Mariah Williams was getting an earful.
She listened calmly as a coach pointed out her mistakes, challenged her toughness and implored her to play with more effort. Williams nodded, got set in her stance, and spent the next defensive set darting across the floor after her man, hounding the scout team member as she dribbled the ball on the perimeter.
It is this kind of mentality that leads coach Nikki Caldwell to believe that the Bruins have a future star on their hands in Williams, the small but spectacular point guard out of Colorado Springs.
“Mariah brings an intangible to the game,” Caldwell said. “She is one of our hardest working kids and has a toughness about her.”
These are highly valued qualities for Caldwell, who prides herself on instilling an attitude of toughness and moxie into her team, while imploring them to constantly give maximum effort on the defensive end of the floor. Despite this, Williams’ mistakes in practice were met by constant coaching and some frustration. It is all for the purpose of learning, however, because UCLA will look to Williams to contribute significant minutes this season.
“We’re challenging her to rebound here with us,” Caldwell said of her tough-love methods. “She’s not a quitter, and she will come back and try to do it right the next time.”
For her part, Williams knows that she has a long way to go to improve her play.
“The biggest difference between high school and college basketball is the speed of the game,” Williams said following Wednesday’s practice. “You have to learn on the court, be on your toes. There’s no time for mental lapses.”
Junior guard Doreena Campbell described Williams as a “fireball,” a player who exudes energy at all times. It is this tenacity that makes Williams a perfect fit into Caldwell’s system. As for personal goals, the freshman guard is looking to make a significant impact from the outset.
“My first year here, I’m going to try and be a leader, on the court and in the classroom. I want to bring competitiveness and tough-nosed defense,” Williams said. “I want to be the person that my team can look to for leadership.”
Williams chose UCLA primarily because of her favorable view of the coaching staff, which makes an effort to implement a winning attitude.
“I felt a really good connection with the coaching staff. I could go to them whether it be basketball or life-related,” Williams said.
The other freshman is standout forward Markel Walker. An All-American high school player from Philadelphia, Walker provides a prominent physical and athletic presence for a team lacking in significant size. Walker’s versatility made her a highly sought-after recruit, and Caldwell knows that her presence will provide numerous offensive and defensive benefits.
“Markel is definitely going to be an integral part to this team,” Caldwell said. “She brings a versatility where she can play and defend the 1-5. She is a great athlete, a lot of potential on both ends of the floor.”
Walker knows that she and Williams still have room for improvement and must learn quickly for UCLA to be successful, especially with such a tough schedule looming.
“We have to get better,” Walker said following an exhibition game on Nov. 9. “There are some things that I need to correct.”
Walker, however, is very excited to finally get out on the floor for UCLA. She said that she got dressed more than an hour before tipoff in her first game in a Bruin uniform.
Caldwell thinks that Walker will become a crucial piece of her team as the season progresses, and Caldwell is excited to see what Walker will bring to the floor.
“She is somebody who can take the ball off the glass and start the break for us,” Caldwell said. “We’re going to keep harping on her to understand that she is going to have to be more skilled. She’s a smart individual.”
Amid extremely high expectations, Walker and Williams are looking to be successful in their first season in Westwood. The future of Bruin basketball is looking up.
“We have to improve, but we’ll be good,” Walker said.