Trading the Great Lakes for the Great Plains, Jaida Hampton is a player of poise. Originally, from Lansing, Michigan, Hampton is known for her swiftness, ball-handling skills, and calm demeanor. 

As a freshman last season, she appeared in 26 of Wichita State’s 30 games, starting 13 of them.

She averaged 6.6 pointes a game, and had nine games with 10 or more points. But Hampton is humble and quick to focus on the team aspect of the game.

“The family aspect — the coaches and how they treat us — I feel like that’s why a lot of people choose to come here,” Hampton said.

A multi-sport athlete in high school, Hampton takes her position as a balanced, well-rounded player very seriously. 

She lettered in basketball all four years at East Lansing High School, where she also lettered one year each in volleyball and track and field. In her preferred sport, Hampton was named the East Lansing Team MVP and the Lansing State Journal Girls Basketball player of the year.

At the end of her high school career, Hampton had offers from Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Detroit. But she opted for Wichita State, where she’s studying biological sciences on top of a demanding team schedule.

Hampton affectionately referred to her incoming freshman teammates as “goofy.” 

“Everyone has their own funny personality,” she said. “It’s really cool to see the incoming freshmen when they get here and see them how to warm up. It’s cool to see the dynamic.”