Girls basketball: Cook County All-Area captain Linke leaves Prospect as program leader in points, rebounds

As the expression goes, it's hard to put a price tag on how important Alli Linke was to the Prospect girls basketball program. She was money for the Knights the last four years in so many ways.

First she set the all-time program record of rebounds (1,218) that had stood for 20 years.

Then she broke the record for points (1,824), which had stood for 11 years.

Not to mention, the captain of the Daily Herald’s 2026 Cook County All-Area girls basketball team helped lead the Knights to their first title in the Mid-Suburban League championship game which began in 1977.

"Alli left such a legacy in Prospect girls basketball," said Knights coach Matt Weber. "She completely changed the program and left a positive impact. She might not realize it now but in years to come her direct impact in the program will still show."

And it showed up off the court, as well.

"Alli helped start 'Early Bird PE' for female athletes and is one of the leaders in the weight room who is always working hard and making gains as an overall athlete," Weber said. "She also helped run the youth camp every summer since her freshman year and if there were any times to support feeder she always wanted to be involved.

"She is very goal oriented and wants to be the best athlete, basketball player and person, which is not a surprise. She is extremely hard working in the classroom and is also a leader in the weight room. Alli is a great kid from a great family."

Her parents Jeremy and Michelle played basketball in high school.

"And they coached middle school boys basketball when I was growing up," said Linke , who played middle school hoops at St. Paul in Mt. Prospect. "When I was in preschool, my parents put me in basketball with the kindergarteners and it kind of stuck."

Did it ever.

It became a lifetime passion and will take her to play at Murray State University where she plans on studying business, possibly with an emphasis on marketing or management.

“I love the family feeling (at Murray State) and the winning culture the program has," Linke said. "The coaches are awesome and I trust the plan that they have for me."

Linke has put trust in all her coaches along the way.

"I have learned different things from each of my coaches that have made me better, whether it was mentally or skill-wise," said Linke, who also holds the Knights' single-season records for rebounds (360), steals (103) and points (585), all set during the 2024-25 season. "I would say all of my coaches and trainers were instrumental, especially my trainer Stan Stewart who has been training me since sixth grade."

Obviously, there have been many fond memories for Linke.

"These past two seasons have been my favorite out of the four years," she said. "Our team spent so much time together and hung out after every game. Those are the memories I am going to remember the most.

“Also reaching 1,000 rebounds and 1,500 points on the same day at our home opener (51-22 win over Palatine) was pretty special, and then ending my home game schedule (38-29 win over Hersey) by breaking the career scoring record on Senior Night was the best feeling."

Linke averaged 16.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.1 blocks, 2.3 steals this winter while connecting on 73.2 percent from the free throw line.

"I like offense the best, whether that’s scoring or getting a good assist to my teammates," said Linke who lists Cameron Brink (Stanford/Los Angeles Sparks/,Breeze) and Paige Bueckers (UConn/Dallas Wings/Breeze) as her favorite role models. "I would say the biggest challenge I faced was getting face guarded by most teams and getting triple teamed in the post."

Regardless, Linke was always up to the challenge.

Which is why she became the first Knight to score more than 1,800 points in a career.

"It feels awesome," she said of her remarkable accomplishment. "As a freshman, I was just thinking of how I could help my team and where they needed me the most. I hadn’t really thought of breaking records until I came close to some season records last year. It’s special to know I have impacted the program and that my name will be up there for awhile."

A name that is now among the elite Daily Herald captains over the years.

"Alli is everything you want in a captain," Weber said. "She is the hardest worker at practice, she is very selfless in that role, always coaching up her teammates on the court. And off the court, she is supportive to all her teammates (when they are struggling or frustrated), she listens to her teammates, and talks to her coaches when things are on her mind.

"We lost four starters this season at different times and Alli remained positive the whole time and put her team on her shoulders. Players always listen to their teammates before their coaches so having a player coach on and off the court that is solely focused on achieving team goals is invaluable. Alli was always thinking about the team and what she could do as a captain to help out."