Wasilla star Layla Hays’ commitment to University of Iowa was about more than basketball

If someone had told Layla Hays as a freshman that she would have offers, let alone be committed to playing Division I college basketball, she would’ve been in disbelief.

But now that it has come to pass, the Wasilla High senior is grateful that her dreams are coming to fruition.

The four-star recruit officially announced her commitment to play at the University of Iowa last weekend during her latest visit to the campus.

“I’m so excited, and it’s such a great program,” Hays said. “It’s a big relief to know where I’m going to be going. I’m excited to watch them this year and am excited to keep up with their schedule.”

She began talking to the coaching staff during her sophomore year, heading into the summer before her junior year, and the Hawkeyes offered her a scholarship back then. Hays went on her first official visit in February, which was when she got the feeling that Iowa was where she wanted to be.

Hays made her second official visit in the summer after the Hawkeyes promoted longtime assistant Jan Jensen to the role of head coach, replacing Lisa Bluder, who retired in May after 24 years at the helm. Hays wanted to surprise Jensen by formally announcing her commitment to the program.

Being from Alaska, Hays knew that any Division I program she picked would be far from home, so finding one that offered more of a “family aspect” would be a significant deciding factor.

“I was so close with the girls, I could tell coach believed in me not only as a player but as a person,” she said. “There were so many cultural aspects that were just great.”

Hays had boiled her decision down to three programs, but in the end, there was just a place in her heart for Iowa ever since she went on her first visit.

“I kind of found myself thinking about Iowa at every other visit I went on, so I knew that feeling meant that it was the place for me,” she said.

One of the schools that was in her final three was the University of Washington, where another Alaska hoops star and her former rival at the prep level, Sayvia Sellers, is gearing up for her sophomore season with the Huskies.

“They’re a great team, it was just that the connection with Iowa, the players and coach,” Hays said. “I just felt at home.”

With Jensen on the staff, the Hawkeyes have a rich history of developing post players into elite performers — most recently WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. Hays hopes to continue that legacy.

“I want to play at the next level, so I really believe that she can help me get there,” she said.

Another familial connection that Hays has to the program is the fact that her mom’s best friend Leah Magner, who was a star basketball player at Colony, played for the Hawkeyes from 1998 to 2002. Hays wants to honor her by wearing the same jersey No. 12.

“I’m really excited and she is super excited too,” she said. “Having her there, I get to hear what it was like for her and compare those (experiences).”

Hays is already familiar with some of her new teammates who are also incoming freshmen, having played with them at Nike Nationals in New York last September and other national tournaments. During her visits, she became close with several returners as well.

“They’ve been really welcoming and it’s been a great experience,” Hays said.

Hays still isn’t quite sure what she wants to major in but knows that it’s going to be in the realm of sports, with one possibility being sports psychology. One thing that she knows for certain is that she wants to continue inspiring Alaska’s younger generation of aspiring collegiate athletes in the same way that so many trailblazers did for her.

“I really just hope that I can be someone to look up to, like Alissa Pili,” Hays said. “I looked up to her because she is such a great player. I want to be a role model by being humble and bringing great energy.”

As a junior last year, she battled through a broken foot to help lead the Warriors to their first title in nearly a decade. Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax has enjoyed being part of her journey up to this point and is looking forward to watching her continue to blossom at the collegiate level.

“Layla has been a joy to coach,” Hebert-Truax said. “Always willing to learn new moves and improve her game. I look forward to watching her learn and grow at the next level. I believe her will and determination will take her where she wants to go.”