Onassis De Freitas writes about Iyanna Cotten signing on for the Saint Peter's Peacocks Women's Basketball team
On November 8th at 6 p.m Iyanna Cotten, also known as “YaYa’’ by her friends, family, and teammates, signed her National letter of intent with St. Peter’s University. Cotton grew up watching her older brother play basketball from the sidelines as a fourth grader. Her passion in this sport quickly grew as she began to pick up tips from her sibling. At the same time the sport became something that left her at peace like an escape from everything else.
She discovered over the years that it was challenging to locate females interested in the sport, much less for female teams. This was prior to her participation in two girls’ teams in middle school, the Tim Miller girls basketball team and the NJ Panthers, when she discovered that she was improving as a result of playing against a variety of teams and more experienced players.
She immediately tried out for the girls basketball team as a freshman at FHS and was given a spot. She formed new friendships and bonds throughout her time on the team.
Now that senior year was underway, choices needed to be made. It was time to get serious about making decisions, and for her, that meant choosing between St. Peter’s University in Jersey City and Assumption University in Massachusetts. After touring both schools, she was better able to determine which one would ultimately give her the best experience and everything she was looking for. During an interview with her I asked her what set both schools apart from each other to make her decision easier she stated “ St. Peters just felt like home.” Which is when she officially agreed to fully commit to the school receiving a four-year scholarship from the school. When asked how it felt making this big decision for
her future she stated “It felt like a wait off my shoulders. I feel as though I’ve overcome a lot and I feel proud to have gotten to this point.”
Cotten intends to use her abilities to help the team when she becomes a peacock next fall. As well as assisting them in becoming a championship-caliber team. She went on to claim that the FHS girls basketball team helped her prepare for her future steps by allowing her to experience what it’s like to play with other D1 players, easily form friendships with others, and adapt to new coaching circumstances. Finally, Cotten was asked for advice for others, notably upcoming female basketball players, “Stay consistent, humble, and focused,” she replied, what is meant for you will come.”
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