Sam Houston girls basketball is rolling into the 2026-27 season as two-time reigning district champions, but the real story for this squad isn’t just another title run. It’s about breaking a brutal first-round playoff curse that has haunted them for two straight years, and junior forward Laniya Lee just dropped the truth bomb that tells you everything you need to know about their current mindset.
The “Big Three” and a Sophomore Star Are Ready to Break the Playoff Spell
The Hurricanes are absolutely stacked with experience, bringing back four starters and two other letterwinners who are all fired up to finally win a playoff game. This isn’t just some random group, either. We’re talking about “The Big Three”,senior guard Jakiah Caldwell, junior guard Faira Starks, and junior forward Laniya Lee,plus sophomore forward Sasha Harris. What’s wild is *all four of them* have been starting since their freshman year. That’s a ton of varsity minutes under coach Chancy Campbell, and they are counting on that chemistry to make the difference.
Caldwell, who was last season’s 27-5A MVP after averaging a scorching 17.2 points per game, leads the charge. Starks dropped 12.3 ppg, and Lee added 11.4 ppg, both earning first team all-district honors. They’re three of the district’s top four returning scorers, period. Harris, the fourth-leading scorer with 7.2 points per game, credits her older teammates for helping her adjust to the varsity intensity as a freshman. Coach Campbell isn’t shy about his expectations, either. Starks said, “Playing with Coach Chancy, he expects a lot from us. High expectations. Starting as freshmen on varsity, that’s really good for us. We’re meeting his expectations and they are higher expectations as we get older.”
Two District Titles, Zero Playoff Wins: The Numbers Are Getting Hard to Ignore
Look, Sam Houston has been phenomenal in district play. They shared the 27-5A title with Burbank last season with a dominant 15-1 league mark, and two years ago, they went absolutely undefeated at 16-0. That’s serious winning. But those good vibes? They got immediately squashed by first-round playoff exits. Last year, MacArthur ended their season 67-45. Two years ago, Southside won 38-29, which felt even worse after Sam Houston had racked up 30 regular season wins. This isn’t just about winning district again, it’s about pushing through that wall. Lee summed it up perfectly: “We talk about it every day during practice. We want to get further and further in the playoffs because we know our team can do it. This year is something different. It’s a different mindset you have to have and a different level of ‘who wants it more,’ and I feel like we want it more.”
This season is all about proving that experience and a new level of determination can finally translate into playoff success. They’ve got the talent, they’ve got the chemistry, and now they’ve got a chip on their shoulder. They want it more, and after two straight playoff heartbreaks, who can blame them?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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