Caitlin King, a sharpshooter on Charlottesville High School Girls Basketball team, has a three point percentage of 39.8%. For comparison, Caitlin Clark, the number one overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, known for her three point shot, has a career three point percentage of 32.9%. Even more show stopping and impressive than her three point shot is her unwavering confidence. In the regional semifinals against John Handley, Caitlin airballed a three, the ball was rebounded and given right back to her, without hesitation she took another three point shot and swished it. This is not the first time she has refused to let public opinions get in her way.
Caitlin competed as the only female golfer on the CHS golf team throughout the entirety of her high school career. However, this is far from a new occurrence for her. In the second grade she joined Walker Upper Elementary’s football club which had just one other girl at the time. She describes her experience as the only girl on the golf team as both different and fun, with some unavoidable challenges along the way. During one of her past matches, she encountered a sexist and misogynistic competitor. Caitlin stated, “I kept my composure. I had fun … as much fun as I could have.” Instead of letting his nasty words get to her, she played her own game, the same way she had since first starting golf in 6th grade through First Tee.
Prior to hitting her first golf swing, Caitlin had grown up around basketball, rooting for the Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team since she was a little girl. She joined her first official basketball team in fifth grade, but did not start shooting threes until her freshman year of highschool. Quan, the former CHS girls Junior Varsity Head coach, saw Caitlin’s elite three point potential. He assisted her with the technical aspects of three point shooting, but most importantly the confidence to take them. Now, Caitlin claims, “if I get it, almost all the time, I’m gonna shoot it”.
Caitlin expressed nothing but gratitude for her experience on the CHS girls basketball team, crediting it for connecting her to a “whole bunch of great people”, pushing her outside of her comfort zone, and allowing her to travel to new states and locations. Throughout her time on varsity, CHS girls basketball qualified for the state tournament three years in a row, displaying the vital role she played in their success.
Not only is Caitlin an accomplished basketball player, but an academic as well. Her advice for students juggling both academics and athletics is that, “sometimes you’re going to have to do stuff that you don’t want to do. Like, sometimes I’ll spend my weekends doing homework. Only homework and watching basketball. And that’s just sometimes the way it has to be. If you want to do it, you can do it.” Athletics take sacrifice of time and energy, but with sacrifice comes accomplishment.
Unable to stay away from sports for her final high school season, Caitlin joined the CHS tennis team, which you can support this spring season.
Caitlin’s authenticity, talent, and humility has enhanced CHS and the numerous teams she has been a part of. She will undoubtedly thrive in her next era post graduation, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.
