Today we begin a series of Q&A sessions with the Auburn women's basketball team. First up - recent graduate and returning redshirt junior Kiyae' White!
What is your favorite thing about Auburn?
My favorite thing about Auburn other than basketball is the opportunity it brings and the campus itself. Auburn for me is a home away from home, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. The people in Auburn are so loving and supportive, and I love that southern hospitality which I'm not used to, because it is not like that at all up North. I love walking around campus, going to Chewacla State Park and getting Toomer's ice cream with friends.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
My goals for this upcoming season is to be more of an offensive threat and a consistent vocal leader. I feel as though in the past I have allowed others to change the way I am on the court, and with this season coming up I want to focus on my goals and our team goals while making myself and my team better. I want to be a better player overall in terms of shooting the ball better and hitting outside shots consistently, being able to handle the ball more comfortably, finishing on both sides, being the best defensive player and causing havoc, etc.
What advice would you give to any young athletes wanting to play college basketball?
Understand that it is not as easy as it looks, and you have to be ready to put in work continuously. I would tell them not to allow anyone or anything to stop them from following their dreams and reaching their goals. I would also say it is important to be mentally tough, because college will definitely test your mental toughness. Lastly, I would tell them to go somewhere in which they know they will be happy and have fun playing the game they love.
What is one of the biggest challenges of being a college athlete, and what do you do to overcome this challenge?
I think one of the biggest challenges of being a college athlete is mental toughness and time management. School work can get hectic and cause stress which then lingers on to affect my days at times. When this happens, this not only affects the school aspect of my career but also basketball because I then feel as though I am not as focused in practice - for example, because I'm too busy worrying about school. When it comes to basketball, being able to cope with having a tough day or a tough game loss and having the mental strength to move on and have short memory. Just like if a play goes wrong on offense, it's important to get back on defense and get a stop to make up for it. I overcome these challenges by just continuing to move forward and not dwelling on things that have already happened. I also just pray and wait for God to move me as he always does at the right time. I try to always look on the bright side of things and that really helps me to keep a positive attitude and move forward.
What was it like growing up with six siblings, some of whom are also athletes? Was there any sibling rivalry?
Coming from such a big family and growing up with six siblings bring on the best memories ever. It was tough being the youngest, because my older siblings are so protective over me and still are to this day. We were competitive in literally everything we did and our parents always egged on our competitive arguments. Whether it was who could run up the stairs faster, who could do more push-ups, who had better grades, more friends, more allowance money, who had more freedom, etc. I hated going out and playing basketball with my sisters because they were too girly, yet hated playing basketball with my brothers because they were too rough. We would have races in the streets with our friends after school and even though we were competitive towards one another, when it came to other people we brought our competitiveness together as a family and teamed up on others when it came to competing. Our parents would let us pick out our own snacks and our very own gallon of milk and cereal, because we even fought about who's eating up all the good food. We always did fun things around the house and did majority things together. Being the youngest, I was sometimes left out but for the most part able to do what my older siblings did…or watch at least. I feel like I have a huge army of people behind me who love and support everything I do, and it's the best feeling in the way.