When watching Wyoming Cowgirls’ junior guard Kaitlyn Mileto play in a game, even the average fan can sense that she has a kind of seasoned wisdom regarding the game of basketball. She may not always dominate the stat line, though she can, but she does almost always make the right decision on either end of the court.
This kind of innate basketball knowledge has not come without persistence and inundation.
“I probably started playing non-competitively when I was in like second grade, and then competitively in sixth grade,” said Mileto. “My dad coaches basketball and my Mom played Division-I and usually helps out my dad. My whole family is close to the sport.”
Through her constant exposure to the sport and tireless work ethic, Mileto achieved one of her lifelong goals in 2011: becoming a Division-I athlete.
“My mom going D-I was always a huge inspiration,” said Mileto. “At some point I think watching people like the obvious Michael Jordan and Diana Taurasi and even Abby Waner, because she’s from Colorado, sort of got me hooked and I knew that basketball was something that I wanted to consistently be around.”
Mileto did not make it to the Mountain West stage without some stops along the way, though. While attending Mesa Ridge High School in her hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo., Mileto was a four-time First Team All-Conference selection and a three-time First Team Denver Post All-State recipient.
During her high school tenure, Mileto also set her school’s all-time scoring record, finishing her career at Mesa Ridge with 2,042 points.
When it came time to decide on where to go next, Mileto said Wyoming felt like the right choice for a number of reasons, mainly its proximity to home.
“Initially, it just felt like a good fit as far as the team and coaches,” said Mileto, “ and it’s really close to home. Colorado Springs (Colo.) is only three and a half hours away.”
Mileto went on to say that the short distance allows her family to attend to all of her home games, and that they regularly travel to the Mountain West tournament each year to watch her play.
“My dad was my coach from grades five through twelve and my mom has always had an impact on the way I play, so it’s great to have them there,” said Mileto.
Mileto’s college career thus far has been the picture of consistency. She started every game during both her freshman and sophomore season, averaging a team-high 33.3 minutes per game during last season.
Last season Mileto also earned Third Team All-Mountain West honors while averaging 11.8 points per game.
Mileto is naturally modest about her recent success.
“It’s all because of my teammates,” said Mileto. “We always act as a team and they set me up for all my successes.”
Now that Mileto has become a staple of the Cowgirl basketball squad, she is quickly taking on the leadership role that comes with being an upper classmen. She says that she tries to help new teammates as much as she can.
“All you can do is pick them up and remember that you were in their shoes at one point,” said Mileto. “Being new to the team can be tough, especially with coaches on you consistently.”
When asked what she wants to do in the future, when her playing days are behind her, Mileto says she would have a definite interest in coaching. An elementary education major, Mileto says she would love showing the game that has given her so much to kids.
“Basketball has been such a big part of my life,” said Mileto. “I would just really enjoy being around the kids and passing it on.”
