Maddie Millar, a senior at Bishop Kenny High School, has been named the ITG Next 2022 Northeast Florida Female Basketball Player of the Year, presented by Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health, and the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.
Millar has made her mark at Bishop Kenny, playing on the girls basketball team all four years of high school.
“I put pressure on myself to prove to other people that we were just as good [this season],” said Millar. “I think it was good pressure. It fueled me a little bit.”
She has committed to UNF and will be reunited with former high school coach Charlsea Clark, who left Bishop Kenny in 2021 to be an assistant coach at UNF.
Bishop Kenny never fails to make it to the state championship. Earlier this year, the girls basketball team was at the semifinals in Lakeland. Millar was a key asset to the team, scoring high in each and every game. The girls won districts all four years.
“I wish we could have won the state championships one year, but to be able to accomplish that each year is super special,” said Millar.
Millar’s mother played college basketball and introduced her to the sport at a young age.
“Ever since I was little, she would take me out in the driveway start playing,” said Millar. “I played on a couple of YMCA teams with the boys, and I fell in love with it. I got into it in middle school, realized I was really good.”
The superstar player has made great memories during her time at Bishop Kenny. She recalls a celebration with her team after defeating Florida State High School in a close match this year. It was one of her teammates’s birthdays, and a former teammate had traveled all the way from Hawaii to witness the victory, which many had doubted they could achieve.
“We have such a unique bond on the team,” said Millar. “All the laughter and all the jokes — it was so good to see everybody come together. There are so many [good memories] to count from my four years here. It has been amazing.”
She encourages up and coming basketball players to work consistently and maintain a support system to carry them through and encourage them during times when they may lose faith in themselves.
“Work consistently,” said Millar. “You have to come into the gym day in and day out and really focus on certain things you want to get better at. Come in with a purpose. … Have a good support system. … Eventually, you will end up in the right place and where you’re supposed to be.”
She has been recognized as a top player in Florida and looks forward to growing as a player and individual during her time in college.
“It means a lot to me,” said Millar. “It is a testament that all my hard work is paying off. I couldn’t get any of this without my teammates and my coaches that put me on the floor and help me day in and day out. It is really a blessing.”
