Four minutes left. They are down six points. Deep breath. Three minutes left, stop, think, what’s her next move? Three minutes and 30 seconds left. Now they’re tied, she needs to make more shots. Two minutes left, the net swings and swishes. One minute left. She’s at the free throw line holding her future. One minute and 30 seconds left, she makes the free throw and she smiles. East takes the win.

“Winning against Millard was a great accomplishment for our team because it was close but we worked hard,” sophomore  T’Niyah “Tink” Wilson said.

As a Bellevue East girls basketball player, T’Niyah Wilson opens up about the ongoing process of trying to live and fulfill her dreams. She has had to go through some hardships to try and reach them.

“I feel like my journey has taught me to not give up, and never settle,” T’Niyah Wilson said, “I’ve got what it takes to succeed. Strive to achieve.”

Wilson started by watching her sister Jayla Wilson play basketball for the YMCA at 6 years old. Shortly after, T’Niyah Wilson and Jayla Wilson started playing together. T’Niyah Wilson began her journey playing for teams called Jr. Pride and Girls inc. She currently plays for Bellevue East’s varsity girls basketball team and Adidas Circuit, and her position varies.

“Her older sister Jayla Wilson initially started playing first, so we would go to games and she started to want to play,” Wilson’s mother, Ashley Wilson, said. “She would sit on the side and start dribbling the ball, and she was always into the game. She was always watching basketball and one day she asked me if she could play at the Y [YMCA] with Jayla, and ever since then, she eats, breathes, and sleeps basketball.”

Middle school marked the start of T’Niyah Wilson playing to get high-level attention despite her young age. She played for King Science Middle School and Club Team Factory, a youth basketball program. During her time there, the current head coach for the Bellevue East girls varsity basketball team, Eric Lenear, was also coaching in the same program.   

“I became aware of Tink, or I have known Tink since she was in about seventh or sixth grade,” Lenear said. “At a young age she had a lot of skill in basketball, and she also kind of complimented that with work ethic.”

Getting attention during middle school was not as easy. Playing with older opponents required strenuous activity and a sense of the need to rise up to expectations. According to Medium,  a social publishing platform, the speed of playing can ramp up the training and playing load on an athlete.

“She was playing for older teams and I think sometimes being talked about by other peers or other coaches and things like that, you know, sometimes you’ll hear that people have something negative to say,” Ashley Wilson said. “But at the same time, it’s a hundred more people that know her in a positive light.”

Wilson also experienced a hard loss of her cousin in the middle of her journey. She went from seeing her biggest supporter who attended multiple games to experiencing a devastating death at such a young age.

“My niece used to play basketball and she passed away, and I think that might have been even more driving force for her [T’Niyah Wilson], you know, because she used to come to our games,” Ashley Wilson said. “She used to be very supportive in that aspect, and I know that was a loss that hurt both of them. That was a little hard for us, but you know, we get it through and we fight through all the time.”

Despite those challenges, T’Niyah Wilson persevered by working hard not only in basketball, but also through academics. According to the NCAA, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, student-athletes must be in good academic standing. Luckily for Wilson, she’s always been a good student.

“I’ve been pretty good at academics my whole life,” Wilson said. “My mom always told me school comes first before athletics, so I just have to focus on school because school comes first.”

Wilson has experienced several accomplishments, including being mentioned in Omaha World-Herald articles, being awarded as defensive player of the year, the Olivia McGinnis-Taylor award, and several nominations for performance in basketball. So far, another accomplishment includes college looks from Michigan State University and South Dakota State University.

“It’s not where I want to be, but I know I need to keep working towards my goals and eventually I’ll be there,” T’Niyah Wilson said.

T’Niyah Wilson’s ultimate goal is to take care of her single mother. She also hopes to play in college for South Carolina and the WNBA.

“When I get older I want to take care of my mom like she took care of me, you know,” T’Niyah Wilson said. “ I want to go to college and play all four years. If I could go anywhere, probably South Carolina. I want to play for the WNBA and start my own non-profit business and maybe team.”

T’Niyah Wilson’s motivation comes from several things. For example, she looks up to people like Dawn Staley, who is the coach for the girls South Carolina state basketball team and her mother.

“My mom has always been there for me and so that motivates me,” T’Niyah Wilson said. “Dawn Stately motivates me too. Like, when I watch her coach and I watch her plays, it just makes me want to go harder, just because I want to be at that level.”

T’Niyah Wilson and Jayla Wilson still have the opportunity to play together for East. Playing together provided the opportunity for on the court motivation.

“We always played together. When we are on the court, it’s just like nobody can stop us,” Jayla Wilson said. “I’m very proud of her and whether we play together or not I think we will both be good.”

T’Niyah Wilson may have only two more years left in her high school career, but she still has much more to accomplish. So far, as a player and a person, T’Niyah Wilson continues to work hard and light up the room.

“Tink is a joy, she’s a joy to be around and she’s a bright spot and everyone’s day,” Lenear said. “Her performance is huge for us, obviously. I mean, we win as a team, it’s not just one individual person, but the way that she can help us rebound and score the ball as well as share the ball, too and get a lot of assists impacts us significantly.”