Kodiaks women’s basketball signs talented Raymond forward

The Lethbridge College Kodiaks women’s basketball team is excited to announce the commitment of Layla Vaz to its roster for the 2024-25 season. 

Vaz, who was a forward on the Raymond High School Comets, which won the 4A provincial championship this past season, reached out to the coaches with initial interest through the Kodiaks recruitment form. The coaches went to watch her play and invited her to participate in the Kodiaks talent identification camps. 

“Layla is an outstanding athlete, and it was a pleasure watching her play for the provincial champion Raymond Comets,” says McMurray. “She caught our eye with her ability to rebound the ball and run down the court to create scoring opportunities.” 

Vaz says choosing Lethbridge College perfectly balanced her desire to stay close to home and family while pursuing athletics at the collegiate level. She says she is excited to play in front of the fans in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium and experience the program’s culture firsthand. She will enrol in the General Arts and Science program.

Vaz adds she is looking forward to meeting all her teammates, noting that her favourite part of the sport so far has been the friendships beyond the games and the memories made through it. 

The Kodiaks coaches say they are excited to start working with Vaz, and they have high hopes she’ll have a breakthrough rookie year due to her work ethic she’s coming in with and the fact that her game is still developing.

“We see Layla being able to defend in the post, rebound and beat the opposition down the floor, post-up early and put constant pressure on the opposing team's bigs,” says McMurray. “Layla has a high IQ for the game and comes from a winning culture.”

Kodiaks coaches actively recruit high school athletes around Alberta and neighbouring provinces. If one of the Kodiaks coaches hasn’t spoken to you yet, don’t worry. Simply fill out the recruitment form (gokodiaks.ca/recruitment), and they would be pleased to learn more about you.