“I've had the best of both [teammates and coaches] and that is rare. Very rare from what I've heard from former teammates I’ve played with or even people that I played against,” Thomas said. “So our connection has been really good. I would definitely call them another part of my family for sure. They make things not just easier, but they make you enjoy the experience.”

“Like anything in life, it begins with your mindset. With what you believe to be true. If you have self doubt, you will hesitate in [the] game. We work to not only sharpen your physical tools but also your mental tools to allow you to fully trust your work and stop listening to the old stories in our head as to why we cannot do something,” Coach Packie said.

“The most important thing [is] everybody that works hard will get an opportunity at some point. I think my suggestion is trusting the process and being okay [with] starting at the bottom. Pay your dues… Look for that opportunity and when you receive [it], work hard and be patient with it. Enjoy the process of growing and learning instead of just expecting instant success.”

“They're invested in seeing him be successful on and off the court. So when he has struggles or some frustrations, it's been nice for them to give us some encouragement… You can’t always get that from different places. UPB is just not just a training place, it's a community. They want to see kids achieve.”

Over the last week of November, the Saints placed in the D2SIDA Women’s Basketball Division II Media Poll for the first time in program History. The team tied with Southwestern Oklahoma State at No. 25. Sopak not only credits the team’s defense for their success, but also credits the relationships that she and her teammates have built together.

The grind did not stop for Chidom after AfroBasket 2021. Two days after winning the gold, she arrived in Angers, France on Tuesday, September 28th to start her season with Union Feminine Angers Basket 49 in their first game that upcoming Saturday on October 2nd. It was a quick turnaround, but Chidom was up for the challenge to quickly learn the team’s plays and get into the rhythm of European basketball.

My favorite part [about playing overseas is] being able to play a game that [I] love and [do what I have] always [dreamt] about when [I was] a little girl, to play professional basketball. Now I'm finally doing it, and [I am] able to play and travel the world,” Melgoza said. “Like that's literally my job, to play and travel the world. I think that's just an amazing thing, and I'm so grateful that I had this opportunity to do that.”

Hernandez played in her first collegiate basketball game on November 7th when the Anteaters hosted Westcliff University and won 114-53. Hernandez played 13 minutes and had five points, three assists and two steals.

“The most important thing we want people to get from [the clothing brand] is the message behind it and to help people who are in our position, who just feel like they don't fit in,” Manjon said. “We want them to understand the truths of our God, and we want that message to get across while providing good clothes that they can wear.”

“Just being ready whenever my number is called is the number one thing and to continue to make my teammates better every single day, whether that's on the court or being a leader in the locker room,” Begovich said.

“It was honestly really surreal just because it's something I've been working on for a while,” Mastora said. “My basketball journey has just been such a long one I feel, and it's definitely taken a lot to come to this point to get here. Now that I'm here, I'm ready and excited for what else is yet to come.”

I was happy and relieved [to make the team] because it was a stressful three days. It was just a lot of basketball and a lot of trying to make sure like I'm doing everything I can do to make the team,” Washington said.

“[Committing] felt so unreal. I was like, wow. I'm just so blessed to even get an offer,” Bariteau said. “It's been my dream since I was younger to play basketball in college, so to get a D1 offer, it's crazy to me. It really felt unreal but I’m so happy about it, it's awesome.”

“I see athletes struggle with their identity all the time and I believe they need to be taught how to separate themselves and their performance from their worth. Being present and in the moment can really help with this,” Turner said. “I know that our gym is the first place many children learn about mindfulness. If incorporating mindfulness into our training sessions helps even just one person I feel like we have succeeded.”

“I have great relationships with all my teammates and all my coaches, it just feels natural. I can say what I need to say or I can ask anyone if I ever need help with anything,” Anastasieska said. “I think it's kind of a mutually beneficial relationship where I can ask them anything and they'll help me and vice versa.”

On to Hawkins’ second workout of the day, that was when Illinois women's basketball players Sara Anastasieska, De’myla Brown and Solape Amusan joined the session. During that workout they focused on different combo moves into finishes such as the eurostep, spin moves and step throughs. They also worked on ball handling and shooting, working from the midrange and then moving out to the three-point line. Hawkins said the workout was close to the traditional UPB workouts she normally does at the facility.

“I would say committing felt unreal. Since I was four years old I've always dreamt of playing basketball at the next level,” Moore said. “I would say it just feels amazing to be able to play at such a high level.”

Brookshire credits much of her success and accomplishments within her professional career overseas due to training her mindset and training at UPB’s facility that centers both physical and mental training. She said having a sound mind and strong mindset has helped navigate her through obstacles that have come up and has helped her feel good both on and off the court.

This season, Ionescu played in 30 regular season games, and she started in 26 of them. In the 30 games she played, Ionescu averaged 11.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds. In her first regular season game back, Ionescu dropped 25 points and hit the game winner with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock to give the Liberty their first win of the season against the Indiana Fever with a score of 90-87.