BEAUMONT, Texas — The Silsbee Lady Tigers have unleased one of their fiercest competitors.
“I’m little but I do work really hard and I’m going to give you all I have 100% of the time,” said Lady Tiger Monica Bottley.
That’s what Monica Bottley has been doing all season. She is leaving it all on the court and posting more than 20 points per game.
“Every night we expect 20 points from her and eight to nine assists," said Silsbee Girls Basketball assistant coach Roy Gatlin. "She’s going to rebound as well. She’s going to get a lot of steals so what she does on the court is expected every night. It’s special when you have someone like that.”
Bottley has dedicated her life to basketball. She loves it and says every game is a chance for her to better herself.
“During the summers I spend a lot of my time training and then I go play AAU basketball," said Bottley. "I travel everywhere playing the best of the best basically and I just try to better myself every day.”
Bottley’s hard work on and off the court hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“From the beginning of the year to now she’s grown up so much and she’s stepped into that leadership role," said Gatlin. "Obviously we’re looking for her to be a leader for the next couple of years.”
After those years are up, Bottley knows exactly what she wants to do.
“The end goal is to definitely go to A&M and play at that next level,” said Bottley.
Her team wants to help her get there.
“We just want to give her a foundation and a ability to showcase her skills to other people who don’t see her," said Gatlin. "Hopefully we do play near spring break and people across the state can know Monica Bottley.”