Hampton's A Driving Force Behind BG's Success
Whether it's playing lock-down defense, running the offense or solving a rubik's cube, she's got you covered
Medical Mutual
3/6/2023
Nyla Hampton moved into the BGSU starting lineup early in her freshman year and never left. She helped the Falcons to a Mid-American Conference regular-season title that year, and is a co-captain on a team that has won 25 games this winter. She has scored over 800 points in a BG uniform, is on pace to break the single-season steals record this season, and – in just her third year as a Falcon – also is rapidly approaching the school’s career steals record. On the eve of the MAC Tournament, Hampton sat down to answer a few questions.
Q: Your hometown is Huber Heights, Ohio, in the Dayton area. What is one thing people should know about Huber Heights?
Hampton: I think we’re mostly known for our high school. Our athletics have always been really good.
Q: How and when did you first start playing basketball, and when did you realize it was the sport you wanted to play in college?
Hampton: I started playing in second grade. My entire family plays basketball – my dad, my mom, my older brother. I was always around basketball, and I just kind of got into it. It was probably around seventh grade when I started thinking about really taking it to the next level.
Q: Your high-school team (Wayne H.S.) went 72-23 during your four years, including a 38-8 record over the last two seasons. What is your fondest memory of your high school career, either on or off the court?
Hampton: We would have shootarounds on game days, just like we do here at BG. After one shootaround, someone had left the PA microphone on in the gym, and about four or five of us basically just had a big karaoke party afterward.
Q: When you got to BG, you missed the first five games of the season, then made your debut in a win at Morehead State (Hampton scored 11 points in that game, and also had four assists and four steals in her collegiate debut). What do you remember about that game?
Hampton: I was out with a concussion, and it was frustrating, because we would get to games, and my head would feel OK, but the protocol test that we took on our phones was keeping me out. That was frustrating, because each game, I was like ‘I just can’t pass this test.’ But, even though I wasn’t able to play, it was a lot of fun to watch the girls play, and kind of get a sense, from an outsider’s perspective, of how they played together. Then, obviously, I was super excited when I was able to get back out there and play with everyone.
Q: BGSU had gone six years without a winning season before you and your classmates arrived. But, in your freshman season, the Falcons not only had a winning record, but won the MAC regular-season title and advanced to the championship game of the MAC Tournament. When did you realize that that team had a chance to be that good?
Hampton: Honestly, I think maybe after our second or third game, just because of the way we played together. It was kind of like, ‘Oh, I think we have a pretty good chance at this.’ And then, when we got into conference, I think it was a mixture of people not knowing us, and people not having the expectations of us that we had for ourselves. I think we kind of took people by surprise. Now they’re playing catch-up; now they have to recover. So I think as the season progressed, we realized winning the championship was really something we had a chance to do.
Q: You were named to the MAC’s All-Defensive Team in each of your first two seasons with the Falcons, and you are on pace to shatter BGSU’s career records for total steals and steals per game. Can you talk about what it is that has made you such a successful defender?
Hampton: I think it’s a big pride thing. Like I said, I grew up playing basketball with my brothers. My older brother is two-and-a-half years older than me, and he’s always been stronger than me and faster than me. We would play one-on-one a lot, and we would play make-it take-it, so he had the ball a lot. My family is competitive, and it got personal. I think that’s kind of where the roots came from. I was like, ‘No, I’m not letting you score on me.’ And then, it just naturally translated to when I was playing with teams. No matter what’s going on, whether I’m shooting poorly or turning the ball over, one thing I can control – no matter what – is my defense. That’s one thing I can do, night in and night out.
Q: This year, before the season started, the team went on a foreign tour, heading to Costa Rica for a week in early August. How do you feel that trip affected the team, both on and off the court?
Hampton: It definitely affected us a lot. Even before the trip, our team was hanging out a lot outside of practice, and we could tell that this was going to be a close team. Then, once we got to Costa Rica, the cellphone service was not good, so no one was really on our phones and we spent a lot of time with each other. I think that really connected us. Our freshmen started coming out of their shell a little bit. There were some people who maybe you hadn’t talked to as much over the summer, that you got opportunities to spend time with them and talk to them a little more. It was really good for us.
Q: You are a Visual Communication Technology major at BGSU. What made you decide upon that as a major, and what would you like to do upon graduation?
Hampton: I’ve always loved photography. That was always something I knew I wanted to do in college specifically. The VCT program here is very in-depth and inclusive with different skills. I get to work with video and graphic design as well, for example. So, I felt like it was a good opportunity for me to both do my photography and gain some extra skills. My ideal career would be freelance photography. I want to shoot pretty much everything – weddings, nature, senior portraits; pretty much everything.
Q: Who inspired or encouraged you the most athletically growing up?
Hampton: My mom and dad. They were a good balance. My dad, especially early on, was always the one who was encouraging and pushing me, and my mom would provide that balance, like ‘OK, take a deep breath.’
Q: Do you have any pre-game superstitions or routines?
Hampton: Actually, I don’t.
Q: A few non-basketball questions. You are able to solve a rubik’s cube in a very short amount of time, and you proved that last Wednesday when you did so on camera. How did you discover that was a talent that you possessed?
Hampton: I’ve always been a puzzles kid. I’m attracted to pretty much anything that challenges my brain. My mom would always get me things like sudoku puzzles, and one day she got me a rubik’s cube. I played around with it for a little while, and I can’t even remember how I got to the point of finding what worked or what was easiest. At this point, it’s just muscle memory. I know what order I go in, but if I tried to sit down and teach someone, I would have to pick it up and do it myself first to remember what I do.
Q: What is your go-to restaurant and/or meal?
Hampton: The whole team will tell you that I love going to Waffle House, and I always get the all-star special.
Q: Where is your favorite spot on campus?
Hampton: I’d say the Union. Or more specifically, maybe the BGSU letters (outside the union), because they always have things going on over there.
Q: What is something that people might not know about you?
Hampton: I do almost everything left-handed. I can’t write with my left hand to save my life, but I brush my teeth left-handed, I eat left-handed … if I try to drink something with my right hand, it feels weird.
Q: Who is the funniest player on the team?
Hampton: Jocelyn (Tate).
Q: Describe Coach Fralick in one word.
Hampton: I’d say passionate.
Q: What is it like playing in the Stroh Center?
Hampton: It’s insane. Our fans are amazing, and the energy is unmatched.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a part of the BGSU women’s basketball program?
Hampton: Definitely the community.
Q: The MAC Tournament starts Wednesday. What are your goals, both personally and for the team, for the remainder of this season?
Hampton: For me personally, it’s just doing what I can to make sure the team’s in the best position we can be to achieve our goals. And of course, our team goal is to go to the big dance this year.
