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Down but never out: Soleil Barnes’s incredible journey to the Hilltop

Soleil Barnes’ journey to the Hilltop has been anything but ordinary. Prior to joining the team this year, she spent her first five collegiate seasons at the University of Toledo, helping the team win three Mid-American Conference regular season titles and the 2023 MAC tournament as well as reach the second round of the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

“I was looking for a family atmosphere,” Barnes said when asked about her decision to transfer to Bradley. “Being somewhere where I know I can be comfortable and around people who care about me and want to support me in my dreams.”

Knee injuries plagued Barnes’ time at Toledo, as she missed at least seven games in each of her five seasons with the Rockets. She had stints with a partially and fully torn PCL, a torn ACL and a torn MCL.

“Getting through it was really just me staying firm in my faith,” Barnes said. “There was a time where I did want to quit, but just trusting in God and knowing that things happen for a reason and something good is going to come out of it.”

Soleil Barnes is back and better than ever after not one, not two, but  three knee injuries | The Blade
Barnes attempting a jumpshot during her time at Toledo. Photo via Toledo Blade.

Barnes’ hard work and dedication have certainly paid off for both her and the Braves. After not recording a single start at Toledo, she has started all 19 games for Bradley this season, setting new career-high marks in almost every statistical category.

“She brings incredible leadership to the locker room,” head coach Kate Popovec-Goss said.

Barnes was named as one of the Braves’ captains this season, along with fellow senior guard Ruba Abo Hashesh and sophomore guard-forward Claire McDougall. Leadership and building relationships are some of Barnes’ biggest strengths off the court.

“I’m a very relationship person,” Barnes said. “I always want to check on my teammates and pick up their minds and see what they’re doing. I want to know who they are like outside of basketball.”

Even though she has only been here for one year, Barnes is already leaving an impact on her teammates. Tamia Perryman, a senior guard-forward transfer from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school Marian University, has witnessed Barnes’ impact firsthand.

“She’s a great teammate,” Perryman said. “She’ll hold you accountable for everything, no matter if it’s good or bad. She has an uplifting and bright personality, she gets along with everyone. When we lose, she provides encouragement. Like yes, be mad about the loss today, but come in tomorrow ready to practice and flush it down the toilet, we have more games to win.”

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Barnes coaching and supporting Bradley from the sideline. Photo via Bradley Athletics.

Perryman is an experienced collegiate player, but the senior has still found ways to learn from Barnes since the two have teamed up. 

“I’ve been playing basketball for years, but she helps me improve my IQ when I watch film with her,” Perryman said. “She helps me see the game a little differently so that kind of helps me when I go out there and play.”

On the court, Barnes is enjoying a career year. The 5-foot-7-inch senior guard has been Bradley’s most impactful player. She leads the team with 32.3 minutes per game, 15.1 points, 2.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds.

“We were looking for scoring on the perimeter, and we were looking for someone from a winning culture,” Popovec-Goss said when asked about targeting Barnes in the transfer portal. “We thought Soleil coming from a program as successful as Toledo would be a great fit.”

In her third year as head coach of the Braves, Popovec-Goss has built an identity revolving around defense, a style of play that Barnes has adjusted to throughout this season.

“She [Barnes] continues to develop into a two-way player,” Popovec-Goss said. “Not only is she our top scorer but she’s also one of our top rebounders. She’s regularly guarding one of our opponents top players.”

Coming into a new team with a different system means you must adapt and adjust your playstyle, which Barnes focused on over the offseason.

“Working on decision-making, making reads with the defense and being aggressive,” Barnes said. “At Toledo I was more focused on just shooting the three. I knew I could do more than just that, so I just wanted to focus on getting to the basket and tying down my handles and just being a playmaker.”

Bradley hasn’t seen much success over the past few years, but they’ve shown much improvement this season with a new core of players, with Barnes being the headliner to their most successful season under Popovec-Goss.

“I think the season, personally for me, has been going really well,” Barnes added. “I think the goals that I have set for myself are being accomplished. I continue to set new goals. I just want us to continue to start winning. I feel good when I perform and when we win.”

The Braves are currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak, but that hasn’t slowed down Barnes’ mentality about how far she believes the team can go.

“We need to get some wins and hopefully win the conference,” Barnes said. “I think we can really do it. There’s not a team in this league that we can’t beat, so just continuing to perfect my craft and continue to be a better leader for my team. I think we can do it.”

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