By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Last season’s Tulalip Heritage girls basketball finished with a reported record of (3-10). There was a decent amount of turmoil on the court and on the coaching bench. Losing tends to have that effect in any sport, at almost any level.
But that was last year. This is a new year with a new coaching staff who are intent on creating a culture of community and sisterhood on the court that results in a good bit of winning.
Now leading the Lady Hawks program is head coach Katia Brown and her assistants Deandra Grant and Jacynta Myles. If these names sound familiar, they should. All three ladies are Heritage alumni who made quite a name for themselves during their tenure as Lady Hawks.
“In preparing for this season, we really focused on building a sense of team,” said head coach Katia. “From what was shared with us, the team concept was really missing from Lady Hawks basketball the last couple years. Coming in with an entirely new coaching staff allowed us the opportunity to lay a new foundation.
“We want our foundation to be built on team and trust because basketball is a team sport, not an I sport. But also, because these girls can create bonds with their teammates that last well beyond high school,” continued Katia. “The three of us coaches are an example of that. We each went to Heritage, played basketball and volleyball as Lady Hawks, and now we are grown and still close. We want are girls to see this time isn’t just about winning and losing or statistics, it’s about making memories and, if they choose, sisters for life.”
The 2025-2026 basketball season officially kicked off for the Lady Hawks when they hosted Cedar Park Christian at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. The new vibes were felt in the opening quarter when the Lady Hawks put on a defensive clinic.
Their hands and feet were active, they constantly rotated on defense to help each other out, and their high energy resulted in plenty of highlights. Sophomore guard Aylani Lewis was all over the place, jumping passing lanes, and disrupting Cedar Park ballhandlers. Her pressure led to steals, which ignited the fast break offense. Sophomore forward Janiesha Zackuse, coming off an offseason growth spurt, came up with two blocks, one of which she didn’t even jump. Her denial of Cedar Park shooters at the rim also ignited the Lady Hawks fast break. After one quarter of play, the Heritage girls’ stifling defense only gave up 6 points, and they held a 16-6 lead.
During one memorable stretch in the 2nd quarter, there were two pairs of sisters sharing the court. Aylani and her big sister, senior Raylee Lewis, along with sisters Lilly and Madison Sheldon. Madison, getting minutes as a freshman, received a lively applause from the home crowd after swishing a corner 3-ball to extend Heritage’s lead to 22-15 at halftime.
The second half was continued domination by the Lady Hawks defense. They refused to give up any uncontested shot attempts, made a valiant effort of gang rebounding as a team, and were routinely diving on the deck to collect loose balls. All things that Katia and her coaches expect from a team playing for one another and not for themselves.
While the defense continued to play at a high level, so too, did point guard Aylani. She used her agility and speed to blow by Cedar Park defenders seemingly at will and never shied away from contact. Showing off her shooting touch, she made three 3-pointers to compile a game high 24 points.
After the Lady Hawks triumphant, 45-23, win over Cedar Park, the Lewis sisters shared their thoughts on the team’s new vibe.
“It took us a while to get here, for sure, but it feels really good to be a part of a team that actually feels like a team,” said Raylee. “I think that our coaches are doing so much to make sure we are communicating effectively and always lifting each other up. It’s created a certain level of ease and comfort that last year didn’t have.”
Little sister and bucket-getter Aylani added, “My sister just has a way of making me feel beautiful, strong, and amazing…always. And I just know that her belief in me and our coaches belief in me motivates me to play my best.”
If this is just the beginning for the new year, new vibe Lady Hawks, then we can’t wait to see what the future has in store.