Meet Lakin Roland, the basketball star who scores for fun

When asking my teammates for one word to describe their senior leader, Lakin Roland ‘16, I received a wide range of answers. There was “passionate”, “jolly”, “generous”, and then there were a few stranger things… like:

“Little-kid-trapped-in-an-adult-body” (shout out to KL ’18)

… and…

“HUMBLE-BADASS (sorry that’s two).” (Thanks for the apology, ED ’19).

It is true – the 22-year-old senior from Jeffersonville, Indiana is most certainly a “little-kid-trapped-in-an-adult-body.” She loves video games, Spiderman, and knows every single line of the Dr. Seuss movie, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. But when it comes down to it, her light-hearted spirit and knack for dry humor is really just a way of showing her appreciation and enjoyment of every day life, which makes her one of the wisest members of the women’s basketball team.

Here are a few words from the “Lakeshow” herself:

 What’s one thing you currently do in your training that is key to your success?

“Sweat more!! But really, hard work is the key to everything. If I have a practice or a week of practice where I am frustrated and making mistakes, it’s almost a blessing in disguise because that means I have to adjust and work harder to make those changes. If that means coming in and working on my handle or getting shots up then I do that because I don’t want to make the same mistakes or get as frustrated with myself as I did the day before.”

How does it feel to have reached a landmark that only 16 other women have achieved at Dartmouth?

 “I love the legacy that Dartmouth has for breeding great basketball players, but more importantly for breeding great teams. All of the people on the list had a great team to back them up, and most of them are represented by the banners that hang in Leede Arena. So while I appreciate the acknowledgement that I can make a few baskets, I can’t do much without my teammates and coaches. It doesn’t mean as much to me in the sense that I feel like I have done something big. In my eyes, I’ve done what I should have with the gifts and opportunity I’ve been very blessed with.”

This past week was Alumni Weekend for the team. Is there an alumna that stands out to you for her support or accomplishments?

“I love our alums. I wish I had taken interest and advantage of them earlier. So anytime I have with any of them really is an awesome experience because they are so willing to help and support what our team is doing. Recently I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Allison Greene-Sands ‘90 better which has been so much fun and so fulfilling! I can’t wait until our paths cross in the real world where hopefully I have a job and she can continue to mentor me.”

Last spring you took some time off from basketball and volunteered at Kliptown Youth Program in South Africa. How did that impact your life?

“KYP was an unbelievable experience! It gave me so much perspective. We are so coddled here its crazy. We complain about this and that and about things that people elsewhere would die for, and in some instances they do! For women to go to school in Kliptown is a luxury that the youth program I worked for provided for the little girls and it was something I never even thought of before going. When I got home in June I was so ready to come back to school! It’s hard to explain the lifestyle because no one over here could relate but I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity; I would not trade it for anything.”

How did this time at KYP affect your basketball training? Did you find time away from campus and the sport drove your passion coming back, or helped you in any way?

“Ultimately this is why I came to Dartmouth, because yes I am passionate about basketball, but I am also passionate about other things that I could do here and no where else, like serve. So my training regimen in South Africa wasn’t what I hoped it would be but honestly I wasn’t thinking about or focusing on it as much because I was having the adventure of a lifetime. I did what I could in my room, which was a lot of body weight training. Any time away is good after you play an entire season, just to remind you why you play and while I was in South Africa I really thought a lot about the fact that I play basketball and what an amazing opportunity that is while the students here don’t even have that possibility. I think of that before every game and it puts me in a great place mentally and emotionally so that I don’t get too caught up in calls or my performance. Its supposed to be fun, so the experience has helped me on the court because now I have so much perspective about what actually matters in life. And while basketball is such a big part of mine, it is a small blimp on the radar the world.”

What’s next for you? Any plans after graduation?

“I wish I could tell you. I want to play basketball as long as I can, which has been a bit of a new development. Before I came to Dartmouth I had no idea that I might be able to continue after I graduated, so I just hoped I would be ready to give it up when the time came. Yeah right. So I will do all I can to play overseas or in the WNBA if that opportunity knocks.”

Since Lakin is one of the most modest of the DWB cast of characters, I decided to ask some teammates and staff about her:

Best Lakin quote?

Yuriko Fujioka (Athletic Trainer): “You gotta risk it to get the biscuit!!”

 What will you miss most about Lakin next year?

Isalys Quiñones: “Having her splash dimes in my face during practice”

Kate Letkewicz: “I will miss her caring, momma bear spirit, and playing alongside her on the court. She is so, so fun to play with.”

Yuriko Fujioka: “Text-book charges!!”

Coach Belle Koclanes: “Our coffee-talks – spending quality time discussing basketball, leadership, faith, and life.”

Best Lakin memory?

Yuriko Fujioka: “I forget where or when it was, but it was at an away game. Someone had a laceration during the game and was bleeding a little and needed to be treated during a timeout. Lakin sprinted to my medical kit and tried to take care of her teammate instead of calling me. That shows what kind of person she is and just a good and funny memory of her for me.”

Coach Maria Noucas: “On-court, her performance at Harvard this year was so inspired and impressive. She had ice in her veins as she hit the 3 with 2:00 minutes to go in the game to give us the lead again. Off-court, I love talking to Lakin about life. She has an awesome perspective and is such a thoughtful person!”

Coach Belle Koclanes: “So many! Devouring rolls (there is a reason her last name is Rol-and) during pre-game meal…sitting on the floor right in front of the screen to watch film…like a kid so excited for Saturday morning cartoons!  Watching her play video games for the first time ever and realizing just how competitive Lakin Roland truly is… NJIT buzzer-beater tip-in…and every time she takes a CHARGE…give her another roll!”

Clearly, Lakin Roland’s contributions to DWB go far beyond her stat line in the box score. She’s not only the go-to player for the game winning shot, but also the go-to girl off the court when a teammate needs help or advice. You can count on Lakin for leaving a positive affirmation written on a sticky note in your locker just as much as you can count on her for a clutch end-of-shot-clock jumper to put us up before the quarter ends. She’s been on SportsCenter Top-10 plays of the week (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyn9RU_2fjo#action=share)

but she’d never tell you unless you asked. We are thankful for our jolly, passionate, little-kid-in-an-adult-body, humble-badass. Keep the legacy rollin’ Ms. Roland.