Holmes Finds a Home in Morgantown
January 15, 2015 10:14 AM | General
When Bria Holmes committed to attend West Virginia University, everything seemed perfect.
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Bria Holmes receives her 1,000-point game ball from coach Mike Carey prior to WVU's game against No. 5 Baylor on Jan. 10, 2015.
Photo by Dale Sparks/All-Pro Photography
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She was given the opportunity to play basketball at a notable Division I institution, and the New Haven, Connecticut, native would get to visit home frequently.
At the time, the Mountaineers competed in the Big East Conference with multiple road games scheduled within a short drive from Holmes’ family.
But then things changed.
“Going into my senior year of high school, I found out that we were going to be moving to the Big 12,” Holmes said.
West Virginia’s move to the Big 12 Conference meant no more road games at the likes of Connecticut, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Providence, Villanova or St. John’s - all within a few hours from New Haven.
For Holmes, who is extremely close to her family, this meant less time with those who had been with her since day one.
“They had been at practically all of my games since I was little. They supported me through everything. I’m really close to them,” she explained. It takes a lot for me to open up to somebody. With my family, that isn’t the case.”
But she didn’t panic, and instead thought of the positives.
“I just thought to myself that even though we weren’t going to play teams close to home that I could still deal with being eight hours from home,” Holmes said. “I wanted to come here. I really liked it here.”
So the 6-foot-1 guard made the trip down to Morgantown and began her collegiate career. The No. 28-ranked prospect in her class immediately experienced the difficulties of the transition from high school to college.
“It was really tough at first. I would call home every week,” Holmes admitted. “Basketball was hard. I was meeting a ton of new people and trying to find my fit. But I stuck with it and adjusted well.”
Holmes appeared in 31 games as a freshman, scoring nearly six points a contest, while devoting countless hours in the gym.
“In high school, the defense is way different that it is here. It took me a while to adjust to the defense here,” Holmes said. “I feel like now I’m experienced with it and know the intensity coach expects from me. It’s hard. I struggled my whole freshman year. But after a while, it comes to you naturally.”
The hours of hard work and dedication started becoming apparent in year two. Holmes soared to a 15.3 points per game average, contributing 47 steals and 22 blocks.
The accolades began to accumulate, but Holmes never seem fazed. The quiet, family oriented girl who doesn’t open up to many, simply kept playing basketball.
“I just take it step by step and day-by-day. I’ve just always been like that since high school, middle school – since I first started playing basketball. You hear things that people are saying about you and you take it all in, but at the same time you just play,” she said. “I just put it all behind me and continued to do what I do.”
Her honors so far this season have included being named the Big 12 Preseason Player of Year, being placed on the Naismith Top 50 Watch List and to the Lindy’s Preseason All-America First Team. For a conference that has handed out its Player of the Year award to Odyssey Sims and Brittney Griner each of the past four seasons, Holmes looked forward to the challenge.
“It’s motivation. I come into practice and stay after to work on my shooting and stuff – all the little things I need to work on,” she said. “I do it so I can get to where I need to be and do what I need to do.
As expected, Holmes is off to a strong start this season. The junior is averaging nearly 22 points per game and is in the nation’s top-15 scoring list. On Jan. 7, 2015, Holmes became the 31st WVU player to reach 1,000-points with her 22 at No. 3 Texas.
Most importantly, though, she has found a family in Morgantown.
“I don’t care to go home as much now. It’s fun to go home and see family and friends, but it also feels great to come back to Morgantown,” Holmes said. “I’ve developed something special with the people here.”
With a season and a half left in her career, Holmes still has a lot to play for. She embraces new challenges, lends a helping hand to her teammates and excels in the classroom, while being named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.
The humble Holmes, who often reflects on the support and backing provided by her family back in New Haven, has reciprocated the foundation of family to her fellow Mountaineers.
“I hope people think of me as someone who was always there to pick her teammates up and encourage them to best the best they can be,” Holmes said. “I hope they believe in their dreams because that’s what my family always taught me.”
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