Jada Gyamfi brings good vibes to the Iowa women’s basketball team: ‘You’re supposed to have fun’

IOWA CITY — Growing up in a basketball family, Iowa’s Jada Gyamfi always had a love of the game.

She didn’t, however, always see a future in it.

“I definitely got my love of the game from my family members and just always being around it,” Gyamfi said. “That's definitely what inspired me to start playing (basketball).”

The relationship Gyamfi has with her older siblings also has impacted her development. Her sister, Maya, played basketball at Northern Iowa and brother Chancelor was a first team All-American on the Iowa Western football team.

“On the court just learning from them and being able to watch them and take their advice,” Gyamfi said. “They also definitely toughened me up a lot when I was really little and just getting started.

“They made me very physically tough and mentally tough. So they definitely get a lot of credit for how I am today as basketball player.”

Gyamfi played on her first basketball team in second grade, which led to her joining an AAU program in third grade.

Her mother, Jamie, played basketball at Ellsworth before transferring to Mount Mercy. An aunt, Melanie House, played basketball and golf at Luther College.

“I was kind of always around the sport and then whenever my siblings started playing I was like, ‘oh my gosh, looks like so much fun. I really want to do that,’” she said. “My mom made me wait a little bit because I was a little too young to start, but as soon as I was able to play, I hit the ground running and completely fell in love with it.”

Gyamfi never thought she would play college basketball, however, and didn’t even watch a ton of the women’s game growing up.

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“I watched the men play a lot, but I was never like ‘oh, yeah, that's gonna be me one day’ and so even going into high school I wasn't sure,” she said. “I had gotten offers and stuff and I knew I could definitely play in college, but I was like, ‘I don't know if I really want to do that’ and then I transferred high school.”

Gyamfi started playing basketball at Urbandale High School, but later transferred to Johnston High School where the spark of her basketball career began.

“That's where I fell in love and I was like, ‘oh my gosh this is what I wanted to do. There's no way I'm going to stop playing after I'm done with high school. I can't I wait to play for at least four more years,’” Gyamfi said.

Gyamfi’s biggest motivator is her mom.

“She played college basketball and she didn't play Division I and her dream was to always play for Iowa because she’s also from Iowa so that was my driving force,” Gyamfi said. “I wanted to kind of fulfill what she didn't really get to fulfill for herself.”

At Iowa, Gyamfi has formed meaningful bonds and relationships with her teammates, who continued to fuel her motivation.

“They are definitely the ones that pushed me to be my best self every single day because of my fears,” she said. “I don't ever want to let them down. I want to know that every day when I walk away from practice or a game, even if I don't get in that I did the most I could to help my teammates.”

Gyamfi brings good vibes to the Hawkeyes. The energy she brings on and off the court is part of who she is.

“I think it's just something that has always come naturally to me. I'm a very unserious person,” she said. “Basketball is my whole life. It's my job. It's the reason I go to school for free. It gives me a lot of great luxuries, but I also understand that it's just a game and that's always been my mindset.

“You’re supposed to have fun. It's a game (and) that's the whole point of it.”

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Gyamfi uses her energy to be supportive and make the team atmosphere better.

“If I'm the person that makes you laugh all the time and that's my role that's perfectly fine with me,” she said. “I'm just a hype man, which I love doing obviously. That's a great role.”

The Iowa team is back together for summer workouts and Gyamfi has noticed a few differences without Kate Martin and Caitlin Clark.

“... that first day I was super emotional trying not to show it because I am really excited for the team we have this year and for the returners and the new kids, but I notice it (their absence) in the weirdest moments,” Gyamfi said.

“It is so weird looking over and not seeing (Clark) there. And then with Kate I just (miss) her presence. Everyone always talks about her being the best leader and she genuinely is the best person, the best leader.”