This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Portia Cao isn't just a basketball player. She's a team captain, soccer player, violinist, lacrosse player, violin teacher and a 4.0 student.

She doesn't just do all those things; the senior at Waterford finds time to excel at all of them.

"It's so hard but I actually like the challenge," Cao said. "Sometimes I'll practice violin during lunch and stay up late to do homework after practice or on bus trips, sometimes I don't sleep but I love it."

Most recently Cao has become a standout basketball player. In Waterford's first game this season she scored a career-high 28 points and is averaging 25 in the first two games.

After averaging only six points per game last season, Waterford head coach Ryan Judd said Cao spent her summer playing basketball, something that has really improved her game.

"She had really developed into a good all-around basketball player," Judd said. "It was kind of surprising to see how much she had improved in our first game. For whatever reason she really turned into a gym rat this summer and it has helped her blossom into the player she is starting to be."

Cao said she played basketball whenever she could this summer, including playing pick-up games at Gold's Gym and the rec center where she was the only girl playing most of the time.

Being able to score 20-plus points per game isn't Cao's only strength on the court though. She also is the leader of the Waterford team.

"She is definitely a leader," fellow senior Kylee Snuffer said. "She helps the younger players and is extremely team-oriented and unselfish because she believes in the team and not individual players."

When Cao goes to shoot around she often drags her teammates along because she wants the entire team to improve, not just herself.

In fact, earlier this fall, when a girl on her team said she might not play because she didn't have a way to get home from practice, Cao offered to give her a ride every single night.

"She's like the mother of our team," junior Brenda Shen said. "She is really tough on the outside but she is a team leader and is always there to pick our team up when we need it."

Cao wasn't always a basketball player. When she was a little girl her mom encouraged her to join dance and play the violin. But playing sports was something Cao chose to do and has been dedicated to ever since.

"She has really done this on her own," her mother, Linda Cao, said. "She loves to play the violin and sometimes she doesn't sleep or practices during lunch. She's very concerned about being good at everything she does and works extra hard."

While Cao has turned into one of the best basketball players in 2A, she and her family will tell you that it hasn't been without a struggle.

Cao said she still finds it difficult to use her non-dominant hand when she's playing and has had to work really hard to get to where she is today.

"Portia puts in a lot of dedication and hard work," older brother Allen Cao said.

Cao's hard work has transformed into confidence on the court. Unlike a lot of players, Cao isn't afraid to take a shot if she has the chance and will do anything as long as it helps her team.

"I think my biggest strength is confidence; I'm not afraid to drive to the hoop or take a tough shot, I don't hesitate," Cao said. "I just want to do whatever I can to help my team and if that means scoring 20 points a game I'm going to try my best to do it." —

The Cao file

Portia also plays soccer, lacrosse and teaches four violin students in addition to being a top violinist herself.