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Walk-on shines new light on Lady Saints
In many ways, even Brooklyn Bahme can’t even explain how she ended up as the starting point guard on the MHCC women’s basketball team.
Bahme was as a standout basketball player in high school and earned all-state honors, but even with colleges wanting her to come play, she didn’t see basketball in her future. “It just wasn’t something I was that into,” said Bahme. “I just wanted to get away and go be a college student.”
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Bahme grew up in Clackamas where she attended Clackamas High School. Bahme was a two-sport athlete until her sophomore year when she quit soccer to focus on basketball. “I just didn’t feel that soccer was my sport, so I decided to switch to basketball full time,” said Bahme.
She earned two second-team all-state nominations and one honorable mention in her career at Clackamas and after her senior year, she said she received letters from universities and community colleges (none from Mt. Hood). But she wasn’t thinking about more basketball.
“I never even thought about playing college basketball,” said Bahme. “I just had other plans.”
After high school, Bahme moved away to attend Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, to get away from her life in Oregon. But soon after heading off to college, she met her future husband Clint at UVU.
“I never thought I would be married already but when I met him in Utah, it just felt right.” They were married last April.
“I love being married to Clint,” said Bahme, “He is the best support system for me and he is really supportive of me in whatever I do.”
After getting married, Clint was talking with MHCC men’s Head Coach Rob Nielson and was planning to attend MHCC in the fall. Clint felt Brooklyn was missing more than just home and figured out what exactly else it was.
“I was already talking with Nielson,’ said Clint, “and I could tell that Brook was missing something in her life. I thought it was basketball and I was right”\
Clint, who is a 6’1” freshman on the men’s basketball team, told her she was good enough and advised her to try out at MHCC as a walk-on.
“She has always been great at basketball,” he said. “She just needed a little push so I gave it to her. I am extremely supportive in anything she does. It is nice because I can be there to support her and vice versa. I just wish she would play a little more with me because she won’t play me one-on-one”
Brooklyn said she feels the same way.
“We aren’t really competitive,” she said. “We just really support each other and it is nice to be able to see each other play. I am just lucky to get to play and watch him because we play for the same school. As for being competitive with him, I just don’t want that to come between us. I just love the fact we can support each other and push each other to do what we want to do in basketball and in life.”
When Brooklyn decided to walk on, the coaches didn’t even know who she was.
Last fall she showed up to her advanced basketball class (which usually is just the women’s basketball team taking the course) and nobody was there.
“When she walked into my advanced basketball class, I didn’t even know she was signed up for it,” said women’s Head Coach Larry Davis. “I gave the girls a day off because usually only the basketball team takes the class. But she was signed up.”
Teammate Brittany Yates told Davis there was a girl out in the gym looking for her class, so Davis went out to talk with her.
“I was so nervous,” said Bahme. “When I met with Coach, he didn’t know what I had to offer. He was basically like, “Who is this girl that wants to play?”
According to Davis, he almost made the wrong decision.
“I told her I really only wanted to keep the roster at 12 ladies,” said Davis. “But I let her stick around and now look where she is. She is my starting point guard. If I would have let her go that day, it would have been my worst coaching decision I ever made.”
As a freshman, the 5’7” Bahme is averaging 7.85 points a game and a team high of 1.81 steals per game. The team is in fourth place in the Southern Region heading into next week’s NWAACC tournament in Kennewick, Wash.
“I just want to keep expanding my game,” said Bahme. “I don’t care about setting records. I just want to win.”
Davis said Bahme is a key to his team’s success this year.
Bahme said her approach to the game is simple: you go hard and push yourself every day. She is willing to scrape her knees on the floor diving for the loose ball two minutes into the game hoping to pump her teammates up.
“Defense is my best part but I can push the offense to get us going,” she said.
Her teammates think it is how much defensive pressure she puts on other teams.
“She is very aggressive,” said sophomore teammate Alexandra Melonson. “For being a walk-on, I am completely surprised at how hard she plays. She definitely gets in your face when you mess up.”
As for Davis, he just loves the work ethic Bahme brings on and off the floor every night.
“She is a workhorse for us,” said Davis. “There has never been a question with her work ethic. She leaves it all on the floor every night. She is one of the key reasons to our success this year.”
As a freshman, it is still too early for her to be getting looks from Division-1 schools, says Davis.
“It is just way too early, considering she is a walk-on,” said Davis. “But by this next time next year, she will be definitely getting recruited somewhere that is big.”
According to Davis, she is one of the hardest working girls on his team.
“I gave the girls a ‘foxhole test’ at the beginning of the year and I recognized who was standing out and she was the first one,” said Davis. “When I brought her up, I told the other ladies, ‘Look girls, we have a walk-on here. She is busting her butt and you all need to step it up.’”
As for her future, Brooklyn doesn’t even know what she wants to do.
“I have no plans right now,” said Bahme. “I am just taking general studies but I should probably decide on something soon. But right now, I just want to keep playing basketball.”