The WNBA season, like many of its brother and sister professional sports seasons, can be a road of ups and downs. There are win streaks, losing streaks, big wins on the road, and blowout losses at home. Atlanta Dream veteran guard Maya Caldwell knows what it takes to make it in the W.
During practice on Monday afternoon, Caldwell, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a former University of Georgia Lady Dawg, went through drills, scrimmages, and shooting drills like she had something to prove. In her fourth season in the WNBA, Caldwell has seen her share of highs and lows, and doesn’t take a minute on the court, practice, or games for granted.
“My career has been very up and down, and I have been in and out of the league, so I rely heavily on my faith for my confidence and the strength to keep going,” Caldwell said. “Sometimes you run out of self-motivation, and when you’re in and out of the league like I have been, it gets tiring.”
Caldwell said she leans heavily on God in moments of frustration with her career. Drafted by the Indiana Fever in the third round of the 2021 WNBA draft, Caldwell played her first season in the W in 2022, starting seven of nine games for the Atlanta Dream. She moved on to the Fever and played an average of 10 minutes a game for 30 games during the 2023 season. During that season, Caldwell only started one game, but impressed the Dream brain trust enough to be signed again, this time for the 2024 season (25 games, 5.2 points per game).
She has never lost the faith that playing in the W was where she was going to be. Prayer and faith played a special part in her journey as a player.
“I lean heavily on God because He has shown me in the past, even before I got to the big leagues, that He’s faithful, His plan is always greater, and He has something for me,” Caldwell said.
Raised in a God-fearing home, Caldwell said she truly “surrendered” to God in college at Georgia. The transition from high school star to fighting to earn minutes as a collegiate undergrad can be difficult for many on the Division I level. Caldwell told The Atlanta Voice that it was one of the times during her career that she prayed the hardest and worked the hardest.
“I just allowed God to have His hand in my life and in my career,” Caldwell said. “I have to remind myself that this is not a forever thing, so I make sure that He is the center of everything that I do. There’s a lot of peace and comfort in that, and that part allows me to take a step back and relax.”
This season, Caldwell averages just under four points, two assists, and two rebounds per game. Under first-year Dream head coach Karl Smesko, she has also started three of the Dream’s eight games this season. Caldwell has done a bit of everything for the team this season, including scoring a season-high 12 points to go along with a season-high six assists in a 79-55 victory over the Connecticut Sun at Gateway Arena on Sunday, May 25. Last week in Connecticut, Caldwell had two blocks in an 84-76 loss.
The loss was the Dream’s only setback in their last four games. Caldwell played an average of 14 minutes in the last two games, including a victory in Seattle.
She is finding a way to contribute every night and credits that resilience to her relationship with God.
“Probably 90% of my thoughts are me talking to God, in a game, in practice, driving down the road, all the time,” she said. “I just want to stay out of my head and in His will, and stay connected to Him.”
Caldwell credits her parents as the foundation of such a strong faith base. She said she watched her parents closely, and though both believe in God, they have different styles: her mother is a physical embodiment of prayer, and her father is the logical Biblical embodiment.
“He is very logical; everything that he says comes directly from the Bible,” Caldwell said of her father. “And if he doesn’t have the answer, that’s exactly where he goes.”
And her mother: “She kind of gives me, ‘this is what happened to me, this is how God answered,’ she said.
Caldwell also said her fiancé, Zach Ellwanger, helps balance her life. The couple are set to get married on August 8 in Indianapolis.
“I feel like he does a really good job of leading me spiritually and mentally in my game,” she said. “If I have a bad game or if I have a good game, pros and cons, what things can we talk to God about?”
Working on Sundays a lot as a WNBA player, Caldwell has to find time to either get to church service or find a peaceful place to pray. Luckily, she says she is OK with praying wherever she is.
“You have to sit down with God, you have to do your Bible studies, you have to watch sermons, I listen to so much praise and worship music,” she said. “I know I don’t always get that time to sit in the church and be in His presence, but if He’s with you, He is with you.”
Caldwell said she and her fiancé enjoy attending church services when they can. Until the next time she sits down in a pew, she will carry on having church service on the court and off. No matter where she is, she knows God’s watching and listening.
“The Lord does not condemn what he has already forgiven, so you have to give yourself grace,” Caldwell said.