Get to know UNCA basketball player Faith Adams
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Faith Adams didn’t plan on becoming a basketball star. In her hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, she was just so much invested in her soccer team as playing basketball. Colleges started looking at her at basketball games and while she was surprised, she was open to the pivot.
Basketball coach Honey Brown scouted her and extended an invitation to UNC Asheville. UNCA was appropriately bulldog-ish in their pursuit.
“I think they sent me something everyday. They called me. They sent letters. Coach Brown even came to one of my soccer games. She didn’t have to do that.”
It was clear that UNCA was willing to invest in Adams, if she would give them a chance.
Consistency on the Court
Adams came to UNCA ready to contribute. During freshman year, she played in every game and racked up 257 minutes of playing time. As a sophomore, she built on her momentum and set new personal season-bests across every statistical category, including coming in third for both steals and three-pointers. By the time she was a junior, her shooting game came together and she drained 29 three-pointers and scored a total of 115 points during the regular season.
Coach Brown is ‘grateful’ to have Adams’ skills and character on the squad, saying, “toughness and ready to do whatever it takes are some ways I would describe her…She is the most competitive player on our team.”
Now, as one of only three seniors on the 2022-2023 squad, Adams is a de-facto leader of the team. Brown continued: “Players naturally come to her because of her experience, her willingness to talk and lead in practice and because she is so charismatic. I know I can trust her on the court and she’s willing to do and say the hard things which aren’t easy to do with your peers.”
Adams is known for her ability to deliver tough love. Teammates say she plays the role of the “mom” on the squad, not only because she’s happy to offer girls rides home in her car and doesn’t mind cooking meals for the team, but also because she won’t hesitate to call someone out if she needs to.
While she believes in building a strong foundation of friendship, she said, “We’re all friends on the court, but it’s different when there’s a game. I need to be able to say something to you that might not be that friendly. But you still hear it because I am your friend.”
Adversity? Bring it on.
A quality that immediately emerges when you talk to Faith or watch her on the court is grit. She is a gritty point guard, and doesn’t mind going into tough situations like one she encountered during her junior year. She sustained a COVID infection and an ankle injury – back-to-back. The double-whammy kept her off the court for several games. She remembers struggling to play at full strength when she returned but worked hard to show up for her team in time for the conference tournament.
“We got to the tournament and we blew everybody out. It was the most memorable moment because no one thought we would stay that long in Charlotte. We ended up staying the whole time. I’ll remember that forever.”
Adams doesn’t mind people underestimating her, either. In fact, she enjoys the experience of being an underdog, whether as a soccer player on the basketball team or a no-chance contender in a tournament. Her competitive edge shines through, “I love coming back and winning when no one expects it. It’s more fun that way.”
College athletics definitely feel like a “full-time job,” but beyond basketball, Adams is pursuing a degree in Health and Wellness. Her coursework includes classes on Nutrition that come into play during the season. When the coaches provide ingredients for healthy meals like salmon and broccoli, she takes the lead on cooking for the team so they stay fueled up for the season. The communal dinners offer nourishment in other ways, too. “I love when they do that,” she said “It gives us an opportunity to cook together as roommates and spend time together.”
Family First
Adams’ loves and derives her inspiration from her (unsurprisingly athletic) family. Both parents and both older siblings played sports in college. Now, they satisfy their competitive needs with family game nights and several rounds of Cards Against Humanity. “Whenever I go home, we’re together,” she said. “We eat together. We’ll play games all night.”
As the youngest of three, she has always looked up to her older siblings, but no one has had a bigger impact on Adams than her mom: “She’s not afraid to tell me when I’m wrong. She gives me the best advice.”
Faith’s admiration of her mom’s best qualities come through as a leader on her team. “When she goes through a hard time, you can’t even tell because she’s always in a good mood,” Adams said. “I want to be like that with my friends and my future kids. She’s a baddie.”
Faith in the Future
While Faith is a senior this year, she has an extra year of eligibility that she plans to use. While her career plans have plenty of time to materialize, she may find herself following her mom’s lead. “My mom just re-did her whole house herself. It looks so good.” She can see a future in staging or decorating houses.
“I’m really good at that,” she said.
And she plans to leave a strong legacy at UNCA, too. “I want to be remembered as a leader and as a friend. Somebody that you can go to and talk to about everything.”
Parting Words
Adams is going into the fourth year of a successful basketball career at UNCA and shines as an example of a team leader and a friend. Her advice for aspiring college athletes? Talk to everyone. “Be consistent with reaching out to coaches when they reach out to you. I didn’t take it that seriously, and I wish I took it more seriously.”
And to her former self, she offers words of trust in the face of challenge and intimidation: “Don’t lose your confidence on the court just because there are other experienced or older people on the court. You know what you’re doing. You came to UNCA for basketball. You got an offer, you got a full-ride scholarship. Don’t lose your confidence.”
As a role model for skill, consistency, grit, and kindness, Adams shines on and off the court.
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