LOS ANGELES — A driveway, a basketball and a $25 hoop from Craigslist. Tyrone Barker was determined to give his daughter handles.
“You’re tall, but you’re gonna need to learn how to dribble this ball,” he told Janiah, now a forward on the UCLA women’s basketball team. “We’re going to need you to dribble – because nobody else is doing that.”
He objected when coaches tried to turn Barker into a post player. So she kept dribbling and later played point guard throughout high school, developing a playing style that is totally unique to her with a personality to match.
Arriving at UCLA from Texas A&M, Barker is doing it all. Her well-timed rebounds keep the ball in the Bruins’ hands and her fearless physicality allows her to score from all three levels. Barker is one of one, and UCLA (32-2) is reaping the benefits in the NCAA Tournament.
“She’s hit a groove of what it looks like for her to be an elite teammate, an elite puzzle piece for a championship-level team,” Bruins head coach Cori Close told reporters after beating Southern in Friday’s opening-round game. “That took a lot of courage on her part, a lot of humility. And her ability to own things and then continue to grow has been remarkable and much needed.”
Barker shined at Texas A&M, recording eight double-doubles as a sophomore while averaging 12.2 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game.
In high school, she was the No. 3 recruit in espnW’s 2022 Hoopgurlz Recruiting Rankings behind now-teammates Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice.
She went from being a star to being among stars when she transferred to UCLA. The adjustment was frustrating at times, but things started to click when she learned what her role was – similar to her approach to playing with the U16 National Team and the 3×3 U18 World Cup team.
“Sometimes her minutes were up and down,” Close said. “She didn’t start and – really, credit to her – she said, ‘I don’t care about starting, I just want to get better.’”
Barker came off the bench to record one of her best stat lines of the season in the Bruins’ 84-46 win over Southern with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. The Big Ten Conference Sixth Player of the Year matched Southern’s ferocity and even fed off it, blowing kisses to Jaguars fans who were heckling her.
“I just feel like God gave my personality,” Barker said. “Shout-out to God for making me funny.”
Her faith and attitude have helped her in this transitionary year with UCLA. When her minutes fluctuated, she worked to remain grounded and realistic during games.
“Trying to still be confident with who Janiah is and then still trying to fulfill the needs of the team is something that I’ve been dealing with the whole season,” she said.
“Because I don’t want to lose my confidence and I feel like sometimes in the game that happens. That’s what I get frustrated at. I have a great coaching staff and great teammates who also are telling me like, it’s OK, like you’re all right. Having the community of them to keep me level-headed is a blessing.”
The Bruins will face one of the most efficient 3-point shooting teams in the country in eighth-seeded Richmond (28-6) on Sunday evening. The Spiders’ 38.3% accuracy from 3-point range ranks fifth in the country and 6-foot-1 guard Rachel Ullstrom leads them at 42.0%.
“Coach (Aaron Roussell) had a little quote the other day – it’s actually a Taylor Swift song, ‘Death By a Thousand Cuts,’” Richmond 6-foot-2 forward Addie Budnik said. “When we cut and we move, we move really well without the ball, I think it creates a lot of open gaps and it draws a lot of defenders in which allows us to get a lot of open 3s.”
Richmond’s playing style means Barker will have to be more selective with her aggression.
Being at UCLA has helped her develop that ability. The coaching staff has slowed her down in order to work on her fundamentals, then allowed her to speed back up again. Watching film has allowed her to reflect on in-game moments and decide if her aggression level was right for the situation.
“(Richmond) makes me want to study, like a test. It makes me want to be ready to be as prepared to take the test as possible,” Barker said.
The journey to UCLA has already prepared her well, just as the driveway dribbling has. Her dad, who was a high-flying basketball player himself, has even taught her how to dunk.
For as much as Barker leaps and slides around the court, she was very still when the Bruins were announced as the No. 1 overall seed on Selection Sunday. Her serious expression remained locked onto the television screen at the team’s watch party while teammates jumped and hugged and took videos.
“I was locked in,” Barker said. “Once I saw that, it was just surreal. I came from Texas A&M not knowing if we were even going to make it into the tournament to being the first pick on the screen, number one overall.
“Number one, it was a blessing. Two, I think I was a little in shock. And three, I was ready for whatever game came next after that.”
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Who: No. 8 Richmond (28-6) at No. 1 UCLA (32-2)
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV/radio: ESPNEWS/UCLA Digital Radio