Exclusive: Mia Jacobs shining at Fresno State

• Mia Jacobs is averaging career-high numbers of 18.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 assists
• She is shooting 39.3% from three on more than five attempts per game
• Jacobs was a development player with the Perth Lynx before going to college

Mia Jacobs is relentless.

Whether she’s knocking down triples or snatching rebounds, the Australian forward leaves it all on the court every time she suits up for the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Now in her third college basketball season and second at Fresno State University, Jacobs has become a complete player, transforming into one of the best shooting forwards in the nation while also beasting on the boards.

Her competitive fire was lit in a Perth backyard when she was young, going against her older twin sisters, Claire and Amy – who both had great college careers and played for Willetton in the 2024 NBL1 West season.

“Honestly, the backyard play since we were very little has been so beneficial for us and the competitiveness that all three of us have in different aspects of basketball is next level,” she said.

“Just competing against each other and making each other better, I think that's one of the reasons that all three of us have been able to succeed and succeed in different ways.”

Jacobs is more than just succeeding, she’s absolutely thriving for the Bulldogs, currently one of only two players in the nation averaging at least 18 points, 10 rebounds and two steals per game, the other being LSU star and projected 2025 WNBA first round draft pick Aneesah Morrow.

She’s putting up huge numbers and doing so with great efficiency, shooting a very healthy 39.3% from deep on over five attempts per game. Simply put, Jacobs has levelled up this season and she credits continuity and aiming for more than just offensive output for her impressive performances this season.

“Being a returner, it's been good having that consistent coaching through the past season and then into this season,” she said.

“Just seeing this is what happened last year, these are the good things, the bad things, and then growing on that.

“Me and my coaches, we set pretty high goals for this season, we wanted to average a double-double. When we first said it, I obviously only averaged, I think it was seven rebounds last season, so it was a big goal for me.

“Having that as one of my main focuses, rather than just trying to average this many points, having something else other than an offensive focus, because a lot of rebounding is defensive, so you're kind of just stepping up on that defensive end as well.”

Being coachable and willing to learn is key to any great athlete and Jacobs relies on her coaches to push her to grow and improve.

“I have a few coaches back home, my dad is my coach as well, and then having different coaches within my coaching staff here giving their input, I think that's really important to just have different perspectives,” she said.

“No matter how good you think you are, you're not perfect and there's always room to grow and make improvements. Just being able to get that input and rework what last season was and kind of change my mindset to be like, ‘OK, that was good, but how can I do better?’”

All the hard work and improvement came to the fore when Jacobs went nuclear against San Jose State earlier this month, scoring 36 points (6-8 from three) in an absolute offensive clinic. She was on another level, breaking down the Spartans’ defence with ease while also grabbing 11 rebounds and four steals in the 99-85 win.

It’s the work behind the scenes, which has Jacobs confident she can produce a performance like that.

“I know even in games where I'm not making as many shots, I still have that confidence because I know I put in the work. It's not going to be a good shooting game every game, but when I do shoot well, it feels really good,” she said.

“I’ve been working on the consistency through my form, no matter where the pass is coming from or whether it's off the dribble or kickouts, just being really secure in my form and knowing that it's going to go in and the confidence that comes with that.”

It's that confidence, which is another key for Jacobs, and clearly it’s at an all-time high and rightfully so, averaging career-highs across the board with 18.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 assists per game for the 17-12 Bulldogs, who sit sixth in the Mountain West Conference.

Her activity and work rate on the defensive end has made Jacobs a two-way force with her squad relying on her defensive presence.

“Just trying to be more active on the defensive end has been something that I've been working on… We are such a young team, so with me being one of the older girls and a leader of the team, showing that it's not just about the offence and getting up on defence and getting those steals is something that is important to me,” she said.

“That then shows the other girls that our defence is important and it leads to our offence.”

Jacobs has been on an upward trajectory since her freshman season, where she played a key role for La Salle University, alongside her twin sisters. An incredible story in itself that all three sisters played division one college basketball together but add the fact they all played big minutes (averaging over 20 minutes each) and won plenty of games together in the 2022/23 season, is the stuff of dreams for sporting families like hers.

“Being able to play with them, having them as a guide and role models, both of them to look up to, and getting that experience through my freshman year is something that I will be forever grateful for, because I don't know if I'd be where I am without that,” she said.

“I just gained so much confidence through my coach and the players - a lot of basketball is about having confidence, no matter if you're playing a lot or a little, whatever you do on the court, it has to be at 100%.

“Learning that through my sisters - Claire was the top scorer on the team and Amy was the leader in three-point field goals - it’s really good to have them as role models and see how they got through it and have a path to follow. Then moving schools, I got to make my own name, which was really exciting.”

Before heading over to the States, Jacobs spent the 2021/22 season as a development player with the Perth Lynx. To say that squad was stacked is an understatement; two superstar imports from the WNBA in Jackie Young and Marina Mabrey, alongside Opals Sami Whitcomb and Darcee Garbin, it was the perfect opportunity for Jacobs to learn from some of the best in the world.

“Darcee Garbin was someone that I looked up to through all my junior years and I really looked to her for leadership and just presence on the court. She is a really good person and player, so it was good being able to play alongside her and get feedback,” she said.

“The way Jackie and Marina held themselves and the confidence that they had, they knew that they were some of arguably the best girls in the WNBA and the WNBL. Just the way that they carried themselves on and off the court… it was something that I really looked up to.”

From being a youngster in Perth playing basketball in the backyard with her sisters, the sport has taken Jacobs to the other side of the globe and she’s not taking any of this whirlwind experience lightly.

“I definitely don't take it for granted, I know this is special and I want to take it all in,” Jacobs said.

“There's no way that I'm going to have all of this just at my fingertips ever again and it's something that is really special for me, to have all these people that want me to do well, they want me to succeed, and they're all in for me.

“It's something that I cherish and that I'm grateful for.”