We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with Belmont SR F Conley Chinn. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Conley about being an Academic All-American and her expectations for this season.
You won 2 straight basketball titles and 3 straight volleyball titles in high school: which sport were you best at, and which sport did you enjoy the most? I always thought that I was better at volleyball: it is brand-new in Mississippi and is growing now but did not start until I was in 6th/7th grade. It was a fun sport that I was good at because I was tall and could jump. I was on the fence for a long time about which sport I preferred. I love them both but the challenges/mental toughness involved with basketball have made me a better person. My high school coach Jan Sojourner is a legend in Mississippi who always taught us to dig deeper/work harder. The second I got to Belmont I know that I would go the basketball route. I did not think that I was good enough to play basketball when Belmont recruited me but I saw there was more potential for me: they have helped me develop my game so much.
You were born/raised in Mississippi: what made you choose Belmont? I had no idea what Belmont was when I was growing up. When I started the college recruiting phase during high school I had a newfound love for basketball/volleyball after joining some great teams. I had a friend who connected me with Doug Bush (who coaches an AAU basketball team in Birmingham) and he thought that Belmont would be a perfect fit for me. The second I started talking with them on the phone it felt like home: just so fun/comfortable. When I set foot on campus I was blown away by how beautiful it is. I got to visit with the girls on the team and see college athletes firsthand and fell in love with all of it. I did not think that playing college basketball was easy but Belmont made the transition easier.
You redshirted as a college freshman after injuring your ankle right before the season started: how bad was it, and how were you able to get back onto the court? It was pretty bad: I had torn ligaments that required surgery. It happened in late-October/early-November and I thought that I could still play on it but it felt like my foot was not even attached. I got an MRI and we decided that I needed surgery. The surgery was in January and the recovery went great with no complications. Since then my ankle has been fine due to plenty of rehab. I got to watch/learn from a very talented team of veterans while sitting out. I think that it was a blessing in disguise because it gave me a year to see what it looks like to work hard and be a great teammate and what it takes to win a title.
In the 2021 NCAA tourney you beat Gonzaga (the 1st NCAA tourney win in school history) before losing to Indiana: what did you learn from your tourney run that will help you this year? I learned to never be content. Part of me was just focused on winning the 1st round, which I was glad we did, but it taught me a valuable lesson about never setting your limits too low. We had a chance to make the Sweet 16 and have an even greater experience. Our team felt sour after losing to Indiana and were disappointed that we let that game go. We see it as an opportunity to push ourselves further and not even set a bar and just keep going, which is relevant in all aspects of life.
Last spring you were named Academic All-American/1st-team All-OVC: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It meant the world to me! There have been so many times that I questioned why I pushed myself so hard in the classroom rather than taking the easy path…and that was why. There are great outcomes to putting in hard work, both on the court and in the classroom. When you spend an extra 2 hours studying rather than watching Netflix or shopping with friends, it is hard to not get that instant gratification. I made my parents proud, which made me happy, and I was able to represent Belmont thanks to the great resources/help they have given me. A lot of schools do not value the “student” part of student-athlete but Belmont really emphasizes that part. They provided me tutors and time to study: Coach Bart is always there to help out when our schedules get crazy.
You have a 4.0 GPA in pre-med and want to become a surgeon: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It was a lesson I really had to learn as a freshman. In high school you can just study for a test the night before but in college you cannot get away with that. If you stay up all night to cram then you might be awful in practice the next day because you are tired: it is a domino effect. You have to make time for it every single day so that it becomes part of your lifestyle. I find that talking to my professors during office hours helps me learn the material better. It is all about balance and knowing when you need to rest. I forget this a lot but my GPA does not define me…even though I am proud of it. It is easy to do at Belmont: they have made my academic experience amazing and I love what I have learned so it is easy to put in the hard work.
1 of your favorite athletes is Simone Biles: what was your reaction after seeing her at the Olympics last summer? I am very proud of her. There is a stigma in athletics about “performing at all costs”. I know it is not black and white but nobody can understand what she was going through at that moment. I have had my own moments of needing to step back because my mental health was not in the right place. It took so much strength for her to do what she did: the risk of performing when you are not in the right place outweighed the benefits. I think it was a great lesson for both athletes/non-athletes to acknowledge where they are and do whatever is best for themselves.
Each of your 3 older sisters played basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? That is a tough 1: we might all have a different answer! My oldest sister runs marathons with her husband and another sister was a great soccer goalie as well. My 3rd sister Carly was as fast as can be and I got to do soccer/track/basketball next to her: her competitiveness was unbelievable. We all have our great qualities and I am so blessed to have learned from all of them: I would not be here were it not for them.
Your non-conference schedule this year includes games against Mississippi/Arkansas/Louisville/Auburn: which of these games do you feel will be your biggest test? Our biggest test is just us showing up. People have said that it is 1 of the toughest schedules we have had so far but we love that Coach Bart has so much confidence in us. It is a message that we better be ready. I recall a quote this summer from US Olympic all-around gold medalist Suni Lee when she said, “I believe my normal is good enough”. We have what it takes so it is just a matter of reaching our potential.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My goals are for us to win our next game. I would love to finish this year on a really strong note and it would be great to win a conference championship and just keep going. However, I do not want to set an end goal but rather just keep the roof wide open. I want us to be very proud of ourselves and play our best for Belmont.