If anybody can claim to have sampled the highs and lows of elite level basketball in the last 12 months then Caledonia center Maya Price is certainly very high on that list.
From suffering a potentially career-ending injury last year to bouncing back emphatically and making history both domestically and internationally with the London Lions and Great Britain, the 24-year-old discussed her journey and growth over the last 12 months.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs. Starting the year by tearing my ACL was incredibly tough but it ended in the best possible way by winning the EuroCup with London and then having the opportunity to compete for Great Britain in Rwanda over the summer, before coming here to Scotland for a new challenge.
“When I compare myself now to how I was before any of the last 12 months happened, I have developed a lot emotionally, mentally and learnt a lot of great ways to cope with adversity in that time, but I’ve also learnt how important your teammates are because they helped me get through the last year a lot.
“To have gone through all that and end it all with moments like the EuroCup Final and winning the second leg in London in front of that incredible crowd, it was amazing and stands out as a highlight from a challenging year.”
Surpassing all expectations
Level-headed and modest in conversation, Price’s toughness and determination shines through on the hardwood as the young British center delivered several eye-catching performances for the Lions last season on her return from injury.
Standing at 6’2”, the GB international discussed her beginnings in the game and how much the sport has helped develop her confidence.
“I played every sport I could at school and basketball was just the one that I fell in love with. I first started playing when I was 10 and that year there was a tournament after which Ipswich invited me to train at their Centre of Excellence and the rest is history.
“I’ve always been quite tall which meant when I played netball I was stuck in the goalkeeper position a lot and so getting to play basketball and get up and down the court and do everything on every play was just so exciting for me.
“With my height growing up I lacked confidence because I was really tall for my age, but in basketball it’s a big advantage so it helped me find myself a little bit more as well. I don’t think when I was 10 years old I would have believed I would go on to do what I’ve achieved so far, so to think about how happy that version of myself would be with what I’ve done is really nice.”
A new chapter in Caledonia
After achieving everything it was possible to accomplish with the London Lions last season, Price has made the move north of the border for the inaugural Super League Basketball campaign in joining Chantelle Handy’s Caledonia Gladiators. The young British center discussed the thinking behind her latest move.
“I really enjoy the ambition of this club. Everything is about building to be better and I’m excited to be a part of that, especially to compete in the Super League and in Europe again and play a bigger role this year hopefully now that I’ve fully recovered from injury.
“I’ve been a bit later than some of the girls in getting here for pre-season because we were out in Rwanda with GB, but coming back in has been really smooth and everybody has been so welcoming.
“Hannah [Robb] and I were in Rwanda together so we got to know each other better there, and when you’re with a good group of people who all want the same thing once you get out onto the court and get practicing you figure things out pretty quickly. We have big ambitions for the team and want to win titles for this club and continue to build British basketball.”