Brittany Garner has never been one to back down from a challenge. As the tallest player on the Mizzou Women's Basketball roster this season, the 6-foot-4 forward out of Philadelphia, Pa., is embracing her teammates' and coaches' lofty expectations for her freshman campaign.
"My two greatest strengths are my height and aggression," Garner said. "I'm more of a traditional post player who likes to be physical around the basket."
The freshman's confident mentality was on full display throughout her stellar career at Winslow Township High School in Winslow, N.J.
After reaching the 1,000-point milestone in just two and half prep seasons, Garner led her team to a 24-4 record and an Olympic Conference Championship her senior season, all while averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds per game. Garner was also a defensive force in the paint, where she racked up 70 blocked shots (2.6 blocks per game) in her final high school season.
The younger sister of two collegiate basketball players (her brother, Malik, competed at University of Maryland, Baltimore Country from 2012-15 and her sister, Erin, currently plays for Virginia Tech), Garner says her siblings were key in helping her make her college decision.
"They told me to look for somewhere I felt safe and felt at home," Garner said. "Playing at this level, you have to be uncomfortable a lot of the time. And you can choose who you want to be uncomfortable with, who will help you get through that tough time. For me that place was Mizzou, without a doubt."
Garner admits the transition to college has sometimes been a challenge in terms of balancing athletics and academics, but she says her Mizzou teammates are always there to help her focus and keep her spirits lifted.
"I've never experienced this much hard work before," Garner said. "My teammates are always there to push me in school and in basketball."
That steadfast support system is something Garner feels is unique to Mizzou in comparison to other programs around the country.
"No matter what the situation is, everyone here does their best to make sure you're okay—they're always checking on you," Garner said. "That's hard to come by in colleges where you're just there to play basketball."
"But here at Mizzou, they care about you as a person first. There's just so much positivity here, I love it."