Sharpshooter Sadie Burnette Eclipses Record Formerly Held by Woodruff Assistant Coach Rodasia Foster
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
The nets in Woodruff High School’s gym are changed before the start of every basketball season. Sophomore shooting guard Sadie Burnette might provide one of the reasons why.
Burnette, now the most prolific outside shooter in school history, tries her best on a nightly basis to burn them right off the rim.
Burnette recently became the school’s all-time leader in made three-point shots for the girls’ program, and being only in the tenth grade, her growing record is poised to stand for quite some time.
For Sadie, shooting is the true medium of her game, and that art is something she practices daily.
“I just always keep working and shooting,” Burnette said. “The more shots I can put up (in practice), the more consistent it stays.”
Burnette got an early start on chasing down the mark held for six years by now-Woodruff assistant coach Rodasia Foster. Foster’s career mark of 81 made threes was nearly put in jeopardy during Sadie’s freshman season when she knocked down a single-season school record of 65 trifectas, a tally that stands as the boys’ or girls’ high-water mark.
It did not take her long, just 11 games into this season, to totally eclipse Foster’s career total. Burnette swished home three long balls in a December 16 game at Laurens, giving her 83 for her career. And that number continues to grow with each passing game.
“The growth in Sadie’s game has been evident in the past 12 months,” said Head Coach Jon Jansen. “She has worked hard developing her shot along with her sister Alli. Coming into this season, Coach (Tyesha) Fulmer and I challenged her to be a better defender and on-court leader. The recent rash of injuries on our team provided the backdrop for Sadie to grow as a leader and forced her into some uncomfortable situations on the court.”
For Burnette, who has played the game of basketball since her early childhood, shooting has always been a skill that came naturally. Her older sister, senior Alli, is also a more than capable three-point shooter, but had to work longer to develop consistency in her shot.
Sadie has always naturally fired from the hip, but having a dedicated older sister who helped instill a strong work ethic has been an extremely valuable and beneficial part of her maturation as a player.
“Alli and I have always worked together, and she has helped make me the player I am today,” stated Sadie. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have the work ethic that I do. Learning to take on more of a leadership role was hard at first because it was some of our main players who were out, but me and Alli worked together to do things we didn’t know we would have to do, like playing point guard. She helped us all stick together.”
That competitive fire between them was on full display in a January 6 game at Chester, the region opener for the Lady Wolverines. Alli had a career night, knocking down five three-pointers in six attempts while scoring a career-high 21 points.
That shooting display tied the single-game individual record held by her sister, but not to be outdone, Sadie knocked down five threes of her own as part of a record performance of 12 makes from long distance for the team in Woodruff’s 75-22 victory.
Foster is happy one of her players was the one to take down her record. During her playing days, the Lady Wolverines did not attempt many three-point shots, much less make them in bunches. Her record was, at the time, an impressive feat as she was the most prolific shooter in the history of Woodruff girls’ basketball.
“It meant a lot for me to have the record, and I felt like it started a whole new generation of success for girls’ basketball in Woodruff,” Foster said. “Having a player that I help coach break my record means everything to me because Sadie is an amazing basketball player, and being only in the tenth grade, she has a very bright future ahead of her, and she makes me very proud.”
While the Lady Wolverines have fought the injury bug this season, missing two key starters for an extended period, Burnette elevated her game even further during that stretch. She scored 23 points in a contest against Chesnee, followed up by a career-high 26 against Laurens on the night she set the new record during a 51-37 victory by the short-handed Lady Wolverines. With sister Alli by her side, the two have helped Woodruff navigate through the adversity faced by the team in the early portion of the season.
“Comfortable people don’t grow,” added Jansen. “Sadie had to grow, and it was evident by the second Laurens game. Breaking Coach Foster’s record was something we knew would happen early in the season, and what we want to see moving forward is the leadership to guide the Lady Wolverines to a region title. As players return from injury, our team is better equipped for the challenges ahead.”
Burnette is thrilled to have the title of best three-point shooter in school history but is always looking to improve her game. She wants to help the Lady Wolverines’ still-young core develop into a state championship contender, and her long-range prowess will be a key element in making that goal a reality.
“Having the record makes me feel good about myself,” she said. “Me and Coach Foster are really competitive with each other. She means a lot to me. She helps me get more shots up in practice and helps me with my shot. She helps make me a better player.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
