Milligan coming into her own

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

As a player you are always looking to make that next leap. The next leap in performance, the next leap on confidence. You are always looking to improve and not stand still.

West Seneca West sophomore basketball player Bellarose Milligan knew she had the type of game that would translate to the next level. After a freshman year where she averaged single digits, Milligan has raised her game to the next level.

It was never a question of if, but when, Milligan would figure it out. At some point the game starts to slow down, and it just becomes basketball again. That’s what happened to Milligan this season.

Last year was about thinking, and maybe over thinking at times, on the court. If something didn’t go right then her confidence would go down. As the season progressed so did Milligan’s confidence.

“It feels really good to come out strong at the start of this season after averaging only single digits last season. A big part of the difference in my numbers from this year and last year is my confidence level,” stated Milligan. “Towards the end of last season, I began to gain more confidence in my skill and ability. I tried to carry that confidence into the offseason and build it up to get ready for this season. I am very grateful that I got a lot of opportunities to get in the gym during the offseason and better myself for this season.”

By the end of the year, she knew she could play at this level. She carried this confidence over into the offseason and hit the gym hard. She knew for her to be a force this year for WSW, Milligan had to put in the extra work this offseason.

That meant training all summer long, playing with her AAU team, and participating in as many tournaments as possible. At one point she had to take a break from hoops while she heeled up from a broken finger.

But, as soon as her fingered healed, Milligan was back at it working on her game.

“This offseason, I put in a lot of work. I trained with a trainer, played AAU at the beginning of the summer, and participated in summer league games for school, etc,” stated Milligan. “For a few weeks, I had to take a break from playing basketball frequently because I broke my finger, but as soon as it healed, I started back up again.”

Even with all the work she had put in over the summer, there were times that Milligan still lacked the confidence to make a big impact on the team this season. But, her coaches believed in her talents, and knew they had something special in Milligan.

It wasn’t until she started off hot this season that Milligan could see she was making an impact on the team.

“As someone who is not very tall or strong, I was not too confident that I was going to make a big impact this year for my team. Coach Joe had more faith in me than I did in myself and told me before the season started that he knew I was going to be very important to the team,” stated Milligan. “After the first few games, I realized that I had been making a bigger impact than I initially thought I would, and as the season goes on, I will have to keep taking that next step in my game and keep helping my team get as far as we can over the next few seasons.”

Milligan has learned a lot about herself during her time on the court. She has seen how some of the great players on other teams go about their business. It has taught her to work hard everyday during practice, and in the summer.

“I have learned a lot about myself and the game in general by playing with many great players,” stated Milligan. “It is amazing to watch how hard some of the best players work, how they don’t get down on themselves after making a mistake, and how they play with a lot of confidence. It has taught me that I need to work hard every day, whether it’s during practice, a summer workout, or a game.”

But she can still get frustrated at times on the court. Teams are starting to cover her more knowing she can put up points. Getting frustrated at time is part of the game, every athlete goes through the frustration of not scoring.

Milligan knows she needs to just keep her composure if things aren’t going her way. That includes not getting upset at her teammates, or on the court.

“Not getting frustrated or upset with myself during games is very difficult for me and probably many other athletes too. I think if other teams try to throw things my way during games, I just have to keep my composure,” stated Milligan. “Even if I do get angry, I have to remember not to take it out on my teammates or start making a negative impact on the court.”

Fifty percent of this game is 90 percent mental. Milligan knows going on to the court with the right mindset is what wins or loses games. If she goes on the court thinking she will have a bad game, then she will more than likely have a bad game.

If she goes on the court with all the confidence in the world, and thinking she will dominate, than that’s what’s going to happen. It’s not about scoring 20 a game, or scoring eight a game, it’s about having the right mindset when stepping on the court everyday.

“Before games, I try to keep the same level of confidence no matter which team is on the other side of the court,” stated Milligan. “I believe that a significant part of the game is determined by your mindset. Last season, when I went into some games feeling like we were going to get blown out or that I wasn’t going to perform well, it usually happened. This year, one of my main goals is to maintain the same attitude and mindset, no matter if we are winning or losing, or whether I score single digits or double digits.”