LOUISVILLE – Crystal Kelly has finally made it official.

She is going to be a Lady Topper.

“I chose this school because it is one of the top in the nation for photojournalism, so that’s why I’m going to Western Kentucky,” Kelly said.

Kelly made the announcement this afternoon at Sacred Heart Academy, the school she led last month to its third consecutive state championship.

It was a whirlwind day for Kelly as she traveled to the Hill earlier to tell coach Mary Taylor Cowles that she had chosen Western.

Kelly, the reigning Kentucky Miss Basketball, said that kind of news could not come over the phone.

She also had to call coaches at Louisville and Kentucky, the other finalists, to tell them that she would not be coming to their schools.

She said that nerves prevented her from being able to eat before making those calls.

The women’s basketball program at Western has long claimed to be the No. 1 program in the state, this signing may confirm that its still is on top.

At 6-foot-2, Kelly brings the Lady Toppers the post presence that this year’s team lacked. Western finished last season 20-14 and lost in the finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

The Lady Topper world has been buzzing over this signing for more than a year, and Cowles has been laying hints all along the way.

Even after Western’s Sun Belt final’s loss to Middle Tennessee State, Cowles mentioned how they were one post-player shy from taking the next step.

Everyone in the room knew she was talking about Kelly.

Reach Michael Casagrande at [email protected].