Sports

Webb of offers: Spellman senior’s new confidence led to huge autumn

Onia Webb set down with her mother, Stacey Ellis, for a long talk in late August. The July recruiting period didn’t go the Cardinal Spellman senior’s way. The school year was about to start and Webb didn’t have a single offer.

“I was like mommy, I don’t know what’s going on,” Webb said she told Ellis. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I think it’s too late for me. There’s no point in me playing basketball anymore.”

Ellis immediately jolted some sense into her daughter. For years, coaches had been telling Webb about her enormous potential. Ellis was not about to let her quit before realizing it.

“After that talk with my mom, I just changed,” Webb said. “I wanted to work hard.”

More than working hard, Webb adjusted her mindset. She became determined instead of shy, confident instead of unsure of herself. The new focus has allowed the athletic, 6-foot-2 wing to start getting closer to that high ceiling. At recent open gyms, Webb has picked up Division I offers from LaSalle, Northeastern and Manhattan College and a top Division II offer from LeMoyne.

“She always had the talent,” said Tomas Baez, Webb’s travel coach with Baseline. “She’s finally gotten the recognition I thought she’d get when she was a ninth grader.”

Webb was somewhat of a late bloomer, mostly on the mental level than on the physical. Spellman coach Jane Morris gave her the option to play varsity as a sophomore and she turned it down, because she didn’t think she was ready for that level. Webb only started playing basketball in seventh grade and she had a growth spurt of about three inches after her freshman season.

For those reasons and her new-found confidence, Baez thinks Webb is merely scratching the surface of her ability. She’s a tall wing with perimeter skills. He thinks at the next level she’ll be able to play small forward or shooting guard on offense and power forward and center on defense because of her long arms and athleticism.

“She grew too fast,” Baez said. “The muscle development wasn’t there. I think once she starts to hit the weight room and focuses more on strength and conditioning, she’ll be even better.”

Webb also has interest from VCU, Wagner and Jacksonville. She picked up the LaSalle offer after an open gym two weeks ago in Maryland. The others have come recently following open gyms at Truman that Baez and Truman coach John Burke have been running in conjunction with New Heights and Long Island Lightning Dingle.

The next few months will be big for Webb also. With the graduation of Troi Melton, who is now at Boston University, she will be Spellman’s undisputed star. Good thing she had that conversation with Ellis in August. Her mind right, Webb is ready for just about anything now.

“To me, I don’t think I improved,” Webb said. “I just think my confidence got higher. I had it in me. It just didn’t come out yet.”

It has now.

mraimondi@nypost.com