Sunday Sitdown: Yirsy Quéliz chased her basketball dreams from the Dominican Republic to St. Mary's to FIBA AmeriCup
In seven appearances for the Dominican Republic national team this summer, she contributed 5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
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'The fact that she continues to thrive on the court and in the classroom is a tribute to her work ethic,' Newhall said. 'She
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We chatted with Quéliz to learn about her basketball journey.
(Editor's note: This Q&A has been lightly edited for length and clarity.)
How did you first discover basketball? What was a typical day like in the Dominican Republic?
I started playing basketball when I was 4 years old because my parents are huge fans. They
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I would go to school in the morning, from 7 to 1, then I would go play basketball at my club, which is three streets over from my house. I would do that for two hours, then I would go home and play with the boys. That was my every day in the Dominican Republic.
Yirsy Queliz will never forget her roots.
Courtesy
What led you to come to Massachusetts, and what was the adjustment
like?
I've always dreamed of doing high school and playing basketball here in the United States. I saw a bunch of little girls that are just like me getting more opportunities here than over there. I realized what I had back home and what I have here, there's a huge difference. If I stayed home, I would just be playing club basketball and not be what I'm doing now. The schools back home don't allow girls to play tournaments like that.
How did you overcome the language barrier and start to feel more comfortable
?
I only knew a couple words when I came to the country, but enough words that would help me communicate and tell me what I needed. I remember going back to my room and studying English a lot. It was so hard not to understand what other people were telling me, and I also wanted to communicate with them. I was very frustrated with myself.
Every day, after my day was over, I would go back to my room and just learn; listen to anything in English. I only spoke Spanish with my parents. I started talking, not fluently, but I was able to say words and sentences a month after [I moved here]. The food is different, too. We have a lot of rice, beans, and chicken. I struggled with it a little bit at first, but I got used to it.
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Yirsy Queliz led St. Mary's to a trio of state championships.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Can you reflect on your St. Mary's career and what you enjoyed most about the experience?
St. Mary's was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I didn't think my high school career was going to be like that. I'm very proud of what I did individually, and what we did as a group with Coach Newhall, Kellyn [Preira] and Niya [Morgen] by my side. I got to meet a lot of cool people that I still talk to nowadays. It was great overall.
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What was your recruiting process like, and what led you to Northeastern?
My recruiting process started when I was playing AAU. As soon as I got the offer from Northeastern, I knew from the jump that I wanted to go there.
Yirsey Queliz has started 42 gamers in two seasons for Northeastern.
Courtesy
Can you describe how the FIBA opportunity came to be?
Representing my country was one of my biggest, biggest dreams of my whole entire life. I've always wanted to do that. As a kid, I saw a bunch of players from the DR representing the country. I was like, 'I want to be there.' We were practicing two months before, and I was just giving my all to see if I could make the team. When my name was called, I was super excited and very proud of myself. Literally, a dream came true.
It was a whole different experience. We got to meet a lot of new people from different countries. The basketball was very competitive and very high level. We got to play against the United States, which is crazy to me. I never thought I would be playing against them. They had a lot of girls who are playing high-level Division 1. We got to play with two WNBA players, including Kamilla Cardoso of the Chicago Sky. I got to take a picture with her. Meeting other people from different countries was also the best part about it.
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The game of basketball has taken Yirsy Queliz on a memorable journey.
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How crazy was it to have such a unique full-circle moment and represent your country on a grand stage?
It's really crazy. I still can't believe it. I was just a little girl dreaming, not knowing that it could happen. It did happen, and I still don't think it's real, but I did that and I'm very proud of myself. I know my family is also proud of me. I was just a little girl from the Dominican Republic who had dreams. They came true.
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