On March 10 at Detroit Edison, Naiya Krispin sat on the floor, tightly hugging the championship trophy as Detroit Country Day organized for a celebratory team photo.
The senior scored a game-high 16 points to help the Yellowjackets (15-9) beat Harper Woods Chandler Park 68-32 and repeat as Division 2 girls basketball regional champions.
They’ll return to the quarterfinal on March 17 at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron for a second straight season, hoping to beat Goodrich and earn a trip to the state semifinal at Michigan State for the first time since losing to Grand Rapids West Catholic in 2022.
And that’s impressive considering the roster turnover in the past year.
After losing to DEPSA in the elite eight last March, the Yellowjackets graduated four-year varsity player Ari’Yana Wiggins, and two of the best players in the country also transferred.
Combo guard Jayla Jackson, who received her first Big Ten offer from Ohio State while still in middle school and was offered by Iowa well before Caitlin Clark made the Hawkeyes must-see TV, left after her junior season for Grind Prep Academy in Oklahoma City.
Five-star Cece Arico, the daughter of Michigan women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes-Arico and the No. 27-ranked 2027 recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports.com, also transferred out of state, landing at Long Island Lutheran in New York.
All of a sudden, Krispin, who received her first Division I offer from Eastern Michigan before ever playing a game at DCDS, was the lone four-year starter left on the roster.
In fact, she’s one of only two seniors on the team, along with Nyla Hai. The roster is made up primarily of four freshmen and three sophomores.
“She’s a leader that everyone wants to follow, and that’s what we needed this year,” coach Amber Deane said. “We needed a leader willing to take seven underclassmen with her, and she’s done that. I’ve been saying it for a long time, but I think she’s the best shooter in the state. Now she’s showing that she can be a gritty team player and a leader. She’s been able to put the team on her back.”
Ain’t that the truth?
They beat DEPSA by eight points in the regional semifinal, their first win over the state powerhouse Phoenix in three tries since Deane and Krispin entered the program four years ago. They’ve also played some of the state’s best teams close, from upsetting Birmingham Groves, which averaged almost 80 points per game, to hanging with Utica Eisenhower and Jackson Lumen Christi, two teams also playing in the quarterfinals.
Outside of Krispin, the supporting cast is relatively unproven. Junior Sanyiah Blackwell, the daughter of Sound Mind Sound Body founder Curtis Blackwell, has grown as a ballhandler, defender and rebounder. Alina Younes looks like one of the most improved juniors in the state with her knack for running the floor and scoring in transition. And small forward Taryn McNeil is currently the No. 8-ranked 2029 recruit in Michigan, according to Prep Girls Hoops. Beyond that, the rest of the roster is still developing.
None of the new players left middle school with Division I offers like Jackson, Arico and Krispin.
But that’s been OK because Krispin has enjoyed every second of it being her turn to be the big sister on the team.
“I was definitely excited to meet all the new girls because we have a lot of new freshmen on the team,” Krispin said. “They’re very bubbly, they’re very fun, so it was exciting to step into that leadership role, and I think they’ve done a great job. They’ve adapted very, very well, as you can see with us beating DEPSA. They’re just learning and continuing to grow, and it’s been amazing to witness.”
Krispin’s patience as they develop has been just as impressive.
Take the first half against Chandler Park, for example.
Krispin, known as a reliable 3-point shooter, didn’t attempt a shot from downtown until nearly midway through the second quarter because of how much the Eagles (16-7) denied and double-teamed her.
Instead, she watched her teammates get to work. Blackwell scored twice down low, Sydney Wallace scored in transition and Younes turned their full-court pressure defense into six points on easy layups.
During an 18-1 run that sealed the victory, Krispin accounted for only seven points, realizing she didn’t need to put the team on her back because she trusts everyone on the floor.
“They take a lot of pressure off of me, actually,” the four-year starter said. “They’ve developed very well from the beginning of the season until now, so I definitely trust them. They can handle the pressure, and being able to lean on them has been great.”
Deane said the team has made winning for Krispin its goal this postseason. Sure, they want to win a state championship, but they also want to keep winning to extend her career. That’s why so many young players have made veteran plays during the playoff run.
“A lot of people have had to step up,” Deane said. “The young ones, especially, have stepped up. We’ve needed the whole team, for sure.”
They’ve also needed Krispin’s leadership, with her serving as one of the team’s two captains alongside Blackwell.
Krispin said she learned how to lead from 2024 graduate Emma Arico, Cece’s older sister and now a Michigan women’s lacrosse player. Emma wasn’t the best player as the team’s point guard, but she was its best leader.
She was the heart and soul of the team, keeping everyone organized and on task as the roster featured a wealth of young, highly touted talent.
Krispin has followed her lead. And now she’s hugging championship trophies on DEPSA’s home court because of it.
“It’s been great being a leader, to be honest,” Krispin said. “It was hard at first because you don’t always know what to say or how to say it to people sometimes, especially with the newer girls that you haven’t played with before. But as the season got going, you start to bond with them, and it’s been better.”
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on his new X.com account at @folsomwrites.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Veteran Naiya Krispin leads Detroit Country Day back to quarterfinal
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
