Freshman Mailien Rolf is living in the present.
For her, that means bringing everything she’s got to each practice and game and being steady.
It’s that steadiness that her teammates rely on — well, also her defense and offense.
Arizona Wildcats guard Mailien Rolf (13) looks for a pass after losing control of the ball against Utah Utes guard Ines Vieira (2) during the second half at McKale Center, Dec. 31, 2024.
Sometimes, these things stand out, like when the 5-10 guard cracked double-figures for the first time this season against Weber State, scoring 11 points and going 5 for 5 from the field (knocking down one 3-pointer) and collecting three steals.
Other times, it may not be as noticeable unless you are watching closely to how she’s defending and running the offense.
Against BYU, she had a key defensive rebound in the waning seconds that helped the Wildcats steal the Big 12 opener and against Utah, it was Rolf’s presence on the court and her solid defense that even in a loss, proves she’s right where she belongs.
Her effort, steady improvement and calmness during chaos are all things that Arizona coach Adia Barnes values.
“You never have to question her effort,” Barnes said. “She’s never going to make a mistake and hang her head or not run back on defense. She’s going to give max effort every time. So that is the type of player I like, and she’s going to earn more minutes because of that.”
As Arizona (10-5, 1-1 Big 12) takes on UCF (7-5, 0-2) in Orlando on Saturday, there is comfort in knowing that Rolf is ready whenever her name is called.
Rolf is already averaging 16 minutes per game, which are good minutes for a rookie. She isn’t concerned about minutes right now, as she knows the harder she plays, the more she’ll find herself on the court to help the Wildcats.
Rolf is focused on continuous improvement, and it shows. At the start of the season, she was working on understanding the difference between European and American basketball.
She was also fouling and turning the ball over too much. Since the beginning of December, she has only committed nine fouls compared to 21 in November. During that same time in December, she only had two turnovers compared to 17 in November.
Barnes said she knows that Rolf will make some freshman mistakes and she’s fine with that because even if she turns the ball over, she’s sprinting back on defense and going hard.
Arizona Wildcats guard Mailien Rolf (13) dribbles by Utah Utes guard Kennady McQueen (24) during the second half at McKale Center, Dec. 31, 2024.
“She’s gotten better and now I think there’s more trust,” Barnes said. “She (comes) in, she’s making shots, she’s making the right read. She doesn’t have to come in and score 15 points. That’s coming to be solid and that’s what’s were getting from her.”
Rolf said it has been a matter of getting reps in games, watching film, getting to know her teammates better and being more comfortable in the Arizona system. Two teammates who have helped her are co-captains Isis Beh and Jada Williams.
Beh gives general feedback on areas Rolf needs to improve and a different perspective, especially coming from a post who is now in her sixth year.
Williams has helped Rolf in understanding things on the offensive side — whether she’s at the shooting or point guard positions, as well as what to look for in a pick-and-roll situation.
Sometimes in games, it sticks in Rolf’s mind that she has to “call the re-screen, so we get something out of it.”
Still, Rolf said she doesn’t overthink when she’s on the court. After getting the scout from her coaches and working on areas she’s improving on, it becomes more instinctual when she’s on the court.
“It’s important that I am just playing (at that point),” Rolf said. “I know (I have been prepared by the coaches) so I don’t need to think so much about it. I know what our game plan is; I know what we want to do … I don’t think too much, so I’m not too stressed out about something and just playing.”
Although, when she subs out of a game, she’s getting plenty of guidance from Barnes. This helps Rolf adjust so she can help her teammates even more when she gets back on the court.
“Sometimes as a player, you don’t see everything,” Rolf said. “... It’s really important and it’s helped me learn.”
Rolf has been learning at a fast pace, a lot of which has to do with Barnes.
“She believed in me, gave me the opportunity, the confidence to go out and play my game and to get into my flow,” Rolf said. “She’s really supportive. She knows what I’m good at and sometimes she reminds me what my strengths are and gives me confidence on the floor.”
Rolf came to Arizona with a knack for defense. On the German National team, she was always defending the best player on the other team. Still, she’s been learning the finer points on defense, UA’s calling card, from assistant Salvo Coppa.
This has included how to stand, “even when you’re not defending the player with the ball,” Rolf said.
“You rotate and have a good vision of everything,” Rolf continued. “You know where your player is, you know where the ball is and how you need to rotate when the defender on ball gets beaten and you need to help.”
Every part of Rolf’s game has improved so far, and on the offensive side, she is working on being more aggressive and getting to the basket.
For the team, even though she is a rookie, win or lose, she brings the same energy and tries to keep the focus on the main thing: getting better day by day collectively.
Being a Wildcat is everything and more than Rolf could have imagined.
“As a team we are really good with each other,” Rolf said. “The atmosphere at McKale (Center), our fans are really supportive. Overall, it’s just great to be here with all these people and that’s why it’s really lovely; (we’re) just having fun together. I think that’s a really important point when you want to win.”
