Athlete of the Week: Kylie Warner

Sarasota High senior point guard Kylie Warner scored 11 points to lead the Navy team to a 79-73 come-from-behind victory over the White team in the FABC Futures Shootout June 17, at Berkeley Preparatory School.

In addition to playing in the FABC Futures Shootout, the 17-year-old has spent the offseason playing with the Sarasota Sting — the Lady Sailors travel-ball team — in preparation for her final season at Sarasota High.

I was surprised we won. I knew it was even (in terms of) the amount of talented players, but I was surprised when we came back after being down 17-3 at one point in the first half.

It was definitely a learning experience playing with stronger and taller players. It was kind of hard playing with people you didn’t know, but throughout the game we started realizing each other’s strengths. I learned that playing with different people is a lot different than knowing how to play. The chemistry was a lot different.

About three weeks prior to the game, my coaches told me I had been chosen. I was actually surprised I got chosen. It was definitely a boost to my confidence in myself, and it was a really good experience.

I enjoy having a bond with my teammates and being able to work together as a team. It’s not so much one person doing everything; it’s the team concept that I enjoy the most.

My fondest basketball moment was with the team two years ago, when we worked our way up to being able to play against Sebastian River in the Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinals. They were a really well-organized team. They had players who were going to Georgia Tech, and we were going up against them. For us to get there was a big accomplishment.

I like the way Dwyane Wade plays. He always looks for the pass before the shot. That’s the way I play. I always look for the extra pass.