ORLANDO, Florida - Even if you've never seen her play, there's a good chance you've heard of UCF women's basketball guard Kay Kay Wright.

• Wright was a star for Jones High School
• Leads UCF in points per game
• Had several other high-profile offers before selecting UCF

“I call her the 'Mayor of Florida.' She’s the mayor of Orlando, she’s the mayor of Florida, everywhere I go, people ask me how Kay Kay’s doing,” her position coach Tahnee Balerio said.

Born in what she refers to as "West Orlando," Wright knew from an early age she could make a difference for the Knight.

“I always said if UCF got a great point guard that people would follow, that this program would go somewhere great," she said.  "I think that’s just kind of where I fit in.”

A Jones-graduate, Wright was a four-star recruit who had offers to play in power conferences. Instead, she chose to stay right here in Orlando.

“I kinda wanted to build for my hometown team," Wright said. I saw a lot of vision in this athletic program. Just to kind of spark that, that’s something i wanted to be a part of.” 

The road to CFE Arena began at the Northwest Community Center in Orlando. Her father Willie, who has four other children, would coach her brothers at a young age. Then he saw her play for the first time.

“We started playing basketball, and she actually played, and how fast she was on the court, I looked at her and I was like, 'wow, she gonna be good,'” he said. 

He wasn't wrong. She would piggyback that into a successful career at Jones, where she and other students encountered hardships that she credits for helping push her to be at her best.

“I think going to Jones, we were definitely at a disadvantage with our culture," she said. "We’re an all black school. But I think it never shaped us. It always motivated us to go hard"

“When they got [to the gym], it was like they were from the same neighborhood, the same area," her father said. "So no matter what culture they came from, or what ethnic they have, when they come to the court, it was even. Everybody played the same."

So now, the "mayor" has a chance to make an impact for a Knights squad that is rolling at season's start. And the chance to succeed in front of those who watched her grow means more than words can explain.

“It means a lot to me," Wright said. "Coach Abe always talks about leaving a legacy, and just leaving a print where you play it. I think I can do that.”