Sam Houston girls basketball eyes district three-peat and long playoff run

For all the success Sam Houston has generated in girls basketball over the previous two seasons, one thing has eluded the Hurricanes – a playoff victory.

With experience and chemistry fueled by the return of four returning starters and two other letterwinners, the Hurricanes believe they can buck that trend this season.

“Team chemistry is really important, especially since four starters are back,” junior forward Laniya Lee said. “We get to build on our chemistry every day during practice, and it shows during the games.”

Lee returns as does senior guard Jakiah Caldwell and junior guard Faira Starks – “The Big Three” – plus sophomore forward Sasha Harris. Each of them have started since their freshman seasons. That accounts for a lot of varsity minutes playing for coach Chancy Campbell that they hope will pay off this season.

“Playing with Coach Chancy, he expects a lot from us,” Starks said. “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.”

The Hurricanes enter 2026-27 as two-time reigning district champions. Sam Houston shared the 27-5A title with Burbank with a 15-1 league mark last season. Two years ago, the Hurricanes took the title with a 16-0 run.

The good vibes built with those titles were immediately squelched because of first-round playoff exits. Last year, it was against MacArthur (67-45). Two years ago, Southside won 38-29 after Sam Houston won 30 regular season games.

“We talk about it every day during practice,” Lee said. “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.”

It helps that the Hurricanes return Caldwell, who was selected 27-5A MVP last season after averaging 17.2 points per game. Starks (12.3 ppg) and Lee (11.4 ppg) were first team all-district picks. They are three of the district’s top four returning scorers, along with Burbank’s Nyila Botello (16.5 ppg).

Harris was the Hurricanes’ fourth-leading scorer (7.2 points). The adjustment from middle school basketball to high school varsity was huge. Harris said her older teammates helped shepherd her to their level of play.

“It was intense to be honest,” Harris said. “Just to be on the court as a freshman was a new experience for me. I wasn’t used to that. It was ‘Whoa. That’s a huge change. They helped me on the court because sometimes I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Starks said the Hurricanes possess good depth, and the next step for the program is guiding the younger players like they did for Harris last season.

“The main thing we need to work on is getting the younger people to play as a team with us because normally it’s ‘The Big Three,'” Starks said. “We are trying to get them up there with us, and they are getting there. There’s a lot of improvement. Chemistry is getting way better.”

The Hurricanes will be tested early with a long road stretch before making their home debut against MacArthur on Dec. 1 in the school’s brand new gymnasium. Before then, Sam Houston has road games at La Vernia, East Central, Harlandale and Wagner. The Hurricanes will also have two tournaments (San Antonio ISD, Harlandale ISD) under their belts before then, too.

Their last non-district tune up will be the first weekend in December at the Northside/North East ISD tournament. After that, district play starts against Fox Tech on Dec. 8.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Lee said. “We’re working hard every day to get a third district championship. We have to show up to practice, ready to work and sharpen each other and build off each other. We have to roll as a team and play hard and give everything we got.”

Subscribe

There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.

This article originally published at Sam Houston girls basketball eyes district three-peat and long playoff run.