Nya Threatt is a hooper. The Dulles senior guard can do it all. Put a basketball in her hands and all is right on the court.
Last season, the 5-foot-6 Threatt was one of the top scorers in the Greater Houston area. She scored 19.7 points per game, shooting 50 percent overall and making 86 free throws and 31 3-pointers, proving she can score on all three levels.
Threatt was an all-state selection by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.
"My mindset is to attack and exploit my competition's weaknesses," Threatt said. "I think scoring comes easy to me because I have the ability to create my own shots and get teammates involved, which takes some of the pressure from defenses away from me."
True, Threatt, who also averages five steals, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, is anything but one-dimensional, and that's why she will be playing DI ball next fall. Threatt recently verbally committed to UT-Arlington of the Sun Belt Conference.
Mavericks coaches want Threatt as their playmaker, whether it's creating her own shot or creating for others.
Making plays is Threatt's specialty.
"I would describe my game as being a true floor general," Threatt said. "I'm able to see plays before they even happen and get my teammates involved, along with knowing I can get my shots at any time."
Threatt started playing basketball at six years old. She liked that she could play for a team, but also do things that allowed her to stand out and make a name for herself. She realized playing college hoops was a legitimate possibility after competing in multiple national tournaments and finding her name consistently among the statistical leaders.
Texas-Arlington was one of the first schools to offer Threatt, and she appreciated that it stayed consistent throughout the entire recruiting process.
"I feel like the best thing throughout the whole process was just knowing that I would be able to get a free education while doing what I love," Threatt said. "The most difficult part was learning to trust myself more, and knowing that in the end I will make the best decision for myself."
Threatt expects to be a more efficient player this season. She's put in a lot of work on her shooting. While she did make half of her shots overall last year, Threatt shot just 29 percent from 3-point range and 65 percent from the free throw line.
She's also intent on being a better all-around leader, being that it is her swan song as a Viking. Dulles won 24 of 25 games last season. That one loss, however, was in its final game of the season, a shocking 55-40 setback to Tompkins in the regional quarterfinals.
"I expect myself and my teammates to go out into every game and give it our all, from start to finish," Threatt said. "Leave everything on the court."