Ex-Lady Mustang Mya Berkman scores 1,000th point at Liberty
Before graduating from Marble Falls High School in 2018, Mya Berkman signed a national letter of intent to play college basketball at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, surrounded by her family. The Liberty senior recently scored her 1,000th point for the Lady Flames. File photo
Mya Berkman, a 2018 Marble Falls High School graduate, tallied her 1,000th career point for the Liberty University Lady Flames during a Nov. 27 contest against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. She is only the 20th athlete in the school’s history to reach that milestone.
Berkman also scored a career-high 26 points in the 77-65 loss to Minnesota.
Her father, John Berkman, the assistant athletic director and head girls’ basketball coach at Marble Falls High School, spoke to DailyTrib.com about how his daughter’s competitive spirit made her the athlete she is today.
“She’s always been a top player because she always wanted to be good,” he said. “Those types of players are always fun to watch and be around. Her drive has done a lot to push her athletic career forward into where she is now.”
In high school, Mya averaged 17.7 points and 8.9 rebounds a game and led her team to a 53-22 record through her varsity career. In her two years on varsity, she was named back-to-back District 26-5A Most Valuable Player.
“Mya was a dominant player when she was here,” her father said. “At Liberty, she’s taken the next step and really thrived. It’s been fun to follow along and watch her game progress.”
The recent milestone is one of a litany of accolades Mya has garnered during her time in Lynchburg, including being named first-team in the ASUN Conference after the 2021-22 season, breaking the program record for field-goal percentage during the 2020-21 season, and becoming the first player in Liberty history to win ASUN Conference Freshman of the Week during the 2018-19 season.
“She has a really high drive to be good at what she’s doing,” John Berkman said. “The awards she’s received over the years speak to the time she spends in practice and the time she puts in the gym.”
The senior center was also the first player in Liberty history to be named ASUN Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year, something that makes her father even prouder.
“Every coach wants their kid to be good athletically, but we know and recognize very few are going to go play in the pros and make a living,” he said. “We know they have to be able to stand on their own two feet, and academics is a huge part of that.”
Mya hopes to be a forensic accountant after graduation. She is on track for a bachelor’s degree in finance and master’s degrees in accounting and business administration.
The Lady Flames (3-4) take on the No. 1-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks (8-0) at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11.