Aunt Suzie gives T.J. thumbs up
Less than 24 hours into her new job as girls basketball coach at Upper St. Clair High School, Suzie McConnell-Serio took her first day off. She had a very good reason.
After being hired on June 10, she traveled to Indiana to watch her nephew, T.J. McConnell, play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Her husband, Pete, and son, Peter, were among a contingent of McConnells in attendance as T.J. set an NBA record in a 116-107 Pacer win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“My goodness,” McConnell-Serio said. “We are so proud of him and to have the opportunity to go to the game with my dad, six siblings, husband and son was an amazing experience. It was a great night and fun to watch him play.”
As his aunt, McConnell-Serio has watched T.J. grow up. She wasn’t sure he could emulate her own WNBA career, let alone collegiate prowess, when he was a youth.
“When he was a little kid, he told us he was going to be in the NBA but we weren’t sure,” said McConnell-Serio.
T.J. played for his father, Tim, at Chartiers Valley High School, setting career and season scoring records. Like his aunt, he led the Colts to a WPIAL championship and an appearance in a PIAA state final. During that 29-2 senior season, T.J. averaged 34.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.
After playing two seasons at Duquesne University, earning Atlantic 10 Conference Freshman Of the Year acclaim, McConnell transferred to Arizona. He gained notoriety as a point guard, guiding the Wildcats to two NCAA Elite 8 appearances. He was an All-PAC 12 selection.
Although he was not selected in the NBA draft, he signed a free agent contract with Philadelphia. After four seasons with the 76ers, he signed a two-year deal with Indiana in 2019 and has played with the Pacers ever since.
“As we watched him continue to work and develop as a player and his style of play, you could see he was creating his opportunity,” McConnell-Serio said. “He was fun to watch for sure at Duquesne and Arizona. It’s amazing but not surprising he made it because of how hard he plays.”
Off the bench, T.J. has dominated the playoff action. In the game the McConnell clan attended, T.J. set a league record. He became the first player in the history of the NBA finals to score 10 points, record 5+ assists and 5+ steals in 15 minutes.
In Game 5 of the finals, a 120-109 loss on June 16, T.J. ignited a Pacers rally. During a third-quarter surge, where Indiana closed a double-digit deficit to five points, T.J. scored 13 of his 18 game points in a seven-minute span. In 22 minutes of action, he also dished up four assists and grabbed four rebounds.
“T.J. is a spark,” McConnell-Serio said. “He changes the game.”
For the season, T.J. averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds. He converted 51.9 percent of his field goal attempts in leading the Pacers to the NBA Finals.