Amaya Barnes D'Asya Collier-Williams interview: Transfers and real

In the Amaya Barnes D'Asya Collier-Williams interview, Barnes told D'Asya Collier-Williams why she left Jackson State University for Baker University, how she reached her fourth year of basketball at Avila University after graduating in three years, and why she wants to build a real estate business. She also described the long minutes that built her confidence at Penn Valley and the recruiting work she did herself in high school.

How did Amaya Barnes start playing basketball and get recruited?

Amaya Barnes began playing basketball at recess in third grade, joining the boys when she struggled to make friends with girls. Years later, playing with boys did not make college recruitment automatic. With limited high school film to show coaches, she turned to Twitter during her senior year to promote herself.

Joining the boys at recess

Barnes remembered seeing the boys play outside and deciding to join them. There was no formal introduction to dribbling or shooting; she described simply hopping into the game. Her stepfather later got her involved with Marcus Demmon elite on the boys’ side. Barnes distinguished the team she played with from its top group, saying she could not yet handle the “big dogs.”

Making a case to college coaches

High school brought a different challenge. Barnes said she was still hurt during her junior year and did not return to play then. Even in her senior year, she did not begin playing regularly until January because other players were ahead of her and she had to work her way up. She regarded that season as her only substantial high school film.

Barnes said she had expected her experience against boys to help her get recruited, but found the process much harder. She described the work she took on herself:

“I had to promote myself like crazy”

She got on Twitter and repeatedly contacted coaches. Barnes also recalled a game against Ray Peck when she was frustrated on the bench. Her coach kept looking at her before grabbing her jersey and sending her into the game; she identified that stretch of her senior season as a time of growth.

What did Amaya Barnes say about Penn Valley?

Amaya Barnes stayed at Penn Valley for a year because an early-college program in high school had left her just one year from completing her associate degree. On the court, she said she averaged about 13 points and played 40 minutes a game on a team with only six players, an experience that built her confidence.

Finishing an associate degree close to home

Remaining home made sense to Barnes while she finished the degree. She said the early-college work was the reason she stayed for the year; without it, she did not know whether she would have made the same choice. Her account of Penn Valley was therefore about both a practical academic decision and the amount of basketball she played there.

Playing every minute

With six players on the team, Barnes knew she would be needed throughout games. She said that expectation forced her to show up ready to play each time. Looking back, she credited those minutes with helping her gain confidence before the next stage of her college career.

Why did Amaya Barnes transfer from Jackson State University?

Amaya Barnes said Jackson State University was a culture shock after Penn Valley, and she did not believe she would succeed there basketball-wise. Although she appreciated the opportunity and said the team performed well, she estimated that she played about seven games. She ultimately transferred to Baker University, which had offered her a place earlier.

Adjusting to Jackson State University

Coming from the Midwest, Barnes found the move to Jackson State very different from her experience at Penn Valley. She had been excited to go and said people around her were happy for her. Early on, she posted positively about her team, coach and school, but later acknowledged that the experience was hard for her.

Barnes did not dismiss what the school gave her. She said she regularly expressed appreciation for the opportunity, including the financial support she received to attend. She also called the team a great one and said it reached the second round of a three-round tournament. Those positives did not change her assessment of her own prospects on the court.

Choosing Baker University

After deciding to leave, Barnes contacted schools that had previously offered her places, including Baker University. She said the response was substantial, particularly from Division II and NAIA programs interested in a transferring Division I athlete. This time, she felt less stressed by the recruiting process than she had when leaving Penn Valley because she had already been through it.

What did Amaya Barnes say about Baker University and Avila University?

Amaya Barnes said her time at Baker University helped shape her interest in business. She is now at Avila University for her fourth year of basketball, having graduated from college in three years. She did not set out a detailed account of her move to Avila, but described her current studies and what she hopes to do after basketball.

At Baker, Barnes became interested in the business world and began thinking more specifically about the kind of enterprise she wanted to build. She connected that experience to her longer-term goal of creating generational wealth rather than starting a business simply for its own sake.

Barnes said her master’s studies are in business. Her path through Penn Valley, Jackson State University, Baker University and Avila University has included both academic decisions and basketball decisions. At Avila, she is continuing to play after completing her undergraduate degree in three years, while considering how to put what she has learned into practice.

What are Amaya Barnes’s real estate and basketball plans?

Amaya Barnes wants to pursue real estate by buying a property with multiple units, living in one and renting out the others to help pay the mortgage. She sees that as a starting point toward owning and potentially flipping homes. She has not settled her next basketball step and said she is unsure whether playing overseas suits her.

Starting with a multi-unit property

Barnes named townhomes, duplexes and triplexes among the properties she would consider. Her plan is to live in one unit while rental income from the others helps cover the mortgage, allowing her to work toward paying off the property. She described a roughly 3% down payment as part of the approach she hopes to take, rather than saying she had already bought a property.

From there, Barnes would like to work toward buying and flipping homes. She framed the first purchase as a way to begin building the capital needed for larger plans. Her interest is tied to generational wealth, a goal she said became clearer during her time at Baker University.

Deciding what comes after basketball

Barnes said nothing about her next step is set in stone. She has learned life lessons through basketball and now wants to apply them beyond the sport. She was uncertain whether she would use an extra year of eligibility or play overseas, adding that she did not think the overseas option fit her personality.