Campus Newcomer: Wasilla C Layla Hays

It’s a 3,633-mile road trip from Wasilla, Alaska to Iowa City, Iowa. The trip would span through three Canadian provinces and three states. Luckily, planes exist, so friends and family of incoming freshman center Layla Hays will never have to make the trip in a vehicle. The final player to commit in the Hawkeyes ’25 recruiting class was a special one, as Layla was the first player to commit to Jan Jensen after becoming head coach of the program.

“Iowa was really always my top school,” Hays told HawkeyeReport at the time of her commitment. “My heart really told me (Iowa) is the place I will fit in and grow. It was definitely a hard process, but I knew that it was Iowa.”

Hays, rated as a four-star, #71 player in the country by ESPN, chose the Hawkeyes over a finalists list that included Nebraska, Duke, North Carolina, Indiana, Washington, Illinois and Gonzaga. She also held notable offers from Iowa State, Tennessee, Maryland and Kansas State.

Hays averaged 16.2 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in 21 games as a junior and helped the Warriors win the ASAA Class 4A state title. She broke her foot in February of the championship season, but did not miss a game, totaling 25 points, 33 rebounds and ten blocks in three games at the state tournament. As a senior, Hays averaged 15.0 points per game and won Alaska Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

She was also a high-level volleyball player at Wasilla High School, earning all-state honors as a senior, helping the Warriors to a 45-4-2 record and a second straight state championship.

Layla Hays, ready to amaze 🤩

Welcome to the Hawkeye family, @LaylaHays2! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/0QIc7cBScy

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 13, 2024

We caught up with the 6-foot-5 center out of Wasilla, Alaska to discuss her move to Iowa City, what stood out during the recruitment process and her upcoming freshman season with the Hawkeyes.

Q: When do you move to Iowa City and what is your excitement level for that move in day?

HAYS: My parents and I are leaving Anchorage on June 9th on a red eye flight. I’m super excited to be back in Iowa City and spend time with the team.

Q: Your recruitment spanned through the Lisa Bluder retirement and you committed to Jan Jensen. What about your relationship with Jan made it easy to be her first commit?

HAYS: Throughout my recruitment with Iowa, I had communicated with Jan the most, so I had already had more of a relationship with her. Honestly, I hadn’t even known when I committed that I was her first, but I’m super pumped to get to have her as a coach and a mentor.

Q: The video of the moment you told Jan you committed was pretty popular on social media. Was her reaction and that moment just an extra confirmation that you made the right choice?

HAYS: Of course! I have full confidence that Jan believes in me—she’s always voiced that—and it made me want her to be my coach even more. Her reaction wasn’t surprising, just really true to who she is and the love she has for her players. That moment felt special and definitely confirmed I made the right choice.

Q: What number do you plan on wearing? Any special reason behind it?

HAYS: I’m planning on wearing number 12. My mom’s best friend—who I’d even go as far as to call an aunt (Leah Magner)—played at Iowa, and that was her number. I thought it would be really cool to wear it as a way to recognize and honor her.

Q: What have you been doing since the end of the high school basketball season to prepare for when you join the team this summer?

HAYS: I’ve been doing some lifting, and trying to get in the gym as much as I can. I also participate in track which pretty much goes on until I leave.

Q: What do you remember about your recruitment? When did Iowa first reach out to you? Who was your primary recruiter?

HAYS: I remember being extremely excited. Being noticed by such an amazing basketball program was incredibly honoring and honestly kind of surreal. Coach Jan first reached out to me after I played in an AAU tournament in Chicago the summer going into my junior year. She was my primary recruiter—we talked the most on the phone—so by the time she became head coach, we already had a great connection.

Q: What stood out about the Iowa WBB program that made them an easy choice over other schools? Was there a particular moment where you thought “Iowa is the school I want to go to”?

HAYS: As soon as I started talking to the coaches, something just felt different from the other schools. The culture, the support, how connected and close-knit the team is—those were the biggest things that stood out. On my first visit, I got to see a huge game and experience the amazing fans. That visit really gave me the feeling that this is where I wanted to be. On my last few visits, I found myself comparing every other school to Iowa, and that’s when I knew I needed to commit.

Q: Wasilla, Alaska to Iowa City, Iowa, I’d imagine, will be quite the change, but how much has AAU basketball and the travel that comes with that prepared you for this move?

HAYS: To be completely honest, I don’t have a lot of experience with AAU tournaments. My family is super important to me, so during the summers, when everyone was home, I wanted to be there with them. That was time I would’ve never gotten back, and I don’t regret missing those tournaments. I know there will be challenges with moving so far away, but I also know I’ll have a lot of support from my teammates and coaches—so I’m not worried.

Q: What is your relationship like with the other incoming freshman? What about current players?

HAYS: It’s good! I’m excited to get to know everyone better in person. I played with Journey Houston in New York at the Nike World Festival, and she was honestly one of the only girls I talked to there—this was before I had even committed. Addie Deal and I have been in contact since my last visit, and I’m just really excited to get to play with such talented girls and learn from them.

Q: What are your goals for your freshman season?

HAYS: My biggest goals are to become a better player and a better person. I want to learn how to expand my game, especially by watching and learning from the talented bigs on our team. Having Jan and Randi Henderson as coaches is a huge plus—they’re going to help me develop my post game and grow in ways I’m really excited about.

Q: What are you most excited for when you think about playing for Iowa this coming season?

HAYS: I’m most excited for the opportunity to play with such amazing people and be part of a program that values growth, support, and connection. I can’t wait to keep learning and growing alongside my teammates and contribute however I can.