of the 2020-21 team that won the MEAC Tournament. Darks would be named All-MEAC Third-Team and All-Rookie Team in her first season. As sophomore season arrived, Sean Kelly continued to dominate where she improved in her game including posting both a season-high 14 points and 5 boards with 6-8 shooting in a victory over Garner-Webb, was 5-5 on the free throw line, 11 points, and 5 boards in a win against Presbyterian, and 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a victory against South Carolina State. Darks would take the year off in the 2022-23 season to focus on medical school. After taking the year off, Sean Kelly came back to A&T to prepare her last year for the 2023-24 basketball season. “After taking a year off,  I missed being around my college teammates the most and I am most excited to go back and be with them,” Darks states.

The 2020 year changed in so many ways for student-athletes as physical interaction in the classrooms turned into virtual learning on Zoom. For Sean Kelly, she explains the changes in balancing sports and athletics during the pandemic. “The whole first year of college was online, then my second year was hybrid,” Darks states. “It was definitely beneficial that our coaches made us schedule literally every hour of our day from when we woke up to when we went to sleep.” While the class format being turned into online classes was difficult as the professors weren’t able to see you physically, Sean Kelly was already ahead of schedule with her classes as she entered school as a junior due to credits from high school. “When you tell yourself, “Okay, I might not want to do this is a normal thing to do,” I think it just comes easier that way," Darks explains. Sean Kelly’s hard work, time management, and scheduling of her day led her to graduate early in 2022 with a 3.9 GPA Summa Cum Laude, and on the Big South All-Academic Team. Before getting into the sports business and marketing area, Darks originally majored in pre-medical biology as she explained she originally wanted to be a doctor, specifically an orthopedic surgeon, and one day work with professional teams as a team doctor. As she got back in school, Sean Kelly took the marketing and business route where she’s currently getting her MBA. “My MBA will help in sports business and sports marketing,” Darks states. “I’d love to work with an NBA or WNBA team one day.”

As an HBCU athlete, Darks sees HBCU sports, particularly women’s sports increase as this past season’s Women’s MEAC Basketball Champions Norfolk State made it to their second NCAA appearance since 2002 and showed that HBCU athletes are just as competitive and fun to watch as everyone else in the NCAA. The increase in women’s basketball viewership includes the NIL’s (Name, Image, Likeness) impact in allowing athletes to finally get compensated for their name, image, and likeness and get brand deals while going to school. “Female basketball players are becoming the face of brands and such and people can see us just being ourselves,” Sean Kelly states. “It makes the fans actually see you as a person and not your stats.” Darks hopes to see the WNBA expand as so many players are getting waived or have to travel overseas to continue their professional careers. “If we can get some more teams, I’m sure more people would get to stay home and more young girls would know that the WNBA is obtainable for them.” The probability of a female college basketball player playing in the pros is 0.9%. However, there are more overseas opportunities for women’s basketball than there are in the WNBA as there are only 12 teams in the league, which equals 144 players selected to play. Growing up, Sean Kelly never saw herself play professionally. However as time went by, Darks stated that if the opportunity presented itself, she would 100% consider it. With the growth of sports marketing and business, Sean Kelly explains how she sees herself being a part of the basketball world outside of playing. “I really enjoy the business and marketing behind sports and athletics,” Darks states. “I would love to continue to be a part of it in that regard.” 

“Treat every day like it is important!” These are the six words that Sean Kelly advises for those who want to take their talents to the next level. Darks describes how important each day is when it comes to both basketball and life. “I wish I had taken training much more seriously when I was younger, but it didn’t really come until I was older and about to go to college.” After coming back from a year off, Sean Kelly sees that each day is important as she gets better and learns more about her game, school, and life as there is timing in everything. Another piece of advice that Darks gives is to not compare yourself to others. “Don’t compare yourself to others like your journey is what it is going to be,” Sean Kelly exclaims. “If you have certain goals, set them; but never be deterred from it if it doesn’t come in your timing.” When it comes to the things you’re passionate about and love to do, make sure to have fun as Darks explains the importance of having fun and not being hard on yourself. “Have fun in everything you do,” Sean Kelly proclaims. “Find joy and laughter, and don’t be too hard on yourself!”

In sports, we always have that one person that we look up to and how much of an inspiration they are to the game both on and off the court. For Darks, two-time NCAA Champion and two-time WNBA Champion, Candace Parker is that role model in sports she has looked up to since she was a kid. “She is (Candance Parker) the reason why I wear 3 to this day,” Sean Kelly states. “I got to meet her this year at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Utah and I don’t know if she remembers, but I will never forget that. Ever!”

Just as Sean Kelly stated, each person’s journey is different. Dark’s story definitely brings light and inspiration as she highlights why she is more than an athlete. “I have always been able to be myself and have given the room to do so many things and that is just from support I have from my university, coaches, fans, and my family,” Sean Kelly states. “Graduating college in two years was fast, and when I look back I’m like ‘Dang, did I even get the full experience?’ I then left my school after graduation and got to live in Los Angeles for a year and I had so much fun and so learned I wanted to go a different route.” Once Darks returned to NC A&T, she felt embraced by everyone as she prepares to play this season and be a student-athlete at an HBCU where she described it being a dream come true. “I was never told ‘No, you can’t do this or you can’t do that,” Sean Kelly explains. “Everything I said I would do, I have done.” As she reflects on the growth within herself, Darks describes how the year off has made a huge difference in who she is. “I think having that year off has made a major difference in who I am as a person, a player, and what I am going to do in the future.”

To learn more about Sean Kelly and her journey, be sure to follow her on Instagram: seankellydarks