The latest player to commit Cal women’s basketball is Harvard grad transfer forward Jadyn Bush, who will graduate from Harvard in the spring with a concentration in Economics. Bush caught up with GoldenBearReport.com about her decision to attend Cal and what she’s looking forward to about being a Bear. Bush will join Cal for the 2021-22 season.
What initially got Cal and Bush interested in each other was the fact that Harvard and Cal have faced each other a couple of times in the last couple of years. Bush was impressed by what she saw from Cal on the court and knew about Cal’s academic reputation. Cal in turn liked what they saw from Bush and so when they found out she had entered the transfer portal, they were quick to establish contact.
“Cal contacted me after I entered the transfer portal,” Bush explained. “There was a familiarity on both ends because Harvard and Cal have had a non-conference matchup the past two seasons. I knew I was looking for a competitive and rigorous academic institution like I was during my undergraduate recruitment process. This time around it was especially important that I ended up somewhere much closer to home (Washington State) so I can play in front of my family more often again. In addition to those factors, I had in mind entering the portal, Coach Charmin is an incredible leader of a very experienced staff that will contribute to my own development on and more importantly off the court.
“Unfortunately, given the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, I have been unable to get that in-depth campus visit, but from what I’ve seen in person from an opponent’s perspective, it’s a beautiful place. Incredibly nice athletics complex. Haas Pavilion is stunning. I can’t believe that soon I’ll be calling it home.”
In addition to having familiarity with Cal, Bush has familiarity with the Pac-12 coming from the state of Washington. She knows it’s arguably the top conference in the country and grew up cheering for the Washington Huskies. A chance to join the Pac-12 was something that she simply couldn’t pass up.
“I’m very familiar with the Pac-12,” Bush said. “In my opinion, the Pac-12 is the top conference in the nation. Maybe I’m biased. I’ve been a Pac-12 fan my entire life. My sister is a 4th generation UW student. The opportunity to compete in the conference is an honor. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Another key part of Bush’s decision was the knowledge that she would be joining a team with aspirations to make a deep NCAA tournament run. When Bush arrives in Berkeley next fall, Cal’s star-studded 2020 recruiting class will be incoming sophomores with a year under the belts, ready to build on the 2020-21 season. The prospect of making this Cal team even better and playing an integral role in that process made Bush’s decision easier.
“The incoming talent is definitely exciting,” Bush said. “Knowing that I will be surrounded by teammates that are going to compete and make me better every single day, and that we will have the potential to make a deep run made the decision that much easier. I hope I can use some of my experience as a seasoned college basketball player to be a leader in a relatively young program. Above all though, the culture Coach Charmin continues to foster within the program really drove my decision. Her leadership is going to draw more out of everyone than our individual talents alone could.”
As for what she’ll bring to the program, Bush looks to bring defense, rebounding, and a willingness to do the little things to help her team win. She puts her teammates first and is all about winning.
“My number one asset is my rebounding,” Bush said. “I make that a priority every single possession. I’m also a strong finisher around the rim. But offense, specifically scoring, is one of the more variable aspects of basketball. I focus on the things that are more difficult to disrupt. My rebounding, my defense. Consistent screen setting. I’m all about the less glamorous parts of the game, all of those good things that you might not get credit for on a stat sheet but are invaluable nevertheless.”
Coming from such a prestigious school in Harvard, Bush feels her time in Cambridge has prepared her for Cal both on and off the court. She’s been through a lot in terms of battling injury and feels that such adversity has made her a stronger person and player.
“I will graduate from Harvard this spring with a concentration in Economics,” said Bush. “Being a student-athlete at Harvard is an incredibly unique opportunity. The most transformative experience I had at Harvard was a labral tear I suffered in my right shoulder and a subsequent surgery. My injury forced me to re-examine my leadership style in order to be impactful off of the court. I’m grateful to be in an environment that fosters constant growth.”
Perhaps the most important piece in all of this for Jadyn Bush is the chance to join a Cal program that has the same vision as she does in terms of promoting social justice and racial equality. She feels that on top of the basketball and academic pieces, Cal shares the same vision she has for making the world a better place:
“The entire staff has made such a genuine effort to reach out and connect with me in such a short amount of time. They all really are such a fun, experienced, and diverse group. The diversity piece especially resonated with me. The collective experiences of this coaching staff and the way they have publicly responded to current events, most notably their commitment to social justice and equality is incredibly important to me as a Black woman.”
