A quiet, laid-back player, the New Zealand-born Burgess, who was nominated for the McDonald's All-American Basketball Game this year, takes it all in stride.

At least, she doesn't let her opponents see her sweat.

"Probably just a certain few can tell I'm not in the game," Burgess said. "It comes natural."

And what didn't come natural, her mother, Donna, a former New Zealand junior national player, taught her.

"She taught me to keep my composure when I'm playing, and if something isn't going right, pick it up at the other end and make up for it," Burgess said.

Off the court, she's the same. Not prone to make small talk, she speaks in a soft voice that evokes calm.

But begin talking basketball and her love for the game is obvious. The third-year starter, who excels on the defensive end, becomes animated.

"She has the passion," said her mother.

And in this family, so far, Burgess is the only apple to fall close to the tree. One of five children, Burgess, as the second eldest, is the only one so far to take the game to heart.

"I really liked to play," she said. "And my sisters didn't like to train."

While in her mid-teens, Donna played on the New Zealand junior national basketball team and was selected to play in the Commonwealth Games in the 1970s.

Burgess counts her mother as her main role model.

"She's been there, she's done it, so she knows the game well," she said.

And as passionate as Burgess is about the game, her mother is equally passionate about her daughter on the court.

"As she's hit the seniors, it's been frustrating," her mother said. "I have to really pull myself back and remember that I'm her mother first."

Two stark contrasts set New Zealand basketball apart from the style played in the United States. The speed of the game is much faster here, and the age when players begin differs.

"They start them very young [here]," Donna said.

But compared with some, Burgess was a late bloomer. Starting with Junior Jazz when she was 8, a year after arriving in the United States, Burgess already knew the basics after spending a lot of time practicing outside.

Still, with all the practice, her mother said she had to work to be as good as she is today.

And while Burgess doesn't count schoolwork on her list of highs, working on her basketball game is.

"She has the discipline," her mother said. "Dayna enjoys going to training."

Coach Ron Ence agreed. "She has a good work ethic. She's not afraid to work on whatever part of the game she needs to work on."

Burgess began playing competitive ball in the sixth grade and played with Haley Hall and Michelle Pace on the Avalanche three summers ago. She stuck with the team last season when it changed to the Salt Lake Metro.

She's undecided about her future, but is contemplating attending Brigham Young University and walking on to the basketball team.

"I think she has the skills to contribute to the next level," Ence said.

Regardless of where she goes, you'll find Burgess hard at work perfecting her basketball skills.

"I play it because I just love it. I like practicing. I like improving. It makes me happy."