VYPE: How are you feeling about this year’s team? What are your expectations?

Laiyanna Jethrow: This year’s team definitely has potential. I expect us to give it a good run, and possibly make it to state.

VYPE: What are your coaching staff’s expectations for you?

LJ: I believe my coaching staff has the same expectations. They want us to get better every game we play.

VYPE: And what are your expectations for yourself?

LJ: What I expect for me is to lead the team and be able to be an impact on and for them.

VYPE: Talk about your basketball journey. Who introduced you to the sport, and when?

LJ: Basketball for me started in seventh grade. I didn’t know much about it because I actually had to be a cheerleader, but it was something all the girls in seventh grade were doing, so I said why not. I could really jump and that was good for a girl in seventh grade, but I really started taking it serious in ninth grade when I was able to practice with varsity.

VYPE: What are the greatest lessons basketball has taught you?

LJ: In basketball, I learned that things are not always going to go your way. You just have to put in the effort for it. Work hard and eventually what you deserve will come to you.

VYPE: What does being a Santa Fe Wolf mean to you?

LJ: To me, being a Santa Fe Wolf is to be a part of a family. Being around the team five out of seven days out of the week gets pretty annoying, but at some point it’s like, these girls are my family. 

VYPE: What’s one thing everybody should know about Laiyanna?

LJ: I think everybody should know that I am a fun, uplifting person, and would like to think I’m selfless, knowing that I would do almost anything for my teammates.

VYPE: What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced so far in your basketball career?

LJ: I would like to say being mentally tough enough to push past bad games and letting things go after they are over has been a big challenge. Learning to let things be after they are over, like a bad game, is something I have struggled with.

VYPE: How did you overcome that challenge?

LJ: As of right now, I’ve learned to pray before and after the game. I never leave the locker room after a game mad. Especially if we won the game and I just didn’t do my best. Also, I’ve learned to stop talking abt the previous game the next day, it helps a lot.

VYPE: What are your future plans, goals and ambitions?LJ: In the future I plan to succeed in sports medicine/physical therapy. I love the sport and want to maintain a relationship even if I am not playing it.