蜜桃影像

Selma’s Jy’Kierra Oliver embraces leadership role

Published 9:37 am Monday, February 3, 2025

Getting your player ready...

Jy鈥橩ierra Oliver knows that the focus for her and the 蜜桃影像Lady Saints has been defense this season.

That effort on the defensive end of the floor has led to a top 10 ranking for the 蜜桃影像girls basketball team.

One of the highlights for Oliver this season has been seeing the team come together and being pushed by coach James Bolden.

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鈥淭he team has really come together,鈥 Oliver said. 鈥(Bolden) means a lot. Like we haven鈥檛 have a coach that actually like push us to the limit and make us have this mindset that we have now that we gonna win the state championship.鈥

Bolden said Oliver was the only senior on the team. Naturally, Oliver had to step into the role as being a team leader.

鈥淚n order to go to different and higher places, you have to step into those leadership roles and be disciplined. You鈥檝e gotta lead by example,鈥 Boldens said. 鈥淲e pretty much go as she goes. She鈥檚 the leader of the team. That was the assignment I gave her from the jump, and she鈥檚 accepted it and ran with it.鈥

Basketball wasn鈥檛 Oliver鈥檚 first sport. She grew up playing softball, but as she got older, she had seen her cousin playing basketball really started to love the game.

鈥淚 was surrounded with folks that played basketball,鈥 Oliver said. 鈥淪o I started to love basketball and feeling good about playing basketball.鈥

The Lady Saints have completed area play with an undefeated record. They have an overall record of 17-3 and with the boys鈥 team earned a right to host the area tournament. The girls begin on Monday at 6:15 p.m. The championship game will be Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Bolden said he鈥檚 been excited with the way the team has bought into this season.

鈥淭hey just bought into everything. I mean, since day one, I told them it’s state championship or bust,鈥 Bolden said. 鈥淪o just looking at what they did last year and then trying to pick up from there is pretty much where we started from this year.鈥

Oliver said the team still has work to do. She hopes the team can continue to focus and get closer as a team.

鈥淭he team chemistry, we鈥檙e still working on it, but it鈥檚 getting there,鈥 Oliver said. 鈥淲e just have to continue to work hard, getting better and staying humble.鈥