In the twelfth edition of the “Off the Court” Q&A’s with players on the William Paterson women’s basketball team, Beacon reporter Daniel Karp interviewed senior forward and guard Mackenzie O’Brien. Now in her fourth season with the Pioneers, O’Brien previously averaged 15.8 points in her senior year at Tottenville High School on Staten Island.

Name: Mackenzie O’Brien
Number: #34
Grade: Senior
Major: Sport Management
Hometown: Staten Island, NY

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Loud, because I do not stop talking, especially on the court. I’m always loud on the court or the bench trying to provide a spark for my team. Outgoing, because I try my best to talk to everyone and make everyone feel welcome. Especially now in my fourth year, there are always new people rolling in on the team. Resilient, because I’ve had a lot of injuries and negatives throughout my basketball career, and I am still here looking to go out with a bang.

Who’s your go-to artist for lifting your mood?
Drake, because he has a lot of different eras and different vibes in his music based on the time. I’ll listen to a lot of his older music and sing along during practices or before games. It lifts my mood and locks me in for when I have to perform at my best.

Is there a life lesson you’ve learned recently that’s made a difference in how you think?
One life lesson I have learned is that everything happens for a reason. Control what you can control. It has helped me to stop overthinking everything and go into situations with an open mind and it helps me prepare academically and on the court.

What would your superhero name be?
Mighty Mack, because my name is Mackenzie, and Mighty starts with “M.” So, I can also go by M&M if I want to, because I have an addiction to peanut M&M’s and I would just love to shoot out unlimited peanut M&M’s.

How do you handle tough times or setbacks in your life?
I had a tough time handling that. Now, giving myself grace and understanding whatever happens I am going to figure out any setbacks. Throughout my career, I have suffered multiple setbacks, and I have realized that there are things I can control and things I cannot control.