Arkansas freshman Callie Berna is second on the team in 3-point baskets made with 14. Photo by Logan Webster.

Arkansas women’s basketball coach Tom Collen didn’t have to search far to add a point guard to his roster.

A native of Fayetteville, freshman Calli Berna simply drives a little further down the street from Fayetteville High School to find her new home at Bud Walton Arena.

“It’s really great because I think that it’s a somewhere that people in Fayetteville and kids in Fayetteville look up to getting to watch the Razorbacks play,” Berna said. “That’s something that I’ve grown up watching and being able watch them play, so it’s really great to actually be here and get in the game.”

Despite being a freshman, Berna has quickly made her mark, starting 14 of the team’s 17 games this season.

Collen said he can see the contributions Berna makes during the game and knows she can really give her team a boost on the offensive end.

“Calli is really a great shooter, you know,” Collen said. “She’s one of those kids, I feel the same way about Lyndsay Harris, that whenever they’re open and their feet are set, they’re going to make shots. Calli’s stepping up and making those. We need her to be a bigger scorer for us because the one thing she can do is make open shots.”

The 5-foot-10 guard is second on the team in made 3-point baskets with 14.

Rather than being comfortable as second, she wants to keep building on her skills.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Berna said. “I’m definitely not satisfied with the amount that I’ve made, but I know I can get better and I know all I need is a few more shots to go in and my confidence will be there and hopefully the shots will start falling. I know my team has confidence in me so that will help keep me going.”

Being able to play so close to home has its’ advantages for Berna.

She said that she doesn’t have to look to far in the stands before she sees a familiar face that came to cheer her on.

“I mean there’s definitely other players that have families here, but my family can consistently come watch me play and that’s definitely encouraging,” Berna said. “And coaches I’ve had throughout the years can come and watch. That definitely is encouraging to be able to look up in the stands and see people I know out there watching.”

Berna is still getting adjusted to playing college basketball.

“Just getting more shots up and practicing,” Berna said. “It’s a different transition. In high school you can kind of just shoot, especially when I played I was expected to shoot and keep shooting. Here I kind of get a few threes up and those are the ones I need to make, so I just need to work on my consistency because I know if I make those shots it’s going to boost our offense and it will get me going on offense too and I think that’s what the team needs.”