I think so. Kori alluded to something like that in her TLS interview saying that Mariah was starting to make, for lack of a better way to put it, better big picture choices in her skating career. The example Kori gave specifically was regarding better diet/food choices. I got the impression that basically Mariah is going from a high schooler who skates for fun and is rather successful, to someone actually training both on and off ice as an Olympian.
I also mentioned this after i saw her at the Broadmoor jump event, she did not really look comfortable with the attention she was getting - and she was getting the most cheers or was tied with Mirai. I think she is kinda still trying to process and adjust to her popularity and that she actually has fans. That is a very different kind of pressure and one that she likely is still adjusting to. I could well see a young lady react in a way that could be described as defensive while learning how to deal with new found popularity, or arguably minor celebrity. She is now a recognizable face of figure skating - and that is something humans have to learn how to deal with, it is not instinctive.
It was also interesting that she sat with Kori and Rohene on the sidelines pretty much the entire event and watched with them, while other competitors pretty much all slunk back stage between their goes (well Jason did sneak out for Jordan Moeller but that was about it). I don't know if she wanted to, if she needed calming or if her team was doing to get her to see that she is on the same level as the other skaters. But what was more interesting was how well it worked, you really could see her relax and get more comfortable each round - so it did work even if it was unusual. There was a really obvious change in her comfort level throughout the event.
Don't even talk to me about predictions!
