PressBox recently chatted with Morgan State women’s basketball junior Ja’la Bannerman about playing for her late cousin Jordan McNair, immediately feeling at home with the Bears and more. The 5-foot-7 guard averaged 8.3 points and 1.4 rebounds for Maryland Eastern Shore in 2023-24. Bannerman is a native of Windsor Mill, Md., and graduate of St. Frances Academy.
PressBox: How did you first become interested in basketball?
Ja’la Bannerman: I became interested in basketball when I was I want to say 13 years old. I always grew up around boys, so I was always into sports. I used to ask my dad, [Joseph], if I could play football and he told me, “Nah, you’re a girl.” So I used to play outside, which was called street ball, with a lot of my friends and my brothers’ friends. One day I saw a flyer about basketball and I ended up going because I just felt like I was going to be good. I ended up going to the tryout and I made the team and that’s how I started playing basketball.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
JB: My mom, [Shansherett], has always been there for me. My mother has never told me no when it came down to anything about basketball. My mother took me everywhere I needed to go. She was there for me. She pushed me to be a better me. Even when I wanted to quit, my mother always told me, “You cannot give up.” Another part that kept me going was when my cousin passed away. My cousin is Jordan McNair. He went to the University of Maryland. He died from heatstroke. When he passed away, that just motivated me to keep going because I’m the one that’s next up. I just needed to continue the legacy. I can say both my mother and my cousin.
PB: How close were you and Jordan growing up? What did he mean to you?
JB: We were very close. I’m a triplet, and I have two older siblings as well. We all just grew up together. We were very close. He didn’t have any other siblings … so we were always together. He meant a lot to me, so when he passed away, it took a part of me, too.
PB: Jordan’s goal was to play in the NFL. Are you carrying his dreams as well in pursuit of a professional basketball career?
JB: Yes, I am. I’m carrying his dreams as well. I wouldn’t necessarily say a lot. He had dreams to go to the NFL. I really don’t have dreams to go to the WNBA. If me going overseas takes me to the WNBA, then I am truly blessed to play in the WNBA. But I do know that I want to play on a professional level.
PB: What are your favorite memories from your time at St. Frances?
JB: My best memory at St. Frances was when I won [IAAM A Conference] championships as a freshman and a sophomore.
PB: Why did you initially choose to go to Maryland Eastern Shore?
JB: Before I went on my visit, I was talking to the coaches a lot. They just were making me feel like I was important. When I went down on my visit, I went with [Dakieran Turner], one of my closest friends that also went with me to St. Frances who ended up committing to Eastern Shore with me as well. When I went on my visit to Eastern Shore, when I got on campus I automatically felt at home. The coaches welcomed me [warmly]. They didn’t tell me anything that was wrong. They didn’t give me negative vibes. I just felt at home, so I committed on the spot.
PB: Why did you transfer to Morgan State?
JB: I ended up transferring to Morgan because they fired my coaches at Eastern Shore. My coaches at Eastern Shore meant a lot to me, so I always told my coach at Eastern Shore that if you were to leave, I’m leaving. I always stuck to my word, not thinking that my coaches were going to leave at the end of the season. I didn’t have any thoughts about them leaving, so I always thought that I would be at Eastern Shore all four years. But they ended up getting fired. I ended up entering the portal. My coaches told me that Morgan State wanted to talk to me, and I always wanted to come home and play. I always wanted to play back at home, so when I found out that Morgan State wanted to recruit me, I dropped all of my options and chose home.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Morgan so far?
JB: I can honestly say my favorite thing about Morgan is just being around my teammates and being around my team. My teammates make me feel like I’ve been here longer than a couple months. It feels like I’ve been here since last year. … You never would have thought that I just got enrolled into the school and I just transferred. It feels like I’ve been here a very long time.
PB: Do you have a best friend on the team yet?
JB: I really wouldn’t say I have a best friend on the team, but I do have three friends that I am with every day and that I do hang with every single day, all day. They are Maya Woodson, Tamaria Rumph and Zaiha Minnis. Zaiha Minnis and Maya Woodson are transfers with me. Tamaria Rumph is now a sophomore here at Morgan State. She was here last year.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players?
JB: Keep going, never give up, always believe in yourself and just trust the process. Just always trust that something will happen, so don’t think that nothing good will happen to you. Just trust the process and be ready for the outcome.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
JB: I look forward to either playing professionally overseas or … the child care industry. I love kids. I love to be there for the kids. I just love doing anything that involves kids. I grew up being an aunt at an early age, so I’ve always been around kids. I’ve always had to watch kids. That’s something that I am great at.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Morgan State Athletics
Issue 289: October/November 2024
Originally published Oct. 16, 2024