Hoopa Valley High School where varsity player Ivy Lamebear has been selected to join Team USA.
Lamebear’s interest in basketball started at the young age of four.
“My brothers played basketball growing up, so I grew up watching him play in high school and going to all his basketball games,” Lamebear said. “My uncle had a ball league start for the youth. I feel like playing basketball on the reservation and playing with boys a lot helped me become the player I am today.”
Though best known for basketball, lamebear also plays volleyball and softball.
Lamebear is the shooting guard for the Hoopa Valley basketball team that went to the playoffs. She averaged 11.7 points per game.
Team USA will be in Costa Rica next year, but Lamebear already has experience playing overseas.
“One day, I just woke up and someone emailed my mom which was a year. there was a program for girls basketball internationally and I was 14 when they asked me to play in Barcelona, Spain,” Lamebear said. “I asked my teammates, some of them were already in college juegos [games], and like D3, D2, and I was the youngest one there. I kind of felt intimidated at first. I just had to get the groove with my teammates and get like the chemistry there.”
this is the first time a girls’ basketball player from Hoopa Valley has been selected for Team USA.
“It’s a good recognition for her and I like it. it’s coming out of a small community, you know, and would give recognition to our tribes,” HVHS Girls’ Basketball coach Floyd “Cowboy” Billings said.
“There has been some guys who get recognized and all that stuff, but never really had the opportunity to even go. i’m glad that the girls are getting the recognition now, it’s hard for in a small community or a small area for girls basketball to get recognized,” Billings continued.
Lamebear is representing the Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, and Blackfoot tribes.
“A lot of native players don’t really get that chance to go overseas and play basketball. so it feels really good to represent my tribes and my people,” Lamebear said.
With her run as a shooting guard, Ivy has inspired others to continue their goals and dreams.
“It’s really fun and like really exciting for me and just feels good to like show, like the younger generation of the Rez kids and know what they can do and just like once you put your mind to it, you can do it,” Lamebear said.
