George Washington University Athletics
'Here was the Dream'
1/4/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
George Mason is off to the best start of it's Division I era with a 13-3 overall mark and a 2-0 record in A-10 games after wins against Davidson and La Salle. Graduate transfer Natalie Butler (UConn) is averaging a double-double of 18.6 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. Nicole Cardaño-Hillary (17.8 ppg) and Jacy Bolton (10.9) also average double figures for head coach Nyla Milleson's Patriots.
Kelsi MahoneyJr. | 6'1" | Forward
Concord, N.C.
Mahoney set a new career-high scoring total for the second time this season by pouring in 17 points at VCU on Wednesday night. It marked the seventh time this season she has hit double figures. The junior is averaging career-bests of 9.1 points and 3.0 rebounds across 14 games this season.
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By Eric Detweiler, GW Athletics Communications
Raised by hoops royalty in her native Colombia, Camila Tapias understood the power and possibilities of the sport from an early age.
When the daughter of a pair of national team stars-turned-coaches turned her attention to American college basketball, she had goals beyond the court in mind, too.
That perspective helps explain why Tapias doesn't hesitate to declare her first three seasons at GW a success, in spite of a limited personal stat line.
"It's just that since I was little I knew that I always wanted a place that was going to challenge me, both academically and athletically," said Tapias, who entered her senior season averaging 7.2 minutes and 2.2 points in 52 appearances. "I know that if I stayed in Colombia, of course, it was going to be fun, and I was going to be playing, but I just wanted something more. For me, here was the dream."
Tapias -- after celebrating three Atlantic 10 titles and postseason berths in as many years and with a degree in Organizational Sciences within reach -- didn't need individual success in her final season to feel good about her decision to join the Colonials.
It's all the more rewarding that she's found it, though. After a patient wait filled with plenty of hard work, Tapias is a captain and regular in Head Coach Jennifer Rizzotti's starting lineup, averaging career bests in minutes (22.5), points (4.6) and just about every other statistical category.
"She's come out and been our most steady guy," Rizzotti said. "She doesn't make a lot of mistakes. She understands her role. She defends her butt off. It's just an easy decision for us to give her a lot of minutes. She's earned all of that."
It's no coincidence Tapias has perfected that formula.
She charged into the family sport with enthusiasm, joining her first organized team at 5 and the youth national team at 14. By now, she's developed into the kind of player her parents Yenny and Jose love to coach. (And her mother does as an assistant on the Colombian National Team.)
Those qualities helped Tapias carve a path from the local club run by her mother in their hometown of Bogota to IMG Academy in Florida to GW.
Naturally, the 5-foot-6 guard trusted that they would earn her a regular role with the Colonials, even as the anticipation tested her mental toughness.
"I just try my best all the time," Tapias said. "Of course, Coach is the one that makes the decisions, but I just want to make sure that I'm always coming with a great mentality for each practice. Just bringing a lot of energy and always being aggressive."
At the beginning, Tapias expected to wait her turn at GW. As a freshman, she appreciated the chance to learn early on from veterans like Lauren Chase and Jonquel Jones as she adapted to life in Foggy Bottom on and off the court.
"I had so much to learn," said Tapias, who totaled 48 minutes over 16 games on GW's run to the NCAA Tournament that season. "And I was just so happy to be here."
Tapias believed she was ready to contribute more as a sophomore but never felt quite right physically on the heels of offseason knee surgery.
Last season, Tapias came back energized by Rizzotti's promise of a clean slate. She impressed the first-year coach enough to earn a spot in the starting lineup early in the season but couldn't hold the job. Her minutes fluctuated game-to-game, making it tough to find a rhythm.
She headed into her final offseason knowing it was now or never.
"It's definitely hard because, of course, you want to play more," Tapias said. "You have your low moments when maybe you're not as motivated, but I always tried to find that will inside me and say `OK, I'm here for a reason. I just want to help my team.'"
Tapias spent part of the summer on campus training with classmate Brianna Cummings around an internship at the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition. Later, she headed for Argentina, where she played with the Colombian National Team in the FIBA Americup.
When Tapias got back, she continued to state her case for how she could help the Colonials. Rizzotti named her a captain in October, along with Cummings and Mei-Lyn Bautista, hoping her mature approach could rub off on a young squad.
"She's never waivered in her commitment to this team and her commitment to get better," Rizzotti said. "She's proof that if you just stick it out and you do things the right way and you become reliable and you're coachable, you're going to find a way to get on the court and stay there."
It helps that Tapias has settled into a role that highlights her strengths, too. After seeing time at point guard, she's moved almost exclusively to shooting guard, where her ball security, swift decision-making and outside shooting ability are assets.
GW has switched to an offensive scheme that's more wide open, which has offered more opportunities for Tapias to find space to catch a kick-out pass and drill open outside looks. She leads the Colonials at 42 percent shooting from 3-point range (18-of-43), well above her career average.
"I'm really proud of her," Cummings said. "We've all seen (her shooting), day in and day, at practice for three-and-a-half, four years, so it's great that she's getting the chance to show it out on the court."
As GW heads into the thick of its A-10 schedule, Tapias knows it's her job to set the tone at practice and in games to show her teammates what it takes to handle the grind of conference play. She takes pride in staying calm and positive when things get tough.
After all, challenges like that are what fueled the dream that brought her to the Colonials in the first place.
"I'm just trying to make the best of it," Tapias said. "Now that I have this opportunity, I don't want to take it for granted. I want to make sure that I keep pushing."
