By: Ben Addison & Matt Kirkle
Mariah Murdie, Sophomore Center for the Maverick Women’s Basketball team, was a part of the 2018/2019 Summit League All-Newcomer Team. During her time playing, Murdie had managed to establish herself as a leader amongst the team.
Fellow teammate, Senior Guard, Juliana Chagas said, “She’s a good leader, she cheers us up when things aren’t going our way. She’s a great teammate.”
Murdie is a player who is always there to push others while she pushes herself and her limits. Something that the rest of the team can easily see and want to follow.
“I feel like I can trust her, you know, to do anything and she is going to be there with me, and that she is gonna give her 100 percent all the time. I know she’s gonna dive for the balls, I know she’s gonna run every single sprint to get on defense,” said Chagas.
This is also something that Head Coach Brittany Lange has caught on to from last year and continues to see it through the off-season.
“Mariah is a unique player where you get to see gains from her day-to-day, you know some players it takes a couple of months or maybe year-to-year, but she is so talented, she’s so athletic, she really has the desire to be really, really good. So, you just see those jumps week-to-week,” said Lange
Chagas also said in her interview that Murdie acts the exact same way off the court as she does off the court saying quote, “She the same thing, the same way. A great friend.”
Looking forward to next season, Lange mentioned in what area she wants to see Murdie continue to grow.
“Really where we are looking for that gain for her is continually on the IQ side of things. Understanding the game, understanding how to make her teammates better,” said Lange.
As U-N-O Women’s Basketball looks forward to next season they are confident that they will be able to continue to grow as a team with a player like Mariah Murdie setting the pace.
