by Dan Ninham, Contributing Writer
Jordana Reisma is an enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. She is a
team member on the NCAA DI Cleveland State University basketball team.
Reisma is a team player and shared her accomplishments included being a member of the
2023-24 Horizon League Regular Season Champions for the first in program history.
This followed bring the 2022-23 Horizon League Tournament Champions and headed to
the NCAA Tournament.
On an individual basis she has been at the top of the NCAA D1 this season in field goal
percentage and is currently ranked second with a .701 mark.
Reisma made the 2022-23 Horizontal League All-Freshman Team and has been
recognized with a few league player of the week and freshman of the week honors.
She continues to excel and recently had her third double-double of the season and has
scored over 20 points in a game three times.
Reisma played scholastic basketball at Brown Deer HS in Wisconsin. Her high school
accomplishments included having 1,210 points, 802 rebounds and 374 blocked shots.
The four-time All-Woodland East Conference also was named a Wisconsin Sports
Network Defensive Player of the Year Finalist.
Indigenous core values lead the way for elite athletes to follow to continue to shine on
and off the court. Reismatalked about what guides her in practice and competition. She
said, “One is learning patience. During practice things don’t always go your way, your
shot isn’t falling or you’re getting scored on. So just learning to be patient with yourself
and know that things take time and eventually they will figure itself out, whether that be
in 10 minutes, the next day, or even a year.”
“Another would be to be able to handle humility. It might sound bad, but when you
overcome humility nothing can stop you. You come back stronger than ever from it.
To have that mentality will make you better than the rest. Some crumble when they are
humiliated but those who rise from it will be remembered,” added Reisma.
Mentoring is beneficial in coach-athlete and family member-athlete relationships in
guiding the athlete to make positive decisions as they are nurtured in the athletics
environment.
Tamroyal “TR” Yow is the Director and a coach for the Wisconsin Shooters travel
basketball program based in Wauwatosa Wisconsin.
“I have always seen the Wisconsin Shooters program as a focused platform dedicated to
nurturing player growth and development,” said Tamroyal Yow. “When Jordana joined
us in 2017, she was a tall, lean athlete with remarkable footwork in the paint and a
smooth mid-range shot. From day one, her strong work ethic and passion for the game
were undeniable. She embraced every challenge with determination and an unwavering
desire to improve.”
“By 2019, Jordana’s immense potential began to shine and she also grew. That year, we
celebrated significant achievements, including winning the Nike TOC championship and
the USA Basketball Championship, among other local tournaments. Her game truly
blossomed,” said Coach Yow.
“She utilized her length to effectively alter shots without fouling and, despite not being
the most physically dominant player under the rim, she became a master at tracking the
ball and positioning herself perfectly for rebounds—a skill that proved invaluable to both
her game and our team,” added Coach Yow.
“When I began speaking with college coaches about Jordana, I was able to share what a
great teammate she was, how smart she was on and off the court but one sentiment I
always shared: she was nowhere near her ceiling,” said Coach Yow. “That level of
untapped potential is exactly what our program is designed to cultivate.”
“Jordana’s journey exemplified the power of keeping a close-knit circle of trusted
influencers, staying committed to hard work, persevering through challenges, and
believing wholeheartedly in one’s abilities. Her story is a powerful testament to what can
be achieved when players, families, and programs work together with shared dedication
and vision,” added Coach Yow.
Donald Nelson coached Jordana during her senior year with the Brown Deer HS (WI)
Lady Falcons. He said, “Jordana was known as a finesse jump shooter when I came to
Brown Deer her senior year. Throughout the year, I pushed her to do more than just jump
shoot at 6’3. We developed our offense and defense around Jordana. She developed an
inside game. She was at the top of presses and became more of a threat on the defensive
end with rebounding and shot blocking.”
“There was a game in a holiday tournament at Beloit Memorial that Jordana took over,
and I knew she was going to be even more special than I thought. 27 points, 13 rebounds,
two assists, three steals and 9 blocks. One block shy of a triple double, it was a dominant
performance for her, which showed how elite a player she could and will be,” added
Coach Nelson.
“I enrolled her in the Iowa City Thunder third grade city league basketball team in 2012
and she has been playing basketball ever since,” said Elizabeth Brinkman, Jordana’s
mother.
“When Jordana was in seventh grade she was playing on a school/city league team. After
a weekend tournament, I was contacted by a lady named Moya Baylis who asked
if Jordana had ever thought about playing AAU basketball. She had seen her play at this
tournament and wanted to invite her to play on her AAU team,” added Brinkman.
“It was her first AAU coach Bridget Stewart, who mentioned the term ‘elite,’” said
Brinkman. “The term kept coming up when that AAU program closed and she had to find
another one and several coaches contacted her and were hopeful to have her join their
teams.”
“As we progressed through AAU and the level of play intensified, I started to see what
the coaches were saying about her being an elite athlete. She learned quickly and was
willing to work on skills and always wanted to be better,” added Brinkman.
“Her work ethic remained the same in college and is a large part of why she is at the level
she is at today and playing so well,” said Brinkman.
