DC Senior Profile: Meet Nysha Speed
Written by: Elizabeth Patrick
I am excited and proud to introduce you to Nysha Speed. Nysha is currently a senior here at Defiance College and is from Sterling Heights, Michigan. She attended high school at L’Anse Creuse North High School.
Here at Defiance College, she is majoring in Psychology and Social Work. Nysha plays basketball on campus while also being involved in various other clubs and organizations.
“I believe that I’m very underestimated because of my size. So I also want to be like OK, just because you’re bigger than me doesn’t mean anything. Just that kind of thinking and also knowing it would give me the opportunity to play more has allowed me to do more for the team,” stated Speed.
This tough mindset of Speed has allowed her to grab nine rebounds a game this season, along with scoring 12.1 points despite her small size.
As a part of the trio of seniors on the basketball team, including Nysha, Taylor Day, and Briwana Francis, they have been able to race out to their best start since the 2009-2010 campaign. The girls have achieved a family atmosphere that has led to a deep roster full of significant contributors to the team.
When the trio of seniors was recruited to be a part of the team in 2018, they immediately felt some tough losses, including losing their first six games. Those six games were also the first six games for head coach Allan King Jr., who is currently in his fourth year at the helm of the program.
As a result of a big group of upperclassmen, the girls were able to turn it around and go 10-11 the rest of the way and qualify for the conference tournament. They won their first tournament game since 2010 before falling in the semifinals. This season was a good turnaround for DC, and it showed the young players on the squad that despite some of the poor seasons that came before them, winning could be done here at Defiance College.
Flash forward to this season, where the women’s basketball team currently has a record of 14-8 overall. The surge in production stemmed from a change in her mindset coming into this season.
Speed stated,” I’m continuing to work hard just for myself without being fit for basketball just as the main goal but for my own physical and mental health. I just want to stay active and not let my past years define me. I shouldn’t have waited until my senior year, but I’m glad I made the changes I did because that has drifted onto the court as well.
To wrap it up, Nysha has had a significant positive impact on the court and off the court.
