Girls Basketball: Redwood’s White leaving legacy that’s hard to beat

Kitty White is leaving her mark on Marin County high school basketball as she nears her next career milestone, but her numbers are not her focus right now.

“For me it’s not just playing well as an individual, it’s setting up my teammates for next year,” said White, who is nearing 1,500 career points as her Redwood High team (15-5, 5-0 MCAL) prepares to host San Marin (14-7, 4-0) in Tuesday’s battle for the MCAL lead.

White’s point total stands at 1,424 following Saturday’s 50-33 victory over Justin-Siena at the MB15 Showcase, in which she was held to nine points.

White continued, “With (co-captain Brooke Denler) and me graduating after the spring, I want to show the girls coming up how to be leaders, how to be the best they can be.”

Redwood head coach Zach Borello describes White as “a mother to the younger girls on this team. She wants to help them get better.

When the Giants hold their senior night on Sunday, “I have no idea how I’m going to say thank you to Kitty for these four years,” Borello said. “She is on the Mount Rushmore of girls basketball.”

White plans to continue the journey at CSU Monterey Bay, reuniting with head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery, who was the Great Britain U20 women’s team head coach when White joined Britain’s U18 team in the summer of 2025 to play in Europe.

“Playing overseas was a little scary,” said White, who has family in England. “I flew over there alone on a 13-hour flight with a stop in Barcelona, so I was a little nervous. But once I got there, I made friends with the other girls on the team, and the competition was great. They play such a different game over there.”

White experienced international competition against Germany during tournament play in Lithuania.

“It gave me a glimpse as to what the game is like at that level and where I want to go,” White said. “I loved it.”

White has been rewriting the record books at Redwood this season. In a 53-44 loss against Riordan on Dec. 5, she scored 15 points to become the program’s highest scorer, passing Kylie Horstmeyer.

White became a 1,000-point scorer as a junior with a 12-point game against Montgomery on Jan. 25, 2025.

“That was super-exciting to get to 1,000 points,” White recalled, “It’s a huge milestone for a high school player. I kept looking for more goals, but now I’m more focused on team goals. We’re trying to qualify for North Coast Section Open Division playoffs this year. That would mean a lot for us.”

The Giants were a NCS D-I semifinalist last season, then, as the 13th seed, reached the NorCal D-II quarterfinals last year, losing a close 68-60 contest against No. 5 California.

White, a two-time All-MCAL first-team selection, has always displayed skill with the ball and an ability to take over a game, even as a freshman. She scored 25 points in her NCS playoff debut to rally the Giants past Washington of Fremont, 57-48, on Feb. 15, 2023.

“Her grit and determination are second to none,” said Marin Catholic head coach Rachel Yarnold, who coached White for the past five seasons with Bay City club basketball. “She puts in the work when no one is around, when no one is there to see. No one knows how hard she really works. She’s worked hard on every part of her game and gotten better over the years  But what you see now that she’s a senior, now that she’s committed to Monterey, you see the joy come back. That’s great to see.”

Borello said, “Kitty has always played above her years. Even as a freshman she was doing things the seniors did.”

Her game has matured over the years as she’s been asked to do more for the Giants. She always brought the same kind of hard-nosed play that attracted her to the rugby pitch, but White now also plays a beautiful game on the court, continuing to add skills and subtleties to her toolbox during her career.

“She is an extension of our coaching staff,” Borello said. “Every ball, every timeout, she’s there with us planning the next play. There’s a lot of pressure on her to be who she is, but she has continued to be a great leader. She makes sure to get everyone on the team involved in the game. The younger girls on the team look up to her.”