On the hardwood, Richards always wants to win. A fierce competitor. However, the former Great Britain junior international also plays with a smile on her face, almost carefree in a way.
Introduced to the sport by British basketball legend Martin Henlan, Richards was told 'you can do whatever you want with basketball and that the sky is the limit'.
Henlan gave Richards the opportunity to go to the infamous Sevenoaks Suns and, under the guise of Len Busch, she developed her game and her attitude toward the sport itself.
And as a result, she discovered her true passion - coaching - a role she wholeheartedly embraces and pours her dedication into.
"I'll be forever grateful to Len Busch for not only allowing me the opportunity to learn from him but also for giving me the freedom to coach and become the person I am with all the players I got to learn from," said Richards, her voice filled with respect and appreciation.
"His impact is incredible, and he is a genius in the basketball world. He gave me the freedom to learn from my mistakes, which helped me develop and help me grow my passion for coaching."
Richards' thirst for coaching is not just about the game, but also about her deep-seated desire to inspire the younger generation, to nurture future women's basketball stars.
Under Busch's mentorship, she combined playing for the Suns in the old Women's British Basketball League with coaching the girls' U14 and U16 programmes.
Soaking up the information like a sponge, Richards transferred her knowledge from Sevenoaks, as well as spells at college in Nebraska and Cardiff Met Archers, onto the Thames Valley Cavaliers before settling in Cobham.
At the Cobras, she is given reign to be a more effective leader, helping head coach Luke Dowding along with assistants Paula Pralus and Roz Mason, the latter a former England international.
After four seasons of bouncing around clubs, Richards feels settled and happy.
"I love what we have here at Cobham," an enthusiastic Richards commented.
"I get to be more of a leader, be a more significant presence on the court, get more minutes, and I get to coach as well, and that's my true passion.
"I want to keep encouraging young girls in sports, and it is amazing to watch them play and enjoy basketball the way I did as a kid.
"Luke, Paula, and Roz have been great; for Luke and Paula, this is their first year coaching in WNBL1, and they are very young as coaching staff, so we're all working together along with Roz, who is so knowledgeable, to create that balance but they are all doing an incredible job."
As she coaches the junior stars at Cobham, Richards often thinks back to when she first started. She sees the kids smiling as Katie hopes that they learn something and, most importantly, choose basketball as part of their routine.
Originally a high-level swimmer, the 24-year-old Richards peaked at just 13 before eventually falling out of love with her first sport.
"My mum put me in the Surrey Youth Games, and she wanted me to find a new passion and something to get active again," Richards reflects.
"We were looking at lacrosse, basketball, and netball. I wasn't a fan of netball. I found lacrosse a bit odd personally, and from there, basketball was something that I enjoyed, and I felt I could really get into I shifted to the sport, and I loved it."
That same love, that same enjoyment, encouraged by her mother and fostered by Henlan, is something Katie now wants to bring to today's young girls who love the sport.
As of 2024, there are currently more than 6,500 female members involved in this sport in England.
This includes 2,000 female members under 16 and 4,600 female members aged 16 and over. Basketball England also has 386 female coaches, 300 of whom are qualified to at least Level 2.
"I enjoy and love the massive sense of community and being around women like me, especially women who are tall, and that was really important," Richards said.
"But more than anything, it's just different, girls and women all coming together to do something they love, and it's really amazing."
Mature beyond her years and eager to make a change, Richards is helping propel Cobham further as they settle into life in WNBL1.
And away from playing, if she can encourage just one youngster to choose the sport – like she did, that will be her true pleasure.
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Main image credit - Santos Studio5 Sport
Words by John Hobbs
