She is Ms. Basketball and she will always call Lincoln her home; she is KLOE FROEBE

 

[April 22, 2024] 

Kloe Froebe is on top of the basketball world right here in Illinois. Just like Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark, the senior superstar is having the best year of her life…so far. She recently capped off a spectacular basketball career as a Lady Railer by being named Ms. Basketball of Illinois on April 12, 2024.

And just like Taylor and Caitlin, Kloe can go by that first name very easily here in Central Illinois. She has already shown she can fill arenas, impact the local economy and lift people up with really just those signature dimples alone, but she has an infectious energy and a work ethic that has elevated her to superstar status on the basketball court.

While Taylor and Caitlin were busy breaking records this past year, so was Kloe. In fact, Kloe now holds 19 of the 29 individual LCHS basketball records. She also holds 15 IHSA state tournament records for girls basketball.

Recently Taylor was off having fun with boyfriend Travis Kelce at Coachella and then releasing new music and Caitlin was surprising everyone with an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” just ahead of her no. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft, and Kloe was right here in Lincoln, Illinois as the newly announced Ms. Basketball, babysitting her younger brother, Kruz, so her mom and dad could go out. That will keep you grounded.

Kloe’s mom, Kari, promised her some beach time though and there’s a cool family vacation coming up. Kloe will get plenty of sandy beaches before she heads to the mountains and Colorado State University in Fort Collins early in the summer. The girl deserves a little downtime before starting the next leg of her journey.

So with that new journey quickly on the horizon, Kloe’s time here in Lincoln is getting short and her weekends are already booked. Prom is April 27th. The IBCA ceremony honoring her as Ms. Basketball is May 4th. LCHS graduation is May 11th.

This seemed like the right time to catch up with Kloe and get a few of her thoughts as she prepares to leave LCHS as a Lady Railer legend. So in her own words she answered the following questions for our LDN readers:

What memories are you going to take with you as you leave the Lady Railer basketball program?

Leaving the Lady Railer Basketball program will be very hard to adapt to. This program has meant so much to me over the years and the memories I’ve made with all the girls on each team I’ve had since freshman year are unforgettable. Each year this program allowed me to grow not just as a player, but as a person. From freshman year to senior year I have endured the good and the bad with my teammates and I hope to forget none of it. We have created memories that I will cherish forever.

What are you going to miss the most about your days at LCHS?

There are so many things I will miss from my days as a Lady Railer, but I will undoubtedly miss the bond with all the girls I was blessed to play with the most. The teammates I had as a Lady Railer are every girl's dream team. I was and am so fortunate to have gone through a program full of such amazing female athletes. Another aspect I will miss is the community of Lincoln. Playing in front of crowds full of Lincoln fans supporting and cheering us on is an incredible feeling. Not being able to play in a Lincoln jersey in front of the amazing Lincoln crowd will be an aspect I will miss as I head to Colorado.

In 20 years what would you tell people about your experience being a Lady Railer and the road to being a state champion?

In 20 years, I will most likely be still on Cloud 9 about winning state. I will try and explain to people what playing as a Lady Railer was like, but will fail to do it justice, as words could never describe the true experience and significance.

I will pull up pictures for support and show the full crowd of thousands of people in red and green. I will explain the loss the year before and explain how this one loss motivated us to an extreme. I’ll relive what it felt like to walk out during that state championship game and hear the crowd roar for our team. If given the time and opportunity, I could easily talk for hours about all the feelings and everything that led to that game and hoisting up that championship trophy. Alas, my listener will get tired and I’ll be forced to wrap up my speech, but I am confident I’ll be able to say one thing: those girls I won with are still my best friends today.

Is there any basketball advice you would like to offer the really young kids coming up, like the littles who have a passion like you do for the game?

As long as you work hard, set your mind to it, and surround yourself with great people you can do anything. Life will throw challenges at you, but it is how you overcome these difficulties that will truly define you. Even if you fail over and over again, this does not mean you cannot accomplish your goal. It took us four years to accomplish our goal, but we never gave up. So never give up and keep working towards whatever your goals may be.

Looking ahead to Colorado State University, what are you most excited about?

I am excited to be pushed to a new level and up against the best of the best. The transfer portal has been huge for CSU as we have been able to land some incredible additions. The players remaining and the ones coming into the basketball team are great players who will without a doubt lead to a very talented team next fall.

How in touch with women’s college basketball have you been this season?

I have been able to follow some girls I have played against that are older than me and it has been so cool to watch their journeys. I think being able to continue to play against some of the same girls I’ve grown up competing against will be a very good experience. I have gotten to know Brooke (Carlson) a little bit since her commitment announcement. We actually plan to be roommates as we start here in the summer, so I look forward to being able to get to know her more and be able to play on the same team as her because I know she is a great player.

How are you celebrating this award?

I will be able to celebrate this honor with my family and grandparents at the IBCA luncheon, so I am looking forward to that.

Did you ever consider leaving Lincoln before your freshman year for maybe a bigger school with more media coverage?

Going to a school outside of Lincoln was a topic that was brought up once, but I immediately shut it down. Loyalty is key to me and I was not going to leave my friends behind. In fact, I remember saying I would only go to a different school, if all my friends went with me. Another attribute that no other school could compete with was the community of Lincoln. I grew up watching my siblings play Lincoln Railer basketball and I knew nothing could ever compare. Lincoln is my home so I could never imagine playing anywhere else.

What number will you wear in college?

Unfortunately, for the first few years I will have to settle for no. 1 but I promise no. 5 will make its way back to me eventually.

Any final thoughts?

I just want to thank my family. They have been with me through all the ups and downs and pushed me to develop into the player I am today. They have sacrificed so much of their time to help me chase my dreams and I am forever grateful for them. From freshman year being nervous for my first high school game and taking these nerves out on my mom who was driving me because we got stuck behind a train which was going to make me just a few minutes late, to being able to hug my mom after winning the state championship game and thank her for driving me all the miles, it was all worth it. Lady Railer Basketball will without a doubt be one of the best experiences of my life and it is all thanks to my amazing teammates, coaches, and the entire community of Lincoln.

Obviously, the entire Lady Railers basketball team created a lot of buzz around the community with their historic run chasing perfection and a state championship this season but it was Kloe who was always at the center of that conversation.

Here are just a few of the stats she compiled in her career as a Lady Railer:

3,262 career points
540 career assists
884 career rebounds
606 career steals

Here are her stats for her senior season where she played in 37 of the 38 games:

1,063 points
177 assists
243 rebounds
191 steals

The above stats her senior season earned her Ms. Basketball of Illinois. She was the runner-up for this award in 2023. She is the first Lady Railer to win the Ms. Basketball award.

Brian Cook won Mr. Basketball of Illinois in 1999.

This year’s Mr. Basketball is Morez Johnson of Thornton High School. He is committed to the University of Illinois.

This award is presented by the Chicago Tribune in conjunction with the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.

Kloe will be introduced at the IBCA banquet at CEFCU Arena on May 4th and she will give a short speech.

[Teena Lowery]