Rastrelli Enters DePaul University HOFNo matter what she’s done in life, Warsaw resident Kris Rastrelli has always had the desire to win.
The Fort Wayne native’s drive has propelled her to numerous achievements over the years, the latest of which just might be her greatest. Rastrelli was recently inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame.
“I’m completely honored and very appreciative,” she said.
Rastrelli hopes her success will impact her players; she is an elementary girls basketball coach at Sacred Heart School and an assistant coach on Lakeview Middle School’s seventh grade girls basketball team.
“I hope to inspire them,” Rastrelli said. “It doesn’t have to be sports related, but anything they want to do, set your mind to it and you can do it.”
Rastrelli can relate to the players who may be more timid; she was once a freshman in uncharted territory at DePaul University.
DePaul coach Doug Bruno took her under his wing, and she pushed herself with a determined mindset.
The results were highly tangible. Rastrelli was part of a program that went to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament three consecutive years, and won the 1995-96 Conference USA championship.
Individually, Rastrelli is 24th on DePaul’s all-time scoring list, with 1,213 points. She also set the university’s record for career three-pointers made with 184 treys. She has since been surpassed and is now eighth on the all-time three-pointers list.
Additionally, she was on the Great Midwest Conference All-Newcomer Team before DePaul joined Conference USA in her junior year.
She was a GTE Academic All-American nominee, and was the Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year as a junior.
In addition to coaching two teams, she is active in the Warsaw Developmental League and is a director for the Midwest Basketball Academy.
As someone who functions as a mentor, Rastrelli hasn’t forgotten those who played the same role for her.
She credits Bruno as a positive influence, and instills his values in her own basketball coaching.
“(Bruno) taught us that he treats us like we’re his own daughters, and I try to do that with my own players,” she said.
“(I) treat them as if they’re one of my own kids, and everyone that plays for me, I share a special coach-player bond with them.”
