Freshman Phenom: WF Horace Guard Laykn Donnelly is Proving She Belongs

DONNELLY IS THIRD IN THE EASTERN DAKOTA CONFERENCE IN SCORING AT 19.7 POINTS-PER-GAME (THROUGH 17 GAMES).

HORACE, N.D. (KVRR) –West Fargo Horace girl’s basketball is dominating the Eastern Dakota Conference this season. A big reason for their success is freshman guard Laykn Donnelly.

“I think there’s a lot of young talent coming up and a lot more than there has been in the past,” said Donnelly on the youth movement in North Dakota girl’s basketball. “So, I think it’s really cool to see young girls playing varsity and getting a lot of minutes on varsity. It’s just really cool to see that.”

While there are a handful of young girl’s basketball players in North Dakota seeing the court on the Varsity level, few are doing what Donnelly is doing.

Through the first 17 games of the season, Donnelly is third in the Eastern Dakota Conference in scoring at a 19.7 points-per-game. Her 3.4  assists-per-game rank her in the top-10 and free throws, she’s first in percentage having missed only two all season (42-for-44).

“Nothing surprising about it,” said head coach Brent Hintz. “I mean, she’s a very talented kid. She works really hard. She puts a lot of time into basketball. She has a passion for the game. She plays beyond her years. There’s a lot of times I have to remind myself that she’s only a freshman.”

That sentiment reigns true throughout the team. Whether is be ankle-breaking moves, or hitting game-winners, Donnelly continues to prove she belongs at this level.

“I mean, there are some plays where we just have to turn to each other and go *shrugs*,” said sophomore forward Jordan Christofferson. “Because, I mean, she hits her shots and she knocks them down. From the beginning, she’s just been a go-getter. Everything that she’s gotten, she’s worked to achieve.”

Donnelly began playing Varsity for Horace as a 7th grader, and over the past three seasons has already notched the 1,000 point milestone.

“It was crazy,” said Donnelly on her 1,000th points. “You know, my teammates have always been there for me, so it was really cool to see them supporting me…just being there for me, and it was a really exciting moment.”

Those exciting moments keep coming. Though only in 9th grade, Donnelly already holds three Division I basketball offers. (North Dakota State, North Dakota and St. Thomas.)

“I mean, it’s been really special,” said Donnelly on the offers rolling in. “I definitely think I am younger than a lot of people experience it at, but it’s been really special and cool to just kind of see them taking interest in me at such a young age.”

Donnelly still has three more years of high school basketball following this season. She credits her family for pushing her to continue to get better.

“They’ve all been so supportive and you know, my dad’s always been there for me,” said Donnelly. “He’s really put me in so many different camps and stuff, and so I definitely owe a lot to them for where I’m at right now.”

Horace returns to the court Thursday, February 20, to battle Grand Forks Red River. They close the regular season on February 25 before the EDC tournament begins at the beginning of March.