For Mailien Rolf, the decision to attend Arizona and play for Adia Barnes and the women’s basketball team seems pretty simple.
Although, like many freshmen, she still isn’t set on a major (maybe something sports-related), the 5-foot-10-inch German native wanted to combine academics and playing basketball.
But what really drew her to Arizona sounds familiar.
“It’s really family out here,” Rolf said. “Everybody comes together; you can trust each other.
“During my recruiting process, I saw a lot of games from Arizona basketball, and I really enjoyed the playing style. It’s great, impressive and how people interact with each other on the floor; that was something I really enjoy.”
Rolf is part of a three-player freshman class that also includes Lauryn Swann (from New York) and Katarina Kneževic (from Serbia).
Rolf was the final newcomer to arrive on campus in August, as she had obligations with her national team.
She played with Germany’s U20 team in FIBA’s U20 Women’s Eurobasket Tournament. She averaged 5.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. She also collected eight steals and five blocks. In three of the seven games played, she had double-digit rebounds.
Incoming Arizona guard Mailien Rolf fires off a pass in Germany’s 76-71 win over Slovenia in July in Vilnius, Lithuania, as part of the 2024 U20 Eurobasket tournament.
Germany finished just off the medal podium, falling to Italy, 70-48, in the third-place game.
“It’s always an honor to represent my country,” Rolf said. “I know the people, and (when) you can grow together, and you have a lot of fun and have the opportunity to play against other countries, that’s really cool.”
She has been part of the German National Team system for a number of years, and the chemistry she’s built with her teammates comes from talking a lot, getting those reps and learning each other’s tendencies. She expects to do the same as a Wildcat.
“I think it’s easy to come together when you practice a lot and when you talk. That’s really important. I think it’s good here (at Arizona),” Rolf added.
While Rolf can shoot and pass, she also adds a different element to her game for a guard: rebounding.
“I like the feeling when you are up in the air and to grab the rebound and the other ones just look at you and are like, ‘What are you doing here?’” Rolf said. “Not every guard is rebounding, so you have an easy opportunity to get the ball, and it also opens up the game. The guard already has the ball. You can push the ball, create and have good opportunity to score. I think that’s really fun.”
Rebounding is always something that Barnes stresses. With Esmery Martinez, who collected more than 1,200 rebounds during her five-year collegiate career, graduating — she was drafted by the WNBA’s New York Liberty before signing to play in France this season — the Wildcats will look to a number of others this season to fill the gap. That includes Rolf.
Since 2021, Rolf has played club ball for Rhein-Main in the second division of the German women’s Bundesliga.
Last summer, she played on Germany’s U20 and U18 teams. At the FIBA European Championships with the U18 team, she averaged 10 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.1 minutes per game.
In August of 2023, she moved up and was with the U20 team at the Division B 2023 U20 Women’s European Championships. She averaged 3.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, two assists, and 1.5 steals in 19.2 minutes per game.
Rolf said that her love for the game of basketball comes from her older brother, Marvin, who played small forward. She started playing around five years of age because “I did everything he did,” she said.
“He played basketball, so I played basketball,” Rolf added. “That’s how it goes.”
Rolf was a little nervous coming to Tucson later than her teammates but said that everyone was very welcoming. It’s the first time she has lived away from home and is settling in.
It took her a few days to adjust to the heat in Tucson, but now likes that “the sun is always shining.”
Another adjustment is coming on the court for Rolf. She’s learned quickly that the emphasis on defense at Arizona is on a different level.
“I really enjoy defense; I don’t like to train it, but on the field, I really enjoy it,” Rolf said. “I had the opportunity on the (German) National Team to always guard one of the best players. I really like to get into (their minds) and be on them.”
