Though you may not believe it watching her play, Wennica Foster knows better than anybody about overcoming feelings of intimidation and inadequacy.

The Pike County High School senior basketball player, who scored over 1,000 points during her high school career, didn’t always dominate on the court.

When this 5'7&uot; point-guard from Troy took her place on the varsity team, she was just a seventh-grader and the older, bigger girls intimidated her.

&uot;I didn't think I would have 10 points a game,&uot; she said.

She looked up to the older girls and admired the way they played, but her first two years were spent quietly in their shadow.

Foster especially looked up to point-guard Bridget Bower who was &uot;quick and an all-around player.&uot;

Ironically enough, she now plays the same position with just as much agility on the court as the player she once stood in awe of.

&uot;I had to get out of that shyness and scardeness,&uot; Wennica said.

&uot;My game really came to me in my ninth grade year.&uot;

And it came in full force.

The girl who didn't think she could ever fill the shoes of the girls she played with is now the leader on the court.

&uot;I really feel the pressure, especially when the game is on the line,&uot; she said.

Foster said her team often looks to her to bail them out of a tough situation.

But she always gives credit to her team no matter how many points she makes.

&uot;She loves playing team ball,&uot; her mother Eloise Foster said.

&uot;She is always saying if it weren't for the team, she couldn't do it.&uot;

Occasionally, Wennica has to call a play on the court, something she says is hard to do.

&uot;You've go to watch the floor a lot,&uot; she said.

&uot;Sometimes I'm scared I'll call the wrong play, and sometimes I do, or I'll make a bad pass.

But you just shake it off and get back on defense.&uot;

Wennica said she worked hard to get where she is and has practiced hard to maintain her position.

As an individual, she says the role she plays on the team has made her stronger and taught her how to motivate others.

It's something she does both on and off the court.

Wennica is always helping her younger sisters, Kenisha, 15, and Kenshiva, 13, improve their basketball skills.

&uot;They just love her and they are following her footsteps,&uot; her mother said.

&uot;When they are doing things, she'll help them, give them pointers, and they'll listen.&uot;

Although Eloise describes her daughter as nice, sweet and quiet, Wennica has a confidence and determination about her that makes her a natural leader.

&uot;She is going to do whatever she sets her mind to do,&uot; Eloise said.

With just a few games left in the season, Wennica told her mother that she had the chance to score over 1,000 by the end of the season, setting a PCHS record.

&uot;How ever many points it took, she was going to do it,&uot; she said.

&uot;And she did it.

She can do anything, be anything she wants to.&uot;

What Wennica wants to be is a player in the WNBA.

Her favorite player is Sheryl Swoops, who plays for the Houston Comets.

Wennica says she's the Michael Jordan of women's basketball and is confident that she can play on her level with a little work and a lot of practice.

&uot;It's my ultimate dream,&uot; Wennica said.

&uot;It's something I want very, very bad-to play for the WNBA.&uot;

It's her mother's dream, too, to see her succeed in doing something she loves.

&uot;I taught her that as long as you put God first, anything is possible,&uot; Eloise said.

&uot;She's going to make it.

She is going to make it.&uot;