When you have the last name “Mullin,” you’re basically destined for basketball greatness. No pressure, right? 

Luckily, for Xaverian H.S., Bay Ridge, senior girls’ varsity basketball point guard Callie Mullin, she never felt the pressure of being a Mullin and instead carved out her own impressive basketball legacy with the Clippers. 

Callie, 18, recorded her 1,000th career point this season and finished her high school career third on the Xaverian girls’ program’s all-time list behind Grace Lanier and Alexandra Carbonaro. In terms of wins in program history, Callie now sits atop that list, which is even more important than a points total. Xaverian went co-ed in 2016. 

“It’s been a blessing to have Callie,” said Xaverian girls’ varsity basketball head coach Mark Spelman. “She’s worked so hard to improve her game, and she’s been so consistent. … Off the court, it’s so easy because she’s a great kid.” 

Callie’s basketball journey began in the Rockaways at St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, playing Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) hoops. She attended school there from nursery through eighth grade, and she knew she would transition well to Xaverian. 

“Xaverian was always part of my life,” said Callie, who earned CHSAA All-League Second Team honors this season. “To be successful in the classroom as well as on the court, I felt that this was the best fit for me.” 

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Callie was pulled up to the varsity team right away as a freshman. She had a knack for hitting corner 3-pointers, and throughout her years, she developed into a floor general as a point guard and one of the team’s top defenders. 

Game by game and season by season, she kept pouring in the points, but really don’t know how close she was to the milestone. A few games before, one of her assistant coaches let Callie know that she was getting close. On Feb. 6 — Xaverian’s Senior Night — Callie knew heading into the game against Tottenville H.S., Staten Island, that she was only 20 points away. In the third quarter, she cut down the lane and hit a two-point floater to reach 1,000. Spelman called a timeout, and Callie’s teammates pounced on her with joy, treating her achievement as if it were their own. 

“It felt so crazy,” Callie said. “Everyone was there for Senior Night, and I just happened to get my 1,000th point that night. It was really special. All of my teammates were so happy for me. I couldn’t have done this without them.” 

“You could see the way her teammates reacted to her scoring 1,000 points,” said Spelman, who just completed his sixth season guiding the Clippers. “It tells you everything you need to know about what type of teammate she is.” 

The Clippers made a run to the CHSAA ‘AAA’ city championship semifinals, ultimately losing in overtime to Msgr. Scanlan H.S., the Bronx — the eventual city champs. Callie, a two-time Tablet All-Star and well on her way to a third nod, scored 26 points in that game to end what was a beyond memorable Xaverian career. 

Callie will head this fall to Division II Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry, New York, to continue her hoops career. Mercy’s coach is Scott Lagas, the former head girls’ varsity coach at Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood, so that the CHSAA connection will be alive and well. Mercy just won its regular-season championship, so Callie is excited to play for a top-notch program. 

As she’s traveled the country playing basketball, the obvious question has arisen: Is she related to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and “Dream Team” member Chris Mullin? The answer is yes — Callie is Chris’ niece. 

Callie’s father is Terence Mullin, who himself was a stalwart on the Xaverian court in the mid- 1980s as well as at St. John’s University, Jamaica, just like Chris. 

“Since she was little, she’s always been athletic,” he said. “CYO basketball started at St. Francis de Sales in third grade. … It was always something that she wanted to do. We never had to push her.” 

Uncle Chris also shared some perspective on Callie’s milestone moment. Having played in the CHSAA himself, he knows the nature of the competitive landscape and the quality of the student-athletes the league consistently produces. 

“This is an amazing accomplishment,” said Chris Mullin, a 16-year NBA veteran who played his final year of high school at Xaverian. “I’m so proud of her and happy she enjoyed her journey at Xaverian.” 

When asked about any potential pressure to live up to the Mullin name, Callie kept it cool — just as she did for four years on the court. 

“I don’t think it was pressure,” she said. “I was more so honored to have that last name, and I hope I wore it well.” 

She certainly did … and then some.