From scorer to beauty guru, Maddie Webber plays several roles for Villanova

A fast-break layup in transition? Maddie Webber has it covered.

Need lip balm or makeup touch-ups in the locker room? Webber has it covered there, too.

Villanova’s standout freshman has solidified her spot in the starting five and is the team’s third-leading scorer with 8.2 points per game.

“It was great to have her coming in off the bench [at the start of the season] as that spark and option,” coach Denise Dillon said. “But it’s been even better getting her in the starting lineup.”

And while Webber has found her on-court role, she also has found her role off it.

“I’m the beauty person on the team,” she said. “Lip balm, perfume, anything you need, I got you.”

That said, her basketball journey has defined her life the most, and it started at the kitchen counter of her childhood home.

“I’ve played basketball basically my whole life,” Webber said. “My mom would make me dribble with my left hand around the counter all the time.”

Once Webber had the ball in her hands, she was hooked. The native of Bridgeville, Pa., went from recreational basketball to travel and eventually started playing on her sister’s AAU team an age group above her own.

“Playing up on my sister’s team definitely gave me a lot of encouragement,” Webber said. “I think that’s when the switch happened for me, when I said to myself ‘Wait, I really love this game.’ ”

Webber loved the game so much that playing in college was a no-brainer for her — and choosing her landing spot was an easy decision, too.

“I visited [before the Wildcats even offered me a spot],” Webber said of Villanova. “But I fell in love with it. It’s amazing. The campus is beautiful. I love the facilities, and the whole culture here is amazing. Even though I didn’t have an offer at the time, it still felt like family being here.”

Webber has appeared in 25 of the 28 games this season. She recorded a season-high 20 points in an 82-76 loss to Providence on Jan. 24.

“This far into the season, I always say once they hit the second semester that they’re a year older,” Dillon said. “I think Maddie has embraced that thought process.

“It’s really good for the program [to have a freshman in a starting role] because you can see the growth of them in their time.”

So how did the 18-year-old transition into Division I hoops — and college — so seamlessly?

“Maddie has a great basketball IQ,” Dillon said. “She was picking up [drills] so quickly, and understanding leads to confidence. If you’re being recruited, everyone has the ability to get to the Division I level, but then there’s the people who actually separate themselves in order to have an impact early.”

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It’s more than understanding the workload, however — and that’s where Webber’s consistent effort comes into play.

“I’m just a freshman, and it’s all part of the process,” Webber said. “I’m not someone who takes a while to learn something, so when I do have a bad moment, I learn quickly from it and fix it immediately.”

And basketball isn’t the only thing Webber has a passion for. Her self-care routine is equally important.

“I love self-care … every time I go out, I have to have a lip balm, but I also love helping my friends with that too,” Webber said. “I always tell them to take time for themselves. And for me, I also read my Bible a lot [for self-care]. I feel like it calms me down.”

Now, after perfecting her pregame hair ritual and finding comfort in the starting five, Webber is ready for the chaos March can bring.

“She has intensity on the defensive end, just pressuring the basketball or being in passing lanes off the ball and then on the offensive [end], her ability to make plays makes you notice her,” Dillon said. “People think that’s just how the game is supposed to be played, but you don’t see it.”