Two of the most recognizable representatives for this generation of New England basketball happen to play for the same team. You probably watched them on TV last year.
Taina Mair (Dorchester, Mass.) and Oluchi Okananwa (Peabody, Mass.) helped Duke reach March Madness last spring and upset second-seeded Ohio State en route to the Sweet Sixteen. Mair, now a junior, started every game and led the team in minutes (31.1), assists (3.7) and steals. Okananwa, a sophomore, averaged 9.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in her freshman season, winning ACC Sixth Player of the Year and landing on the conference All-Freshman team.
Both of them rose up through the New England ranks to stardom and were in the same Mass Rivals program. Mair won three NEPSAC championships (two at Brooks, one at Holderness) in three seasons, including an undefeated run with Brooks as a senior that won her Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year. She then spent her freshman year at Boston College, setting the program single-season assists record before transferring to Duke.
Okananwa played at Peabody High, then New Hampton, then Worcester Academy, earning NEPSAC AA Player of the Year honors as a senior. Her massive 2022 summer on the AAU circuit with Mass Rivals catapulted her to No. 27 on ESPN's national rankings, leading to her Duke commitment.
Mair and Okananwa joined the HoopWise Podcast to discuss life in the Duke spotlight, their favorite moments from last season and the uniqueness of playing under coach Kara Lawson. They also reflected on their paths through New England basketball and the lessons they learned along the way.
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Highlights
Kara Lawson has a reputation for her speeches and messages as a coach. Do you have one that was particularly impactful for you?
Okananwa: "I'll say this: We are around her basically every day, so we're kind of more used to it. We're (not) like, oh, this is this is Coach
giving an inspirational message. This is just normal 11 o'clock. But for me, I would say a big one that she preached that really resonated with me was that no one should have power over your confidence.
"Basically, she was just saying, 'Nothing I say or do should ever diminish your confidence or take away from you believing in yourself and what you can do on the court.' So I love that one, especially being a freshman, making mistakes, getting down on yourself, and maybe her even getting on you. That was just a good reminder that, she's not doing it because she wants us to believe in ourselves less. She's doing it so we can be better."
About a year ago, Jayson Tatum came and visited your team at Duke. What was that like?
Mair: "I'm a diehard Celtics fan, so when I saw Jayson Tatum come through the door I was like, 'Oh man, I have to seize this moment with him.' I literally told him, 'This is our year, you're gonna bring a championship to Boston. The keys are yours.' He has keys to the city. I'll never forget that moment. I would say I was starstruck a little bit. He walks with a lot of confidence and especially when he came back to Duke. He was giving back, he gave back some knowledge and some pointers to us, so yeah, definitely a great moment for me."
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