Wyvette Mayberry is poised to keep being a difference-maker for Kansas women’s basketball

LAWRENCE — Wyvette Mayberry didn’t think she’d win.

This was earlier this month, at Kansas Athletics’ Rock Chalk Choice Awards. Mayberry, a Kansas women’s basketball player, was a finalist for newcomer of the year for a women’s sport program. And she was so convinced someone else would win she told her mother, who wanted to be there, to not worry about making the trip.

But Mayberry did win — which, she noted, meant her mother wasn’t thrilled about not being there. Then she had another opportunity to realize how her hard work had been recognized by those around her. And now Mayberry, who’s preparing for her second season with the Jayhawks after starting her college career at Tulsa, is poised to continue to be a difference-maker this upcoming season.

“I just hope to be better than I was last year,” said Mayberry, a senior guard. “Just to continue to bring the energy, especially on the defensive end, and using my speed to my advantage.”

Mayberry continued, “Just to be what my team needs, is my goal.”

Why Wyvette Mayberry chose Kansas

Mayberry spent two seasons at Tulsa before she transferred.

There, Mayberry earned All-American Athletic Conference honors both years. She started nearly every game she played across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns. And as Tulsa looked to build toward more team success, she was in position to be a pivotal part of the program’s rise.

But between Mayberry’s freshman and sophomore seasons there was a coaching change, and she didn’t feel the same level of fit at Tulsa that she had previously. After departing, she valued the vibes she felt around Kansas’ coaches and players and chose the Jayhawks over the likes of Kansas State, Oklahoma State and North Carolina State. And during the 2022-23 season, her first at KU, she out-paced her own expectations and became a regular starter for a team that won the 2023 Postseason WNIT.

“My family was saying, ‘They already got everything. They already got a point guard. Like, where do you fit in?’” Mayberry said. “But I kind of just went out on a limb and still followed my heart and, I mean, it turned out to work in my favor.”

How Wyvette Mayberry earned a starting role

Mayberry might not have seen herself becoming a regular starter so soon last season, but Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said he thought that was a real possibility.

Sure, the Jayhawks had a point guard in Zakiyah Franklin. She’d been a regular starter the past three years. But Schneider explained it didn’t take them long to realize they needed to find a way to get Franklin and Mayberry on the court together, and they ultimately decided on defining roles that allowed Franklin to do more off the ball offensively.

“I thought it worked really well,” Schneider said. “It got Wyvette right into the starting lineup, and then all Zakiyah did was go be first-team all-league.”

Mayberry went on to start 31 of the 34 games she played in. She averaged 11.4 points, three assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. As she made the jump from mid-major to high-major basketball, she continued to enjoy success.

“Coming in I knew that I would have to — communication was something that we needed help on, so I knew that that was something that I needed to do,” Mayberry said. “And then, on the defensive end, picking up the ball. Knew that was something I needed to do. And then, also, playing with speed.”

Why Wyvette Mayberry can continue to stand out

When Schneider watches Mayberry play now, he sees someone who’s much more comfortable.

Mayberry isn’t finding her way in a new system anymore. She doesn’t have to acclimate to Kansas as how Tulsa operates remains fresh in her mind. And that’s part of why Schneider and company are excited about what the 2023-24 season could bring for her, as she plays for a team with high aspirations both in the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA tournament.

But while Mayberry will have a lot to offer offensively, that might not be the area she makes her presence felt most. While she’s worked this offseason on her shooting, it’s her ability to disrupt opponents’ shots that could help her stand out. Because Schneider, who highlighted making the Big 12’s all-defensive team as a possibility for her, has the confidence to say he doesn’t think there’s a better on-ball defender in the country.

“I think that as good as she is offensively in running our team,” Schneider said, “she has the ability to — almost like a shutdown corner, if you will — just put her on that matchup and you really don’t have to worry about it.”

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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Wyvette Mayberry is a difference-maker for Kansas women’s basketball