On a special edition of Wildcat of the Week, Chico State basketball seniors Kayla Taylor, Jalen McFerren, Haley Cremen, Corey Silverstrom, Whitney Branham and Isaiah Ellis and Jo Paine reminisced about their time at Chico.

Q: What are your plans after college?

Corey: I plan on pursuing a professional basketball career. I’m going to create opportunities for myself. I’ll have some workouts with some NBA G-League teams and hopefully I’ll go to some exposure camps for playing overseas. I’m just going to try and grind my way to a top league in Europe or to the NBA.

Q: How do you feel this season went in terms of personal goals?

Kayla: I feel like I’ve achieved my real goal of improving my defense. Coming in (to Chico) in my first year my defense wasn’t that great. Now, my defense has stepped up immensely and I’m really proud of myself. My goal for the end of the year is to be first team All-League, so we’ll see what happens in terms of that.

Isaiah: I feel like there are some that I haven’t met and there’s some that I have accomplished. I do feel that I made a good run and my career as a whole has been great. It’s been a good time here at Chico. Personally, I am still hoping to make first team All-League, All-West region and even All-American this year. I think I’ve put myself in a good position to pursue everything that I’ve been chasing.

Q: What is your favorite memory coming out of Chico?

Jalen: My favorite memory was definitely winning the west region. We encountered a lot of tough times throughout that season, very up and down. To come together late in the season and win something together, not only for ourselves but for the coaches and the community, that was a well-rounded victory for us.

Q: As a senior and leader on the team how do you plan to pass that down as your time at Chico concludes?

Whitney: Over my four years here, I haven’t been known to be a vocal leader. I found that leading by example has worked for me, so I hope that I can pass that as well as the ability to work hard and have that tenacity on the court. People can learn to find their own identity and not always conform to that traditional role of a vocal leader. Confidence really plays a defining role into who you become as a player.

Q: How’s it been having to sit out due to injury and how have you dealt with that?

Haley: It’s definitely been a challenge having to sit out and watch everyone else play. I’ve been focused on rehabbing my knee after hurting it and doing what I need to do to get back to be healthy.

Q: You have been forced to sit out due to injury as well a lot, but finished your last game with your strongest game of the season with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Can you describe how it feels to go out this way?

Jo: Obviously sitting out due to injury isn’t fun for anybody. It’s been hard at times, I’ve had to overcome obstacles that I thought I wouldn’t ever have to deal with. But through those experiences I’ve been humbled and grown a lot as a person. This last home game for me was one I will always remember, not because of how I played, but because of my teammates who made it so special for me. It feels great to go out on a win, and share senior night with 13 sisters you have grown to love.

“I just want to thank the seniors for everything they have contributed to our program. They are better people than they are basketball players and I can see them all going on to be very successful. The example that they set for the younger players is something I’m very proud of.” – Brian Fogel, Head Women’s Basketball Coach.

Courtney Chapman can be reached at [email protected] or @courtneychaps on Twitter.