MAKING HER POINT
Don’t doubt BCD star Mullin because she’ll make you pay
Maddie Mullin’s basketball career didn’t start out in stardom.
A late bloomer to the sport, Mullin began playing organized basketball in sixth grade, but didn’t see the court much. That didn’t deter Mullin as she kept working on her game to convince those around her that she belonged on the court more than she belonged on the bench.
At Beaver Country Day School, the 5-foot-8 junior guard still uses those doubters as her motivation, as evidenced by a meteoric rise in which she has scored over 1,000 points in just two-and-a-half seasons.
“I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder,” Mullin said. “I always need to prove it to someone else. People say negative things and people talk bad. I let that all go and give it my all and forget about everyone there and do what I know how to do.
“There’s always people out there that say stuff. I play to prove everyone wrong. All the people that ever doubted me when I was younger, to prove them wrong.”
In Mullin’s freshman season, the Wellesley native came off the bench and made some spot starts. But it wasn’t until her sophomore year that Mullin took off and began to showcase her talents. An adept scorer, Mullin averaged 25.8 points per game as a sophomore and earned Eastern Independent League Player of the Year honors.
“She’s a scoring playmaker,” said Beaver Country Day coach Vince Johnson. “She can pretty much do everything you want offensively and, actually, defensively. Unlimited range. Strong ball handling skills. Can get to where she wants to on the court — and the vision, she can make the passes as well. Complete offensive game and she has the motor to keep going.”
Entering this season with a target on her back, Mullin felt like she had even more to prove as a known commodity. Her drive never wavered as she’s managed to pick apart opposing defenses en route to a 26-points-per-game average.
“I haven’t really coached a lot of kids with that type of drive and determination,” Johnson said. “That’s one of the big things to her success.”
On the road against Winsor on Jan. 11, Mullin turned in a noteworthy performance that rewarded all of her hard work. She notched a season-high 38 points in a 59-43 win, but it was a first-half baseline floater that she’ll never forget. With that shot, Mullin became just the fourth player in program history to reach 1,000 points.
“It was crazy,” Mullin said. “It was awesome getting it as a junior. I put tons of work into it. It was a nice moment and it felt good. It was definitely an accomplishment.”
Getting to that milestone just didn’t happen overnight. It started with a determination to get more playing time along with countless hours of putting up shots in the driveway. Mullin now has the interest of several Division 1 colleges to try to take her game, which many doubted at first, to the next level.
“I wanted to show that I can be good,” Mullin said. “I put in so much time and effort that it’s nice to see now that it’s paying off.”