Two shots at history. That’s what South Carolina women’s basketball forward Chloe Kitts had on the line. On Mar. 30, the Gamecocks were up two points on the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. With a win, South Carolina would be going to its fifth straight Final Four. Kitts had played on the biggest stage before, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t nervous.
Kitts, who has shot 80% from the free throw line this season, missed two free throw attempts back in the third quarter. She admitted in a post game press conference that this shook her confidence, especially with two important free throw attempts on deck. After some encouraging words from her teammates and from herself, the 6’2” junior knocked down the shots, sealing the deal with a score of 54-50. But finding this composure has been a long road for Kitts.
Load Bearing
Kitts is a native of Oviedo, Florida, where she played basketball at DME Academy. She was one of the top recruits in the class of 2023 – so good that she decided to graduate early and join the Gamecocks in the fall of 2022. But Kitts didn’t work her way into the Gamecocks’ starting lineup until her sophomore year, where she averaged 9.1 points per game in South Carolina’s latest national championship run.
Coming into the program straight out of high school, Kitts told Sports Illustrated she spent a lot of time learning “the Gamecock way” rather than actually getting minutes on the court. She spent that year learning from superstars like Zia Cooke and VIS Mentor Aliyah Boston.
Obviously, Kitts was highly touted, and being this talented comes with a lot of outside expectations on individual performance. Many athletes face similar pressures, whether a five-star recruit or not. A lot of pressure, whether self-inflicted or from the outside, is directly related to athletic performance. Some of us may find ourselves basing our feelings and self-worth on our performance on the court. But it’s important to separate these two aspects of life and allow ourselves to make mistakes. Remember that nobody is perfect 100% of the time.
Finding An Outlet
In high pressure situations, it’s incredibly important to find an outlet where we can redirect some of that stress and anxiety. For some athletes, that could be music or visualization. But for Kitts? It’s coloring.
In between pre-game warmups and tipoff, you’ll often find Kitts at her locker, headphones on, working on a children’s coloring book. But more often than not, the only noise in her headphones is silence. She doesn’t do it before every game, she explained to The State, but it’s one of the strategies she uses to calm her pre-game anxiety. ESPN highlighted her coloring habits on their broadcast before South Carolina’s Sweet 16 game against Maryland.
“I told myself that my coach wanted me to have the ball at the end of the game because she knows I can make my free throws.”
Kitts started going to therapy at the suggestion of her team dietician, and she said on The Coop podcast that it was her therapist who gave her this idea. “I’m just so worried about the game, before the game. I want to play good, I want to win,” Kitts said. But “if you consume yourself with just basketball, it gets depressing.”
Kitts’ openness about her mental health is a reminder that it's okay to ask for help, even when we’re at the top of our game. Finding an outlet to stay relaxed is important for everybody, even if it’s something we struggle with.
Press On
With the game on the line, the Gamecocks coaching staff drew up a play to get Kitts the ball. But Kitts admitted in the postgame press conference that she asked her teammate, Te-Hina Paopao, to get the ball instead. “Pao was like ‘Girl what? Go get the ball,” Kitts said. She got the ball, went to the line, took a deep breath, and knew what she had to do.
“I told myself that my coach wanted me to have the ball at the end of the game because she knows I can make my free throws,” Kitts said. “And I told myself that I’m really good at basketball. And I made both of them.”
This year, Kitts is the Gamecocks top rebounder, averaging 7.9 a game, as well as averaging 10.4 points a game. So it’s clear that she had the physical ability to make her free throws. She just had to reshape her mindset and be confident.
Looking Forward
Kitts’ junior season has come with many accomplishments, including SEC Tournament MVP, Birmingham Regional MVP, honorable mention All-American. But perhaps more importantly, she’s learned how to keep her composure and believe in the trust that her coaches have in her. “I’m super proud of Chloe,” Staley said after the game, “she has grown in every aspect of her life, mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
Kitts and her team faced the UConn Huskies in the National Championship, where they ultimately lost 82-59, ending the Gamecocks’ quest for a three-peat. Kitts herself put up 9 points and 6 rebounds. After a loss, it can be easy to get in your own head, but Kitts will be more than ready to bounce back for her senior season due to the habits she has created for herself.
Taking a page out of Kitts’ coloring book is easier said than done, but finding outlets that work for us is important. Nerves are a part of the game, and if we’re nervous, it means we care. But it’s important to remind ourselves that we’re still human, and having the support of our family, friends, coaches, and teammates can help ease any doubts that might creep in.
