Hofstra鈥檚 JaKayla Brown enjoys breakout season
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (BVM) — JaKayla Brown, a junior shooting guard for the Hofstra women鈥檚 basketball team, had a surprising breakout season in 2021 that led the Pride to a berth in the Colonial American Association (CAA) Semifinals.
After a low-key sophomore season where she averaged 6.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game on 26% from the field, Brown has become the star player the Pride were looking for. During this season, Brown became the team鈥檚 leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game and scoring the fourth most points in the CAA. In comparison to the prior year where she only made 12 starts out of 24 total games, Brown started all 20 games and scored in double figures in 17 of those matches, and averaged 1.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game. The Hofstra guard was very effective at the free-throw line as well, as her free throw percentage of 72% was ranked the ninth highest in the CAA.聽
Brown鈥檚 breakout season led the Pride to the fifth seed in the CAA, where they faced off in the CAA Quarterfinals against Towson. In the matchup, Brown scored a career-high 26 points, the most scored by a Pride player this year. She also recorded a season-high in minutes played (41), field goals scored (10) and field goals attempted (25). Brown鈥檚 contributions lead to a resounding 77-67 overtime win against the Fightin鈥� Blue Hens.聽
Behind Brown鈥檚 outstanding performance, the Pride advanced to the CAA Semifinals for the second time in three years but were defeated by the top-seeded Delaware Fightin鈥� Blue Hens, with Brown only scoring 10 points in 26 minutes.聽
Brown鈥檚 much improved season led to some recognition for her breakout year. The Hofstra junior earned All-CAA Second Team honors and was named to the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association All-Met Second Team. She was also nominated for the Dr. Nathalie J. Smith Award at the annual HOFSPYs, which is given to Hofstra鈥檚 best female-student athlete.聽
In addition to her athletic accolades, Brown has also achieved academic success off the court. In 2021, Brown was a member of her division鈥檚 NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and also a part of Phi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. She, along with her teammate Jaylen Hines, was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.
Coinciding with Brown鈥檚 recent ascendancy, the Pride also improved in 2021. The women鈥檚 basketball team finished with an 8-12 record, doubling their win total from the prior year and achieving five wins in their conference. The Pride are looking to further improve going into Brown鈥檚 senior year this upcoming season.
