Senior Sanai Foster has left her mark on Westside Basketball but continues to leave impacts every game. Foster has been a huge part of the team since she was a freshman, last season she ended her season 27 GP but is hoping she will break her own record this season. Foster talks about how her season is going so far.
“ The season is going well. We are 16-5 and have been performing well so far. We have a tough rest of the season ahead so we are just taking things day by day and game by game,” Foster said.
Assistant coach Karolyn Cahill talks about what Foster has been contributing to the team not only this season but all the seasons she has been a part of the team.
“Sanai contributes a lot to our team and has for the last four years. First and foremost, her basketball skill has continued to develop and improve over the last four years. She has become a threat from both the inside and outside, making her very hard to guard. Outside of basketball, Sanai has bought into and promoted the culture of the program. Our culture is a huge part of what we do as a program, and she has been awesome not only about learning and implementing it but also teaching it to the younger kids we have in the program. This year, she has really stepped up as a leader in the program as well. Helping out teammates, working to improve herself, and being more vocal on and off the court, ” Cahill said.
Foster talks about what she does each game to help the underclassman through.
“ When it comes to helping underclassmen honestly It’s just about setting a good example. If I am doing things right and being competitive and performing well they will follow. Along with that I try to stay open to helping answer questions or help explain things they might have questions about,” Foster said.
Coach Clark talks about what he and the rest of the team will miss the most about Foster when she leaves Westside basketball behind.
“We will obviously miss her talent on the court, and even more so the daily interactions we have that truly show the person that she has become,” Clark said.
Foster has made a huge impact on the team, she talks about what she has done to get this far.
“ So far I have just been putting in time and work to be the player I am and try my hardest to continue working and taking care of myself with things like recovery, sleep, and eating well,” Foster said.
Coach Clark has watched Foster improve on and off the court from the very beginning. He talks about what she has done to prove herself to everyone and how he has seen her develop as a player.
“ Sanai has grown into a great leader, along with being an exceptional talent on the court. Sanai has been committed to our team culture as well as her own individual level of basketball skill. For four years she has been consistent in our off season work, her individual skill work, her classwork, as well as her personal high school experience. As a four year varsity player, she has gained many perspectives about being on a team that has contributed to who she is today. Which is a strong, confident, successful young lady that is ready to go be great. Sanai challenges all of us to be better, and is comfortable speaking up for the love of the team. The success of the team is what inspires her to serve others. A lot happens in 4 years of high school, basketball, classes, relationships, and we hope that she takes with her the ability to love what you’re doing, love the people you’re with, and be a problem solver that compels others to be great as well, ” Clark said.
Foster has been learning her skills since the first day on the court, when all these years later she is still learning. Foster will be continuing her basketball career at the next level, she talks about what she has learned from Westside basketball that she will take with her to the next level.
“Westside has set me up with experience being in a program for four years learning things that I’ll continue working on for those years as well as how to balance school and basketball and do my best at both,” Foster said.
Coach Cahill talks about what she has tried to teach Foster for her to succeed at the next level.
“We have had numerous conversations surrounding the idea of Sanai being a 3-level scorer. She has the height to be successful at the rim (especially in high school), and she has developed a consistent 3pt. shot with range. This allows her to score in multiple ways. She has worked hard to become a better ball handler and a solid free-throw shooter. In college, the average height of the players increases, meaning that Sanai very well could be asked to play a new position that takes her away from the rim more often, so developing her whole game has been key,” Cahill said. “ The other part of that is once again the culture that we have within our program. Our goal is to develop our players as all-around human beings. We obviously want them to succeed at basketball, but more importantly, we want them to be successful young women. At some point in life, everyone’s basketball career ends. We want to help develop skills that allow them to continue being successful, but also to know and understand that they are more than just their basketball career or an athlete.”
Foster talks about her bond with coach Clark and the impact their bond has made on her as a player.
“ Over the years I’ve gotten to know Clark very well and I now can read him very easily and understand how he operates as a coach. It helps as a player because it’s someone you can trust and confide in which makes playing for him a lot easier and more motivating,” Foster said.
Foster has a lot of memories being a part of Westside basketball, she talks about her favorite memory with Westside basketball.
“My favorite memory is probably going to Arizona with my team and getting to go to the Warriors v Suns game and just experiencing that trip with my teammates,” Foster said.
In a game against Omaha North Foster broke her own personal record with two career highs in a double-double with 30PTS and 23REB. Assistant coach Cahill talks about what this means for Sanai as a player but also what it means for the team.
“It’s huge for the team. One of the neat things about this group of kids is that they really celebrate each other’s success. They know that not every night is going to be their best performance, and in those situations, they have to trust that their teammates have their back. Sanai playing the way she did against North was huge for our team to be successful. Our kids celebrated her accomplishment as much as they celebrated the win and their own stats. From a coach’s standpoint, that is one of the coolest things to witness and be a part of,” Cahill said.
You can catch Foster in action Feb. 17 against Elkhorn South.
