Detroit Country Day coach Amber Deane spoke to the media with a single tear under her right eye, one she missed before leaving the locker room after the Yellowjackets’ 58-30 loss to Goodrich in the Division 2 girls basketball quarterfinal on March 17.
That tear was for senior Naiya Krispin, who joined the team as a freshman at the same time Deane took over the program from former coach Jerica Williams. Because of transfers over the years, Krispin will graduate as Deane’s first and only four-year player (so far).
And seeing what Krispin did for the Yellowjackets (15-10) this winter, those emotions were warranted. They had seven underclassmen on the roster, including three freshmen who started against the Martians (27-0). She was the heart and soul of the team, doing her best to whip it into shape and stay competitive in the postseason.
Consider it a job well done for the sharpshooting guard. They won district and regional titles, even knocking off state power Detroit Edison to earn a repeat trip to the elite eight.
“Naiya’s done a really good job of setting the tone,” Deane said. “She’s proven to us what it means to buy into the message of the team and lead the team. She set that precedent for our juniors. They’ll step up the way she did. Because she was such a great teacher, she showed them the way. Whatever success we have next year is because of her — a lot of it will be because of her.”
Krispin, still uncommitted for college despite earning her first Division I offer from Eastern Michigan before ever dribbling a basketball for the Yellowjackets, now passes the baton to Sanyiah Blackwell and Alina Younes, the team’s lone juniors.
Blackwell has been a consistent contributor over the past three seasons, going from a rotational hustle player to arguably their most physical defender this winter. Her growth led to her joining Krispin as a captain.
Younes has also improved. Her sneaky athleticism allows her to score in transition, while her steady ballhandling helps her get to the rim for layups.
The Yellowjackets will be young again next season, so it will be up to those two to lead and inspire as Krispin did.
“Those are mostly like going to be our captains next year,” Deane said. “They’re two of our hardest workers already, and they’ll obviously be the most experienced next year.”
And there is plenty to look forward to.
Freshmen Makayla Sykes and Taryn McNeil showed promise as post players, and their playoff experience should make them better as sophomores.
Guards Sydney Wallace, Maya Hammoud and Evelyn Hoener saw plenty of minutes, rotating to help Krispin in the backcourt.
“That’s the tough part,” Deane noted. “We’re super excited for the future. But it’s hard because we want to win now because we’re super competitive. The present means so much to us, but when you look at the next couple of years, we should be scary good. That’s the plan. If we stay together and keep working, it’s a very, very bright future, for sure.”
Sticking together will be key.
Last offseason alone, they lost their two best players, who transferred out of state.
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, landing at Long Island Lutheran in New York.
While DCDS is one of the most prestigious programs in MHSAA history, you can’t blame Jackson and Arico for leaving to set themselves up for more success in college.
So it’s up to the team’s four freshmen and three sophomores to follow Krispin’s lead. Should they play all four years under Deane, big things will come.
This time, they couldn’t get past Goodrich, with only Krispin scoring in double figures with 11 points. But they are ready to prove themselves in 2026-27.
“They got us today — no doubt about it,” Deane said. “They’re a good team. They deserve to be in that final four, and we’ll be right there next year with them, I’m sure.”
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: Why Detroit Country Day will be just as good (or better) in 2026-27
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
