Jane Asinde’s pregame ritual is to listen to gospel music which helps her get in the zone for games. 

Asinde is a senior forward for the women’s team. She is from Kampala, Uganda, and has not visited her family or home country in four years.  

“I do FaceTime them a lot, but it’s different,” Asinde said. “I still feel homesick here and there, but it’s something you progress towards.

Despite the distance, she knows that her family supports her goals. Asinde has a sister that lives in Wichita. 

“Having my sister here makes a very big difference, that I have at least somebody here,” Asinde said. 

Last season, Asinde started 22 out of 29 games.  She led the team in rebounding and had nine double-doubles.

“I think Jane’s rebounding is going to be really key, and I think her role is going to be a bigger one for us this year,” head coach Keitha Adams said. 

Asinde said she has taken more of a leadership role this year. She said she has been pushing her teammates, being more vocal and taking on responsibilities. 

“(Asinde) played a lot for us as a newcomer last year. [She’s an] athletic forward that really can play around the rim, great athlete, long and very athletic,” Adams said. 

Adams said that the coach staff has been working on Asinde with her ball-handling skills and her left hand. 

“I think she’s a player that’s capable of doing a double-double every night,” Adams said. 

Adams said that Asinde was like a pogo stick when it came to finding the rim. 

“If I see the ball up there, I am going to go get it,” Asinde said. 

Asinde said the team’s chemistry has grown and the team just clicks. 

“We just have that connectivity, that sisterhood, which really helps us out,” Asinde said. 

She said that the chemistry they had last season has really grown and that they are there for each other. 

Asinde said that the advice she would give to new players would be to stay motivated and keep their heads up. 

Freshman forward Daniela Abies said that Asinde is someone she looks up to. 

“I like to watch her game and everything and I think she’s a really good teammate because she’s like helping me and everything so I’m glad to be on the same team as her,” Abies said.