Get to know Whittier College basketball player Lainie James
WHITTIER, Calif. — Lainie James, 23, has played basketball for the last eight years and currently attends Whittier College. She’s played basketball with NJB (2012), OC Rhythm Club (2013-18), Sonora High School (2014-2018), Concordia University Irvine (2019-2020) and Whittier College (2021 – present). Her pregame ritual is listening to music and eating a satisfying meal. Her favorites are rap and pasta.
“My personal goal in high school was to beat Troy (check). The icing on the cake was being voted Freeway League MVP in 2018. My next objective was to get a full ride to college (check). I really wanted to win a championship in college (2022 Women’s Basketball SCIAC Tournament Champions – check). It would be really great to get ‘Player of the Year’ in college, so I guess that would be my next aspiration. After that, I hope to get an excellent job using my Behavioral Science degree,” Lainie shares.
“The first basket I ever made was in the wrong basket. I overcame that by looking at my mom (not my dad), who cheered for me anyway,” Lainie giggles.
Lainie reveals, “The biggest challenge is the preseason grind. I try not to think about it, and just push through! Some of the best advice I’ve been given is ‘Just keep swimming’ (Finding Dory, 2016). My coach said, ‘Let’s try out your jump shot. You should shoot more often. Have confidence in yourself.’”
“I love the amount of people I’ve met in Orange County, Texas, Chicago and Portland. Being a member of a team has taught me to get along with diverse personalities. Basketball has given me a vast social knowledge and afforded me the opportunity to travel, meet extraordinary people, and get an amazing education. Who knows where it will take me in the future,” Lainie concludes.
When Lainie is not playing basketball or studying, she likes to hang out with friends and go to the beach.
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