Ramblin’ with Kaela Davis

Photo by John Nakano

Technique: You decommitted from Tennessee during high school to accept Tech’s offer. Has Tech lived up to your expectations?

Davis: Yeah, it has for sure. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, so at the end of the day, I made a decision that I felt best fit me in long run. It definitely has, Tech is a great place. It has a ton of opportunities and a lot of great people.

Technique: What is it like having your brother also playing college basketball? Do you miss him? Is it hard?

Davis: Yeah, it’s different for sure because we grew up together, and I even grew up sometimes playing on his AE teams. But it is really fun because you get a different perspective and an inside look at men’s basketball. He loves what he does and he’s in a happy place. He was at Tennessee last year, and he is now at Central Florida, and he loves it down there.

Technique: Do you feel like there is more pressure on you to perform well since your dad and brother are also very good at basketball?

Davis: Not really, they are just super supportive. I think, if anything, it is just a blessing that I have so many people that played on so many different levels.  They are just there to give really good advice and to help [me] and my brother along the way. So I do not think there is really any pressure coming from anyone.

Technique: How has Meniere’s disease affected your college basketball career?

Davis: It is just kind of normal now. Obviously, some gyms are louder than others, and sometimes there are headaches and different things that you have to deal with off the court. But like I said, I have been dealing with it for so long now that it is just kind of routine; if something happens, we are on top of it. It’s just an adjustment. Honestly, most of my team joke around about it, and so really it is all good.

Technique: Last season was a fantastic season for you. You set the single scoring record for Tech and the ACC, and you were named number one guard by ESPN’s HoopGurlz in 2013. How do you plan on upping the ante this season?

Davis: I honestly feel like I could have had a better year last year. Maybe that is just me in my perfectionist kind of mind. We have six new freshmen this year, and I think that is kind of a task in itself, to … get them acquainted.  I have a year under my belt, so I feel really good about this year, and I am just taking it game by game.

Technique: What are your plans after Tech? Do you plan on continuing basketball?

Davis: Yeah, if I can continue to play, that is something I would love to do. I know a lot of people that have played overseas, and I think that is such a cool opportunity. So if I could do something like that and continue to play basketball, I would love to do that.

Technique: What are the best parts about being a female athlete, in general?

Davis: I think for me personally, being in Atlanta is something that people always talk about. There are so many teams here and so much to do here that going to a women’s college basketball game is not on the top of the list. But I think we have a great support system. I think the good part in it is that women’s basketball is such a close-knit group; I know a ton of girls that play all across the country, and they just support each other. Everyone wants to see everyone do well. It is cool that you can compete against teams at the highest level, but at the end of the day, women want to see other women succeed.

Technique:  Did you find it hard to balance sports and your classes your first year living at Tech?

Davis: Last year, that was a lot more difficult of a task, just because freshman year is really new. My high school was pretty high up on academics, but it is never really going to be the same as that. High school and college are two completely different worlds. You just kind of prepare yourself for a long season. It is a balancing act, but it is not that difficult, honestly. Really, it is just spreading your time out wisely and using the time you have to be productive at all times.

Technique: Who has been your biggest inspiration in your life?

Davis: I do not really know if I have a specific person. I think there are a lot of things that keep me motivated. My brother and I are really close, and he works so hard; I always joke around with him and tell him that I want to be like him when I grow up. But I do not think I can choose just one person because there are so many people that do so many great things.

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