Q&A with Anaya Barney (2021)
One of the top players in the 2021 class is a Cedar Falls product. Over the past few years Cedar Falls has had a host of players go on to play DI basketball. Senior to-be Emerson Green, a Northern Iowa commit, will be the next, but Anaya Barney will only be one year behind her. Barney has three offers from Colgate, Northern Iowa, and South Dakota State. She’s a very skillful and fluid guard who is continually getting better. I have seen a big jump in her game from the end of the high school season to the spring AAU season already.
Barney is a 5’10 guard with a huge wingspan. Her length on defense is what sets her apart initially, but then you are able to see her game on offense. She’s a quick and shifty guard who has a really good hesitation step where she can put a defender on her heels. Barney also has the ability to shoot the ball, and the efficiency of that is improving every single day. Her ability on the offensive end does not stop with scoring the ball, as she is a really good passer too. Barney is always looking to make that extra pass and set up her teammate. Her offensive mindset fits perfect into a motion offense scheme with her constant moving and decision making.
Barney is having a very solid showing this summer with the Lady Martin Brothers and her exposure is starting to take off from that. This upcoming weekend Barney and her team will be in Ames at the “Bring Your Best” event for the last live period of the summer. With a host of DI schools planning to attend, she should be able to get a lot of different eyes on her. I spoke with her about her past high school season, AAU, and her goals for the upcoming season.
How’d you think this past HS season went?
I had a lot of fun with my team this past high school season. My teammates were a great group of girls to be around and we really pushed each other. Overall we had a great season. We didn’t make it as far as we wanted to at the end of the season, but I know that we all pushed each other to get better this year and we all got better. One thing that I worked on a lot this high school season was being able to be a threat under the hoop on my cuts and things like that. Last year we had three seniors who all went on to play D1 ball and a fourth who committed to play D1 so as a freshman with those girls, my role was different. This year I became more of a scoring threat off the dribble and attacking the hoop.
How do you think your AAU season is going this year?
I think the AAU season has had a good start. We have played in two tournaments against some great competition and I think there was improvement from the first tournament to the second. Our team is full of some really talented girls who all want to get better and our coaches continue to push us. We know what things we need to work on and we have been working on them in practice to get ready for the next one. Most importantly, my team is a really fun team to be on. We are a family and we know when we need to be serious and get stuff done, but we also know how to make playing the game together fun and I really like that.
What are you working on the most this summer and what are your goals for the rest of the summer?
This summer I have two areas that I am focusing on. The first is supporting my team in whatever role they need me to provide whether that be as a scorer, a passer, helping with the energy, or anything else. The other areas center more on my skill development like being a threat when I get the ball on a cut or in the paint, continuing to utilize my mid-range jumper, and increasing my consistency shooting the three. Ultimately, my goals for the summer are to grow and get better as a team and also to strengthen my game as a player.
How’s the recruiting process going for you?
The recruiting process is going good, it hasn’t been stressful for me so far. The coaches that I am talking to have been really good about being flexible with calling and things like that with all the activities I’m in. I think that has helped keep it pretty stress free for me so far.