HOOS LIFE: Brianna Tinsley
By Ashton Mann
Brianna Tinsley is a sophomore guard for the Wahoos. A local product, she played high school basketball in Charlottesville at St. Anne’s-Belfield. For Tinsley, staying local, “was an important factor because I knew I wanted to stay close to home. I’m really close to my family.”
Although staying local had pressures that came along with it, Tinsley enjoys playing college basketball so close to her high school and hometown.
“I like it a lot because I can have a lot of people that I know come and support me,” Tinsley said.
The last two offseasons have been transformative for Tinsley and have helped develop her into the player she is now. The summer before Tinsley’s freshman year, the Cavaliers went on a foreign tour in Costa Rica.
“I was a little nervous because that was the first time I went out of the country,” Tinsley said. “It was a very fun experience. It was just fun to explore because I don’t really go out. This is my time to explore things while being in college.”
Along with the new experiences abroad, the trip gave the team time to compete and play together before the season started. It was also a great opportunity for Tinsley, as an incoming freshman, to get to know her new teammates.
“Playing basketball over there was fun because I just got to go out and play a couple of games before the actual season,” said Tinsley. “It helped bonding as a team.”
When the team was not playing basketball they explored Costa Rica, experiencing a number of sightseeing and cultural encounters.
“It was a very fun experience,” Tinsley said. “We went to an orphanage and we got to see alligators and go to a bunch of different places. [My favorite] was probably the orphanage and getting to play with the kids. They were so sweet.”
The opportunity was fitting for Tinsley, who enjoys being around kids and can foresee a possible future working with them. Throughout her time in high school, she worked at the Boys and Girls Club in her hometown of Madison.
On the court, Tinsley has been shooting the ball well and has expanded her shooting range to open the season.
“That was one of the things I wanted to improve on from last year because I’m kind of small,” said Tinsley. “I have to take more shots outside.”
Expanding her shooting range began in the weight room during the off-season where she has also been working on her strength and quickness to develop into a more competitive ACC guard.
“I’ve been working on my speed and trying to get quicker and definitely stronger because all the guards are strong,” said Tinsley. “My strength and conditioning coach has been really pushing me in the weight room. I’ve gotten a lot stronger from last year and that has definitely helped.”
Along with the improvement in the weight room, confidence has also helped to improve her shot.
“I make most of my shots when I’m feeling confident,” said Tinsley. “I just go ahead and take the open shot instead of hesitating but most of the time I make my shots when I’m confident. When I hesitate that’s when I know it’s going to be a miss.”
Through the first eight games of the season, Tinsley is leading Virginia with 17 three-point field goals while shooting 38.6 percent from distance. Her 9.0 points per game marks a nearly five-point improvement from her freshman season.