By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
        
TAMPA, Fla. – Other than the rare cases like Sophia Young, Brittney Griner, Odyssey Sims and Nina Davis, Baylor freshmen are rarely seen, other than maybe some cameo shots on the bench.
        
Such is the case with the Fierce Five, a No. 1-ranked recruiting class that coach Kim Mulkey signed a year ago. All five were Top 30 recruits individually, but only NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo are getting double-digit minutes for a Baylor team (36-1) that will play Notre Dame (35-3) in Sunday's 6 p.m. CDT national championship game at Amalie Arena.
        
"It was definitely difficult to adjust to," said Honesty Scott-Grayson, a 5-9 guard from New Jersey who is averaging just 2.6 points and 6.7 minutes, "but you've got to realize that there are underclassmen ahead of you. You just have to be patient and know that your time is coming."
        
That's the thing, they don't have to look too far to find examples of players who have waited their turn.
        
All-Americans Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox averaged 14.4 and 13.4 minutes, respectively, as freshman. Junior guard Juicy Landrum, who's averaging 11.2 points while knocking down a team-high 61 3-pointers this year, scored just 55 points total and averaged 9.5 minutes as a freshman.
        
"Lauren and Kalani always remind me that we're not alone, this has happened to them, too," said Egbo, a 6-3 center from Houston, Texas, who has averaged 5.4 points and 4.2 rebounds while logging just over 10 minutes per game. "Kalani was in the same predicament, if not even worse, when she was a freshman. It's just nice knowing that you're not alone and you have someone to talk to."
        
Each of the five has had their moments, but the headliner in the group has been Smith, a 6-2 forward from Converse, Texas, who has recorded three double-doubles and 16 double-digit scoring games. Named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, she is fifth in scoring (8.2) and tied for third in rebounding at 5.1 per game and is shooting 53.4 percent from the field.


        
"It's all about patience," said Smith, who came up big with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the 65-59 win over Arizona State in the Showdown on the Rez. "Whenever Coach Mulkey calls your name, just make sure you're ready, because she's going to give everybody a chance unless it's a really, really big game. But, she'll for sure give you a chance on the court, and you just have to prove to her that you can play."
        
Part of the rotation all year, Egbo had played in all but one game before sitting out Friday's 72-67 semifinal win over Oregon. She also didn't play in the win over then-No. 1 UConn, but had consecutive double-doubles in games against UTRGV and Texas Tech.
        
"It's definitely a learning experience," said Egbo, who has scored double-digit points eight times, setting a career high with 19 in the Big 12 opener at Tech. "Mulkey is going to put you in when she feels you're most necessary or valuable or when she knows you can help the team out. You just have to trust in her and believe that she knows what she's doing. Coming in, you never really know what to expect as a freshman. So, even playing at all, we kind of see where this is taking us."
        
After missing her senior season with a torn ACL, Caitlin Bickle has moved to more of an inside post position. A three-time all-state pick, she played pretty much every position on the floor at Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Ariz., averaging 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game as a junior.
        
In a post rotation with a pair of All-Americans in Brown and Cox, plus fellow freshmen Smith and Egbo, the 6-0 Bickle has played fewer minutes than anyone on the team and is averaging just 2.0 points per game.


        
"You can't find any better than those four," Bickle said. "I think it's more nervous than being intimidated. When you first get here, you want to do great, you're super excited. First day of practice, you're like, 'Oh, god, what's going to happen?' You have so much energy, you just need to relax."
        
Dealing with injuries, 6-0 guard/forward Aquira DeCosta didn't play on the team's trip to Italy in the summer and also missed the first six games of the season. But, she has shown flashes of how good a shooter she can be, hitting 10-of-26 from outside the arc and averaging 3.0 points per game.
        
"It was tough for me," DeCosta said. "I was so used to playing and always starting and having a lot of minutes. In high school, I was always the leader of the team and kind of the star player. Once the injuries started, it was hard for me, but I had to keep a high head and just keep my mentality strong. And I'm still working on it."
        
Joining the Fierce Five in coming off a deep bench are sophomore guard Moon Ursin and redshirt freshman Trinity Oliver. Ursin's minutes haven't made a dramatic jump, going from 10.5 to 12.0, but she has become more productive with 4.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 16 made 3-pointers.


        
"I always tell them, if you need a shoulder or us just someone to talk to, because I did go through it," said Ursin, who scored a career-high 20 in a win at Texas. "I tell them that it is possible, because look where I am now. Those freshmen are incredible. They've been doing big things for us. So, their time is going to come."
        
Oliver, a 5-9 guard from Euless, Texas, was averaging 3.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 9.0 minutes per game before suffering a torn ACL in the seventh game last season. She has struggled to get back in the rotation this year, averaging just 6.0 minutes and 1.2 points.
        
"It's just trusting the process," Oliver said. "Not everything happens right away for everybody. I just try to keep the young ones lifted up and keep myself lifted up overall, too. Because if I'm down, I don't want to let them down, too, with my energy. So, I always keep a smile on my face and I'm always just encouraging them and trying to stay positive all the time."
        
While their time is not now, at least for most of them, they are still part of a team that is one win away from the program's third national championship.
        
"It's just a blessing," DeCosta said. "Not a lot of people get this opportunity to play in a Final Four or just make it deep into the NCAA Tournament. But, Coach Kim always tells us to be happy, not content. We still have work to do. We still have to win more game and finish out with a national championship."