From her early days in Inverness to her current position with the Caledonia Gladiators, Zoe Sharpe has shown tremendous growth and dedication to basketball. Her journey is a testament to passion, hard work, and the evolving landscape of British basketball.

Early beginnings in inverness

Zoe Sharpe began her basketball journey at the tender age of eight. Reflecting on her early days, she shared, “I started playing for my primary school when I was eight, and then I was asked to join the local team, which I absolutely loved. Basketball has become a central part of my life.”

A shift in focus

While Zoe initially enjoyed a variety of sports, basketball soon became her sole focus. “I originally used to play a lot of sports, but I enjoyed basketball so much that I kind of moved into just basketball right before COVID happened,” she explained. The lockdown period turned out to be a crucial time for her development. “Throughout lockdown, I spent the entire time practicing. I was on the court every day, and I was actually loving all the spare time I had.”

Transition to professional basketball

Zoe’s professional journey began in earnest after COVID-19. “I moved from Inverness to Edinburgh to train and play with Caledonia Pride," she said. I absolutely loved it there. I learned so much and I realized how little I knew when I moved there,” she admitted.

Currently, Zoe plays for the Caledonia Gladiators and lives in Glasgow. Her role has evolved over time, with her focusing more on being a point guard. “I am a point guard, or well, I am a guard, but I am really trying to focus myself on being a point guard now.”

National team experience

Representing her country as a youth player of the national team of Great Britain has been a big highlight of Zoe's career. “That has been one of my biggest dreams! Being selected for the under 16 team of Great Britain was definitely a dream that came true,” she recalled. Playing for the national team has provided her with invaluable experience. “I love playing for Great Britain in the summer and being in a group of girls all in my age group. I have also played for the under 18, which gave me new challenges and opportunities. You're playing with higher level players against higher level competition. There is a higher level of maturity amongst the players,” she noted.

Future aspirations and British basketball

Zoe has seen a great potential in British basketball, especially with increasing investment and development of young talent. “Basketball in Great Britain is definitely getting stronger. The professional teams are having more investment brought into them, which should bring the entire level of the league up,” she said.

Talent in the UK

Her experiences reflect the growth of women's basketball in Great Britain. "We have some fantastic players in the GB national team. Temi Fagbenle, for example, is an incredible player," Zoe mentioned, highlighting the talent present in British basketball. I think women's basketball in Britain has a lot of potential,” she concluded. With players like Zoe leading the charge, the future indeed looks bright!