The first Cal women’s basketball commit for the 2018 class is 4-star wing McKenzie Forbes of Folsom High School in Folsom, California. McKenzie caught up with us to talk about why she chose Cal and what she hopes she can bring to the program.

“The number one reason I chose Cal was because I built a relationship with the staff that I didn’t have with any other school,” Forbes says of her decision. “I knew that they cared about me as a person before caring about me as a player. Secondly the family atmosphere that is there with the team and coaches really appealed to me as family is the most important thing to me. Lastly, the style of play fits me perfectly and I felt I could really thrive in Coach Gottlieb's system with my skillset. It being close to home is an added bonus!”

For McKenzie Forbes, committing to Cal just made sense. The relationship was strong, it was close to home, and the system fit her style of play. When a program offers you all three of those things, why look anywhere else?

As far as what she expects to bring to the Cal program, “versatility” is the word that best sums it up. McKenzie Forbes is a multi-dimensional player with the ability to play multiple positions, making her a very valuable player to have on your roster. She is comfortable playing in a variety of roles and is used to having to do whatever her team needs her to do.

“I'm the type of player who can play 1-4 being tall but I can handle the ball very well,” Forbes says. “For example, I play point on my high school team but for travel ball I play the wing and power forward. I'm good at creating easy shots for my teammates because I penetrate the middle well. I can shoot the 3-ball but I'm not a knock down shooter. Defensively I’m working to get quicker and I'm striving to be a consistent 3-point shooter.”

As far as what she is looking forward to the most about playing at Cal, McKenzie Forbes is just excited to play against the very best competition night in and night out. She knows how tough the Pac-12 is and she can’t wait to see how much it tests her.

“Honestly just competing with the best of the best night in and night out and I know my game will elevate playing against the best players in the country,” Forbes says. “Being in the Pac-12 which is the best conference in the country for women’s basketball I know I will be playing against great players and coaches every year.”

As far as goals she has for the remainder of her high school career, McKenzie Forbes wants to reach the top both personally and with her team. She says she wants to win a section and/or state title with her high school team while also representing her country as a member of USA Basketball. The fact that she has such high goals just shows how much confidence she has in herself to do great things. She doesn’t want to settle for anything less than the very best and that mindset will serve her well when she comes to Cal.

If there is anything that is clear after talking with McKenzie Forbes, it is that she is very excited to compete for Cal and put on a Golden Bears uniform. She is committed to doing everything she can to make Cal better both on and off the court. She values everything that Cal has to offer and fully intends to make the most of the opportunity.