Anaya Brown keeps it simple.

It's how she describes her game.

It's in her approach to everything.

For Brown, it's a matter of not trying to do too much. Make the right read, make the right pass.

When the Mustangs needed someone to step up that's what she did.

She's not flashy – on or off the court.

However, if you pay close attention, you can see the extent of her impact on both ends of the court, especially over the last seven games.

There's scoring, but it's all the other things from rebounding, blocking shots, picking steals and just disrupting on the defensive end.

"She's just really risen to the occasion, because she knows we need her," SMU coach Adia Barnes said. "She knows we rely on her."

Timing has had a lot to do with it. With all the reps, Brown understands Barnes' system better. She's felt the confidence her teammates and coaches have in her.

However, most of it comes down to her heath. It hasn't been easy to get to this point, yet Brown kept pushing forward.

See, Brown has been battling back spasms. They have found the right treatment and as Barnes said, it definitely shows not only in her play but in her stature.

"She was limited the first couple of months," Barnes said. "She's gotten some therapy with some great doctors, and she is completely different. She feels different. Her balance is back. …. If you would have seen her (weeks ago) … she was hunched over, she couldn't practice full-go. And now her springs back, and this is the Anaya that we wanted her to be, that we knew she could be the whole year."

Since the January 15 game against Virginia Tech, every time the 6-foot 1-inch senior forward steps on the court, she's made a difference. Over these last seven games, she is averaging: 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds. She also has 12 steals and 12 blocks.

Brown, who plans to become a physician's assistant after her basketball playing days are over (she wants to play professionally), didn't grow up with a ball in her hands from a young age. Instead, her path to basketball started a little later.

When Brown was eight, her parents saw her participating in a field day event at school. After seeing her basically beat the entire field in the 100m dash, they decided she should be playing a sport. Basketball was the one they selected.

It took a few more years until Brown realized she could be good at basketball. That's when she started playing on the JV team at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky, when she was in the seventh grade.

"It was hard (in the beginning) but then once you get the mentality, you never lose it, like you just know, go out there, kill, work," Brown said.

Brown added that she learned a lot playing up, against the older kids: "The work ethic and mentality that you had to have every single day because they are older and they're stronger and faster, so you have to be on your p's and q's always and make the right pass, make the right reads. You can't slack off on the little things."

These are the lessons she's carried with her to this day along with watching former WNBA star Candace Parker and one of the best rivalries in college basketball up close, Kentucky and Louisville.

Brown grew up down the block from Kentucky, with Louisville 45 minutes away. She was also inspired by Ryne Howard, former Kentucky standout, who now plays for the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.

Brown is still learning.

There are things she picks up from watching lots of WNBA and NBA games from moves around the rim and creating space. Reps in practice and individual skill sessions with her coaches that include improving her mid-range game and being more consistent with her shot overall.

Plus, all the lessons from Barnes, who has poured a lot into Brown this season. One of the biggest messages is, "Being confident in who I am and what I am doing and sticking to it."

"My coaches and teammates believed in me all throughout the time when I was injured. They still believed the best in me, so just knowing they had my back, it just gave me more faith to do what I know I could do."